Expanding waistline and tummy bulge

Hi Glorianotes,

I'm sorry you are experiencing worse POP symptoms and that you are getting depressed about your tummy.

Could you share a bit more on what you've been doing for your POP and how you think it is getting worse? So many of us have got better, but all at very different rates and to very different degrees. Perhaps some of the women here would be able to give you some specific advice - and on the tummy - but maybe need something a bit more specific to be able to respond helpfully. Emotional issues matter as much as physical ones!

Hugs

Doubtful

Hi to you,

Yes I have a big belly which I never used to have. My pop isn't getting worse - I would describe it as largely stabilised - but my tummy is enormous. It's not so much the lower belly as the top part, which protrudes as if I'm pregnant. I hate it too - I feel ok about my lower belly and can be proud of that as a mum and survivor of life so far - but the pot belly is yeuch. I believe it may be related or connected to my hypothyroidism - it seems to be a symptom that others with an underactive thyroid also share. Whether the thyroid issues have to do with the pop, I don't know. I wouldn't be surprised, but then I am surprised at nothing these days.

All good wishes to you :-)

Octival the upper belly bulge could be from diastisis - you can check for yourself-
To check for diastasis recti lay on your back and raise your knees. Place your little finger in your navel and your other 3 fingers in a line toward your breastbone. Keeping your feet on the floor, lower your chin to your chest and slowly curl your head and shoulders off the floor as if you were performing a crunch. You may feel a gap appear so turn your fingers at a 90 degree angle to see how much separation you have.
more than a finger width or 2 usually indicates a separation......

Hi Glorianotes,

I'm sorry you're struggling. You don’t state your age, but I’m going to guess you’re post-menopausal. A growing body of literature describes fat moving from the hips to the waist with menopause. By “hips” it is meant the buttocks, which are largely shaped by estradiol when we’re of reproductive age. Many women, myself included, experience the buttocks deflating by the late fifties and being replaced with a “spare tire” around the middle. It takes a lot of exercise and diet discipline to control the effects of this hormonal shift. If you are experiencing worsening prolapse symptoms and a growing belly, this may be part of the inflammatory process known as “metabolic syndrome”. Experts say that if you focus on reducing the belly fat, all other aspects of the syndrome are more easily brought under control. I'm throwing prolapse into the mix here, not because there is any scientific data (there isn't), but because many of us have experienced improving symptoms when changing to an anti-inflammatory diet.

I hope you understand the posture and what we mean by pulling the abdominal wall up instead of in. The belly never flops out in front, but is pulled up by lifting the chest and breathing diaphragmatically.

The new yoga dvd has several exercises that are good for this area and I’ll address it further in the second and third “wheels”. My plan is to have abs of steel by then - lol.

Christine

For those of you who had asked for ideas of how to use tumeric (anti-inflammatory) in cooking:

1 I add tumeric to scrambled eggs.
2 You can make a simple, delicious, easy dinner by steaming some chicken and a veggie like broccoli and sprinking tumeric on it along with whatever other spice you like, like some cinnamon and/or cumin.
3 You can add tumeric to tuna salad.
4 You can add it to stir fry.

csf

I have told my Sister that on the days I get a headache and take aspirin I noticed that my prolapse protrudes less and my frequent urinating problem slows down. I believe that changing to an anti-inflammatory diet would do wonders in time.I have taken the herb white willow bark for inflamation so it doesn't irratate my stomach like aspirin.But in the long run, I believe food is medicine, so changing the diet is best.

ok now THAT'S interesting. when you have headache and take something for it, your pop's better. wow. exactly what i am experiencing now, only i didn't make any connection between the pop being better and the headache and the over the counter med. (in my case, tylenol and benedryl).

hmmmm yes, benadryl is an anti-inflamatory. ok so why are anti inflamatories working. this is key, no??

my pop right now feels almost completely reversed. and i took just one benedryl morning and then night and i two tylenol. and i had tumeric in my lunch (tuna salad). hmmm.

