Comfortable relaxing positions while maintaining posture

Body: 

Hello -

I just recently read someone's post stating that reclining in bed with upper body propped up with pillows is bad for prolapse. I have been relaxing in this position for years thinking that since my body is in a mostly horizontal position, it would not be harmful. It seems that there are no comfortable relaxing positions that we can assume while maintaining WW posture. It's either standing/sitting with back ram-rod straight or lying flat on our backs.

I sit at a desk all day while maintaining WW posture. By the time I get home at night, my body is tired and my back needs to rest. Yet I'm not ready to go to bed and sleep.

Does anyone have suggestions for letting our bodies relax while staying in posture?

Marric

Forum:

I do this myself, so I understand. Try putting something in the small of your back, like a small pillow or rolled-up towel. It will support your lumbar curvature instead of letting your spine completely collapse. And I don't think it will detract from your comfort or relaxation. What we do when we are upright is what counts the most. Others may want to weigh in here, or maybe completely disagree with me. - Surviving

Thank you surviving. This is very helpful.

hi marric - I wrote a whole post and it disappeared and then i didn't have time to rewrite it....
I used to feel sad when I started this work - thinking of how I'll never curl up to watch a movie or to cuddle with my kids - again..... except that I don't actually have time to watch a movie - and my kids won't cuddle for more than a few minutes (unless they're sick).
My major relaxation is nursing - so I side lie while doing that. I prop some pillows up under my head a bit and prop one behind me and I can relax on my side being mostly horizontal. My little nurser likes to nurse often before bed so I have the tv on with subtitles, turn him towards me and side lie while watching tv.
I also lie down in the position Christine does on FAFP where she goes over resting. again, mainly horizontal but head propped up and shoulders only slightly.
I sit on my couch by putting a pillow behind my lumbar curve and sitting far back into the couch and kinda relaxing over this pillow. So i'm leaned back yet my pelvis is still tilted slightly forward.
i do the same in my glider chair that i bought for breastfeeding and rocking... i used to sit on it, feet up on the ottoman, c shaped spine, but now i put a pillow behind me and kinda lean back over the pillow and keep feet on the floor.
other than those kinds of things - i have found that living in posture has become easier for me over time and it doesn't feel like work all the time anymore. i find i can relax sitting cross legged on the floor with chest lifted. but maybe because i'm constantly cleaning up, carrying kids, etc etc - so even the act of sitting at work in an office chair can be relaxing for me these days.
and finally, christine has said in her videos that you CAN relax out of posture... just know that it could set you back or that you'll have to be really diligent the rest of the day... i didn't ever want to do that when I was symptomatic but I have found that when my prolapse is well behaved, I do on occasion relax into my couch and put my feet up. I just don't do that a lot...
keep experimenting with what feels ok and what feels unstable. your body will tell you how it's doing...

Typicalme -

Thank you for your suggestions and ideas. I have been trying different position using a pillow to maintain the lumbar curve. It's going to take some time for me to find a few go-to positions my body truly feels relaxed without having to lie down completely on my back. I would love to have a chair made that reclined, yet still kept my body at all the correct angles to maintain the WW posture - maybe some day!!

Marric

I find that when I am not at home and especially if visiting friends with low soft sofas my prolapse starts to become uncomfortable and it's so frustrating! I like a simple wooden upright chair if I have to sit but after an active day I relax flat on my bed which has very firm supportive mattress. I just support my head a little and sometimes roll up a small blanket to put under my side. My secret for comfort is a pillow full of seeds! It can be pushed into different shapes and it supports my neck when sleeping. When the pillow is bunched up I can see to use my iPad and rest the iPad on a small piece of hard foam .I can not achieve Christine's amazing sitting in posture for long sadly ! I find this works really well for me but am very lucky to be retired and relax when I want!
If I do not walk my dog for his 3half hour sessions every day minimum ,using WW posture, then I know straight away and get very down in every sense of the word!
I take the pillow with me when sleeping away from home too !