Eliminating the "dropping out" or heavy feeling

Submitted by petrified52 on January 21, 2013 - 7:02pm
Body: 

Hi ladies. I have been reading and exercising faithfully for about 6 weeks now, give or take. I try as hard as I can to remain in posture as much as possible no matter what I am doing. I feel pretty normal at times but still feel heavy or as I tell my husband, "droopy" at certain times. Is that normal at this time and can it possibly subside with time and further posture work? I try to do firebreathing several times per day but have not been able to add the nauli part yet as I seem to be a bit uncoordinated. I want to do everything just right. Each day I delve a bit further into the dictionary of movements and then try to add another small part of the DVD to my daily exercise. Sometimes I can just feel that I am breathing right because my lower stomach feels like a balloon inflating and deflating. I thought that having IBS made me very conscious of every small variance in my abdomen but the prolapse has intensified that. Also, for all the tall ladies out there, how do you work at your kitchen counter or sink without leaning into an obtuse angle? Thanks much.

Forum:

louiseds

January 22, 2013 - 12:08am

Hi Petrified

Don't push too hard with the exercises. It is not the exercises that will fix your droopiness. It is the posture. The exercises strengthen the muscles that are usually weak and contracted in our sedentary hunched over lifestyle. This makes the posture more sustainable. Just do the exercises to the degree you feel able to. It will come in time. The strength will come in time.

The kitchen sink can be a problem. Firstly, I suggest that you wear the lowest heeled shoes as you can, or none. Secondly, try putting a basin *on* the sink instead of washing up *in* the sink. If short of space you can use the sink itself for draining the dishes. While working at a kitchen bench you could make a little elevated working surface, or put your chopping board or bowl on top of something like a computer monitor stand, or simply get a block of wood to sit it on. You could also make a false benchtop from melamine shelving on blocks of wood, so the whole bench level is lifted. If you wanted to get really fancy you could have one made professionally with drawers underneath it!

Hope these ideas give you food for thought.

Louise

Mika

January 22, 2013 - 4:34am

I think I need look at dvd again for the dictionary of movements. Thanks for posting. I still really feel heavy down there. It is nice to know that someone else is the same.

Surviving60

January 22, 2013 - 7:54am

I sometimes think that the hardest questions to answer are those where women ask specifically what their results should be. There are so many variables, there is no right answer.

If you “feel pretty normal at times, but still feel droopy at certain times”, then I suspect you are describing most of us in that sentence! I know that I am practically never truly symptom-free. I started this work post-menopause, and I’ve understood from the beginning that this was a maintenance program and not a cure….because there isn’t a “cure”. My ‘celes are in retreat oftentimes, usually after a long diligent posture walk or other form of WW exercise, or lots of firebreathing. Diet and bathroom habits figure hugely into these fluctuations. I have lots of bowel issues, so my rectocele rarely gets a rest. The monthly cycle, for those still menstruating, also causes fluctuations.

Others who have experienced more reversal of symptoms, will hopefully chime in to provide their observations. In your case, 6 weeks is just a speck of time, and you have lots more improvement ahead of you. I am still encouraged by what I notice and experience, 2-1/2 years after starting.

Whole Woman demystifies prolapse and provides the tools to stabilize it and give me what I need to go on with my life without fear. My prolapse is stable, is not getting worse, and does not hinder my life in any way. Furthermore, adopting correct posture and other WW teachings has given me benefits beyond measure.

Regarding the kitchen sink: I am of average height but I sometimes find myself standing over a work surface that is a little too low. I’ve learned over the years that I can lean just a tad into my work without compromising lumbar curvature or my relaxed belly. I guess I’m basically tilting my whole body forward just a little bit, with more weight on the balls of my feet. Doesn’t work for long periods, though. - Surviving

alemama

January 22, 2013 - 7:03am

Spread your feet out, it makes your shorter

Surviving60

January 22, 2013 - 7:53am

Good one, alemama! Turn them out a little bit, keep that belly forward.

wholewomanUK

January 22, 2013 - 11:26am

Hi petrified 52,
Good question. I'm sure lots of women wonder whether they're making good progress or not.
My thoughts are that I feel various different factors ove ar life-time (I'm now 56), conrtibuted to my prolapse, eg habitually pulling in my abdomen, wearing tight jeans prio to pop, being a bit gung-ho about lifting things, many hours of futile pushing during one labour, stressful job, the final straw was snow plough in skiing combined with pushing a car out of the snow.... I reckon it took a long time for my prolapse to develop and final become apparent, so I reckon it's no surprise if it takes some months or years to make gradual but significant improvements. I think most women gradually make positive progress over a period of time. It takes daily commitment to the WW approach and works on a daily basis and many women find they make good progress in that way over a period of time.