The bark of white willow contains salicin, which is a chemical similar to aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid). It is thought to be responsible for the pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory effects of the herb. In fact, in the 1800s, salicin was used to develop aspirin. White willow appears to be slower than aspirin to bring pain relief, but its effects may last longer.

I want to respond to this thread, but am swamped atm. I'll try to get back tonight, but it may be as late as Sunday night. Don't let me forget! ;) Christine

My doctor was happy for me that my u is back in place and seems to be staying there. She corrected me by stating that Benadryl and Tylenol are not anti-inflammtories but stated I was correct that the tummeric I've been taking is indeed anti-inflammatory.

That leaves me wondering why my prolapse is reversing itself now. I an feeling quite normal. and better all the time. all back in place

csf

Isn't it great to just feel normal? Even just a bit normal? It is such a relief.

I can't really say why your POP is feeling great suddenly, but I know that mine is severely dependant upon my hormones. I am in perimenopause and some months I feel much better and then WHAM things go wonky again. Like this month, I have had the return of night sweats, which I haven't had for a while, and with that I get a lot of pelvic inflammation which in turn makes my POPs more uncomfortable. At least now I understand this - I can tell that my tissues are more inflamed and swollen and so I can feel everything just that much more.

Good to hear that you are feeling better!

Hi Christine,

British health authorities have recently suggested that all over forties could cut their cancer risk by taking half an aspirin a day. Is it mainstream medical thinking that cancer is an inflammatory condition? Interestingly the immunologist I saw about severe hayfever gave me the tip that when a really bad flare up occurs and antihistamines alone aren't controlling it, two soluble aspirin can be good first aid. I've tried it, and it works. The advice on aspirin in the UK is all softly softly and balance the risks of stomach ulcers against the benefits etc. However, when I lived in France doctors were happy to recommend it to feverish children and cautioned against paracetemol, which I feel is massively overused, particularly with children, in the UK as it can be associated with severe liver damage. I haven't made a decision on the regular aspirin issue yet but it's a drug with a long, proven track record and I have no problems taking it for a bad headache - just never on an empty stomach, obviously.

On POP and rapid improvement on an anti-inflammatory diet. I'm crossing fingers and toes while I write this and not counting my chickens etc, but I took to heart your warning about sugar ( chocolate used to be my one regular indulgence on an otherwise pretty good anti- inflamm diet.) This month, for the first time since my diagnosis, my symptoms have not worsened at all in the week after my period, (which you suggested may have been due to luteinising hormone). Could be a complete coincidence, but my hayfever is not half as bad as usual at this time and I'm only using an antihistamine spray, not my usual steroid spray as well. Surely cutting out sugar could not have such a dramatic effect so quickly. Time will tell but it's an exciting thought.

Optimistically

Doubtful

Surely cutting out sugar could not have such a dramatic effect so quickly. Time will tell but it's an exciting thought.

oh yes, it could!

I have noticed my tum has got a bit bigger, I have put this down to leaving my job and eating more of the wrong food so I'm trying to cut down,

First of all glad to hear some of you are feeling much better at the moment, and also that you CSF dont start your new job till Tuesday and all is falling into place.
Im interested to read about the chat about anti-inflammatories here as I use to take asthma meds ie preventative and bronchio dilator, and nose spray and panadol, the latter being considered the safest paracetymol here where I live.Now I don't take any hardly. But recently say within the last 2 months I had several ocassions where I needed meds and anti inflammatories. And with years of no meds I had forgotten what would be helpful....so I'll have a look at asprin and white willow for the future possible need.And look at an inflammatory diet as my youngest adult son suffers daily with his allergies and Hubby with asthma meds.
Thank you all for your input, I have learnt a lot more this week :-)

Thanks hockeymom! (And as for night sweats, even though this sounds silly, you tried apples, right? Remember we were talking here about the apples seeming to prevent that?)

And yes, yes, o yes it feels so amazing to feel normal. I feel like I could really just kiss everyone's feet. Wow was this humbling. I feel it has made me a more sensitive person. And a more encouraging person. I thought I was ok before but now I see a whole new level it brings of understanding some of the hardships people go for. My gosh, I don't want to be someone honking behind some poor woman driving with a u between her legs to a dr office. hee hee To name one of many situations where I realize hey, give everyone a break! ya knever know what they are going thru!

I had no idea how challenging pop is. And although I would wish it away for everyone, I do see that it opened my eyes to a lot of things. Hopefully I am a better person because of it and learned my lessons.

It is because you are repositioning your organs by positioning your body differently. All fours a few times a day does wonders. This is exactly what we said would happen. You are now allowing your pelvic organs to get into more comfortable positions for them. This is what they want to do.

:-)

I think from now on our suggestion of all-fours should be accompanied by instructions to include WW firebreathing while there. It's very easy and natural, and importantly uses the entire breathing apparatus and ligamentous/fascial system to pull pelvic organs forward.

1. While on all fours, keep one long line from crown of head to tailbone (unlike traditional yoga "cat and cow", don't crane your neck up).

2. Breathe in and lift your tailbone as high as you can toward the ceiling. Your back will sway in the process.

3. Breath out completely while tucking your tailbone under and pulling your navel to your spine.

4. Continue breathing in this way for as long as feels comfortable.

EXCELLENT, Glorianotes. Thank you so very much for the post. The pyramid is indeed very clear and helpful as well as his great details about the diets with full explanation of the whys and hows.

Thanks again!!
csf

I actually ran errands today. Then went shopping for an hour (had to, I'm not exactly a fan of shopping. : )

Found some really comfy Rider pants with 'comfort band' - so you were exactly right when saying in the UK they already had those and would soon hit the states. haha I am seeing them around now in stores. Stretch with comfortable waste. Imagine? Comfort for women, that doesn't look bad? hee hee I was quite pleased.

After a month of cutting way back on certain foods, had a nice fried chicken dinner (only a leg) with some mashed potatoes, a biscuit and baked beans. Not exactly anti-inflamatory but after a month of really no soda it was nice to splurge on a meal I have avoided for sake of fresh veggies and fruit and salads and fish and water, etc. Almost 20 pounds off now. Hooray.

One of the things POP has done for me is to help me appreciate the little things in life. A good night's sleep. Comfy sheets. An occasional dessert. A walk. A good movie while lying on the sofa. Sunrise, sunset. Funny late night jokes. A good recipe. I keep noticing the birds singing in the morning. A nice memory from childhood that I really hadn't noticed in a while. I REALLY feel like Dorothy when she opens the door and sees munchkin land - in COLOR.

I've opened the door to a really, really weird land that I didn't even know existed. But in it my life is now suddenly in technicolor. lol

Signing off from somewhere over the rainbow.....
csf

I am interested in this ww fire breathing is it a new exercise? its not the one in the whole woman DVD is it? On all fours like the yoga cat pose but slightly different .

Glorianotes, my upper belly got a little larger, too. I was looking into what someone here mentioned about the abdominal muscles spreading apart after childbirth and not getting close again after. But right now I have other pressing worries. But I do think this is what it might be. Let me know if you find out anything or find anything that works, and I'll do the same.

read your post with interest, doubtful
I think it was your thread on LH and sugar that got me thinking about LH and my midcycle spotting. so eliminating chocolate helped? I *know* it in my head I guess, but cant seem to break the addiction. getting rid of midcycle spotting is motivation for me so as of right now, I am chocolate free for one full cycle.
wish me luck!

and will forward the aspirin idea to dh who is suffering terribly from seasonal allergies

It is in Saving the Whole Womsn edition 2.Try the public library system for a copy. However, I would really recommend it as a book to buy. It is the best way to understand all the theory behind why WW posture works.