I personally find doing a short regular WW practice from the dvd combined with the posture work has made significant improvements re my uterine pelvic organ prolapse. I agree with the others the crucial apsect is the WW posture. I also find when I'm feeling 'prolapse', (usually after things that are contr-indicated for pop, like not doing my WW practice, feeling stressed, being constipated, straining on the loo....), I feel bulgy, droopy, tired.... I used to be upset when symptoms re-appeared or worsened but now I increasingly find this a useful reminder that I need to take care, and am thankful I've got the tools and resources to look after myself and manage my pop.

Good luck and keep up the good work!
xwholewomanuk

petrified52

January 22, 2013 - 12:06pm

Thanks ladies, for all your wisdom and encouragement. Thanks for the kitchen tips, Louise. I just got a new kitchen 4 years ago. It is a small galley style but I chose everything in it from ceiling to floors. I thought of having my husband build up the counters when he was doing the work but figured that I would deal with the standard sizes and not create extra work for him. Didn't know that I had POP then. Wish I had known. I always wear flat shoes as my husband is shorter than I am but I have very long legs.

Surviving, it is good to know that others have these feelings come and go and gives me encouragement that no stage is permanent and that improvements can always be made. It truly is a large commitment to doing this WW program every day. I admit that I occasionally would like to forget about it just for a little while. I don't though because I think of my mom and how much worse her symptoms are and I don't want to go there.

Alemama, you are right. Spreading my feet out does bring me down a bit. I think that and a small build up as Louise mentioned may be enough for me to work at almost a normal posture. WW, of course.

And WholeWomanUK, I am very much like you. I have done many things that any woman probably shouldn't try over my life. I am 52, as you all might have guessed. I made a habit of trying to do things that men do. Lifting, pushing the lawn tractor when it cut out on me, picking my friend's husband up off the floor ( he is paralyzed from Parkinson's), etc. I will try to look at my so-called "down" days as a reminder that more work in WW is needed and to press on. I had a very difficult labor and delivery with my son almost 27 years ago. The doctor told me not to do any exercises to flatten my abdomen after that and I wonder if he knew more then than what he told me?

One last question to you all. With spring and summer coming up, I have been seeing ads for the newest lawn chairs, etc. We really can't sit in those, can we? Most of them recline. I did see the lady in the older woman video sitting in an adirondack chair though. It would seem that you would be at an obtuse angle in one of those but I did notice that she had a pillow behind her. Would that suffice if I was to sit outside to read in that kind of chair? Thanks again.......

Mika

January 22, 2013 - 6:10pm

Yes please someone tell us about laying outdoors in the sun (can't wait for summer).
I too used to lift 50-100 pound bags. I did all kinds of jobs that most woman would never even think of. I notice my prolapse almost all the time. I love the posture but would like to do things without having to thing about every move I make. I have to tell myself to turn right and bend over right. But I need to look at the dvd again when I have time. thanks ladies

Surviving60

January 23, 2013 - 5:21pm

Leaning back in a chair at an obtuse angle, with a flattened lumbar curvature, is certainly not recommended for pelvic organ support. I personally enjoy this position at times (evenings) and if I just can't resist doing it, I will stuff a pillow or sweater behind my lower back in an effort to keep that curvature. Allowing myself this occasional "luxury" of slouching is OK for me because although I know it's not good, but I know how to minimize what's bad about it. I have a whole list of things that I should pay more attention to. But since I understand my prolapse and I don't let my ups and downs stress me out, I figure that's my call! Not unlike saying to a child, "do as I say, not as I do".......... - Surviving

louiseds

January 26, 2013 - 4:11am

They look so cool and Art Deco, but I don't find them comfortable. I think I would rather buy a second hand dentist's chair, and just press the button to lean back. These lean back chairs only work for me if the base of the chair is quite sloped back. This is exactly the opposite of what I do when sitting normally, when I prefer a horizontal or slight slope forward.

The only trouble is that the more comfy the chair when it is laid back, the more difficult it is to get out of!