Louise

Hi Granolamom

I don't really know yet. I just know that a strict anti inflammatory diet
( with virtually no wheat and dairy and no treats at all was) making me a) irritable and hungry and b) crave chocolate. I'm letting myself have a couple of cups of coffee a day and some wholemeal toast with thin butter ( don't touch the polyunsaturated spreads any more) and I don't feel deprived any more. This has psychologically helped me to eliminate sugar - I can't be a complete food purist so I decided to be strict about one thing at a time. It's too early to say if it's really made such a difference, but my summer joint pain is gone, my hayfever has not kicked in half so savagely as it normally does by now ( may be about to - who knows) and a very good month pop wise - none of the traditional bulging for a week after a period I used to experience. I don't know yet - I'm just experimenting, but as I have so many inflammatory niggles I thought it was worth a try. I know Alemama feels strongly about sugar - haven't tracked her story for why. Will keep you posted from the (very amateurish) front line of medical research here. I have a feeling it might be the lack of sugar helping the hayfever - don't know if your dh loves his chocolate.

All the best

Doubtful

The irritation you describe is totally expected and physiological. It's withdrawal. I was pregnant and craving icecream all the time and finally I started taking a probiotic and the cravings went away! The body is very strange and will demand sugar when you are trying to go off it.

Hi Glorianotes. I have second degree prolapse and have also noticed that my waist and stomach/abdominal area has really got bigger over the last year and means all my nice clothes now look awful so I can't wear them! I've always had a bit of tummy, but it's so much worse now and it's starting to get me down too. I see people looking at me as if they think I'm pregnant! I wonder if it's partly one of the delights of being perimenopausal, but also may be because my abdominal muscles are weak. I'm not sure which exercises I could do to strengthen them without worsening the prolapse. A chiropractor said I need to strengthen my core muscles, but wonder if sit ups would not be good for me to do. Does anyone else have any experience of suitable tummy flattening type exercises?

Hi Crystal

Yes, this thickening around the middle does get mentioned a lot when I read about menopause. Have a look around you while out shopping, or at work, where you can observe women (and men). You will notice that one of the signs that a woman is 'of a certain age' is that her middle is bigger. It is the same for men. Basically it is a change in the places where we carry fat. Less on the butt and hips, more around the upper body. The only women who don't exhibit these don't have very much fat, but they certainly don't have much booty either!!

We get so used to lying down to do exercises. Kind of counter-intuitve, when you think about it, eh? Lying down changes the direction that gravity acts. I think this is why so many 'lying down' exercises feel so hard to do, because our body is primarily a vertical machine. The muscles we need to have working well are the ones that we use while we are vertical . It makes sense to me to do exercise while vertical.

Your abdominal muscles will get stronger if you use them. This means using them through their full range of movement as many times a day as you can. IN WW posture your abdominal muscles are in slight tension because your chest is raised and your belly is relaxed. There is a firmness. This means that your abdominal muscles are engaged at all times. When you move, walk, reach, sit, carry or whatever during the day they are being exercised, particularly if the activities you do mean moving from one foot to the other. Each time there is a weight transfer our abdominal muscles change. Walking in WW posture is great. It doesn't sound like much but your abs do a lot of work at a part of striding along with long, strides and a lifted chest.

Dancing is wonderful for your abdominal muscles. It probably doesn't matter what type of dancing you do, as long as it involves moving your spine forwards, backwards, bending side to side and rotating; and it is done in WW posture, and it doesn't exacerbate your POP symptoms. There is a ballet workout in the second edition of Saving the Whole Woman, vertical exercises on the First Aid for Prolapse DVD, dance, vertical and mat exercises on the second First Aid for Prolapse DVD. Check out excerpts of First Aid for Prolapse and the other DVD's on Wholewomaninc Channel on YouTube.

Your rectus, transverse and internal and external abdominal muscles are not the only important muscles for abdominal strength. All around your pelvis, inside and outside, and going up to your spine and down to your legs are the other muscles that move your legs in all directions and maintain the stability of your pelvis (including your pelvic floor which stabilises the back of the pelvis). If your pelvis is not stable you will not be able to exercise your abdominals well. So any whole body exercise is the best, because it exercises everything. If you only exercise one set of muscles your body will become unbalanced. Sometimes physiotherapsists prescribe exercises for one particular muscle or set of muscles. This is sometimes necessary for rebalancing muscle groups, but they all rely on each other, so we need to exercise them all.

If you have a strong whole body you will have a waist. If you have some fat, at a healthy level, it will migrate from your lower torso to your upper torso as your oestrogen levels fall with approaching menopause.

Louise

Hi Glorianotes,
I noticed that you posted this some time ago, but I just read Louise's response to you. I just turned 65, went through menopause at about age 42, have been on low-dose estrogen replacement therapy (I know...a LONG time). I am petite, carry no extra weight, have always had a little lower-belly pooch, but had a very small waistline and plenty of booty. After the prolapse surfaced three months ago, and as I have practiced WW posture, my tummy is moving up and out and my waistline has grown by about 1 1/2 inches. Most all my clothes that are at all fitted around the middle don't fit now. It has created chaos in my closet!! I recently posted about this frustration. The responses indicated I might learn to love this new reality. I'm not there yet. I have found this aspect of prolapse to be a real emotional downer. The prolapse itself affects so much of my life. I have to pay attention to how I do every single thing; I have to NOT do some things. And now I have to totally revamp my wardrobe. I am not yet in love with my new figure!! I think some of the more experienced WW members may find this to be a level of whining, but for me it is clearly a very frustrating, emotional issue. I have to remind myself every now and then--it isn't brain cancer, but I share your feelings and am definitely still in the emotional recalculating stage. --keh

Crystal1, I addressed my post to you, but I see it should have been addressed to you. So, there are at least three of us who share this frustration.

http://www.aintnomomjeans.com/

She is super great at 'dressing' a pooch. She's honest about hers and it's cute as can be.
Keh, maybe you'll have fun shopping :)

csf yes , same I also feel that I appreciate noe the little things on life more and yes the birds . It actually opened a whole other world to me and clichee warnu=ing!!! the important things in life , family and close friends and yes the birds.It is new beautiful world . i sometimes see glimpses of it and it is pure inner bliss. it is hard to see it amongst all the idscomfort but ther are glimpses a depth I never felt before. I always only thought that only travel could give me this. A lot if things have become less important. Actually hard to relate to, the rat race, all the things we are meant to have( sorry clicheeagain). through all th tears it is sometimes breaking through and it is so profound . I am letting people be more, do not sweat the small stuff and I am very , very grateful for things, being able to walk today. What an amazing present . Maria helena

Thanks, Alemama. I'll check it out. Your posts are always helpful. --keh

Hi Louise, Many thanks for your detailed reply to my post. I did start going to a Nia dance class earlier this year, but thought it may have been worsening my prolapse so I stopped. However I have been doing the exercises on the First Aid for Prolapse DVD a lot more since, which has helped, so think I will give it another go and see how I get on. I need to remember to be in Whole Woman posture more too!

Hi keh. Thanks for your reply. Like you, I am petite and have been underweight for most of my life, although with a bit of a lower tummy pooch . I am now a good weight which I am happy with, apart from the weight around my middle! As I had never had weight issues before, I suppose I never expected to be dealing with this now and it is taking time to get used to. Maybe it's a good excuse to buy some new clothes that suit the new me! I know that in the grand scheme of things it is minor, but I suppose it is about how we feel about ourselves and will in turn affect our confidence. Perhaps I need to get my Louise L Hay's books out again and do some more work on loving my body! I do share your frustration about the restrictions that prolapse has caused, but I try to remember that the alternative is surgery and I really don't want to go there. I hope that the more I remember to use the WW posture and do the exercises, that things will be easier and maybe the restrictions will become less. - Crystal1

Hi Crystal

So much of our wellbeing is in our heads. How else could people survive being prisoners of war or homeless refugees?

Yes, you need to work on Wholewoman posture being *the* way you arrange your body 24/7, well 16/7, for the rest of your life, no matter what you are doing at any time. Your body will thank you.

:-)