Input and opinions please on poop position video

I certainly agree that the positioning of the body can definitely aid in greater ease in both urination and defecation. I think it best that I leave it to those ladies with rectocele to comment in more detail on the video and what suits them best. I have uterine prolapse and there is no way I will squat. I remember as a child we were encouraged to squat as the young girl in the video did when we used public toilets, not just because they were sometimes soiled but out of fear that we might catch some form of venereal disease. For someone with uterine prolapse, to squat is to push it down further and that is certainly not our aim at all. Because with uterine prolapse, the uterus will descend with both urination and defecation, I find Christine’s leaning forward to urinate best after having pushed the uterus up. I also find sitting in WWposture the best for defecation and then depending on the position that the stool may have stalled also to lean forward, but as I have stated before, now that my muscles have strengthened after three years of this work, I find standing even better.

I admit that I did not even watch the rest of the video after she announced she was using the Squatty Potty. Christine has written about that on the forum, and the post has been reposted many times. Use the search - Surviving

Just the thought of squatting with uterine prolapse makes me cringe in the worst way.
Defecating is the one thing that has improved the most for me out of all this. I have become a pooping champion! Hard to believe now all the straining I did, and now I can half stand in whole woman posture hovering over the toilet as I feel it slide right out of me. And if it doesn't all at once, a little rocking up and down motion finishes off the rest. Such a relief for my uterus. I sometimes feel like neighing, but catch myself in time! Lol!

Before you move your bowels, can you bend forward and jiggle that tennis ball back inside, and then gently splint while you go? I would think it would be difficult for the stool to pass without getting stuck in that tennis ball if it is protruding that far out. Gentle pressure from inside the vagina to help straighten out that path might help. I cannot say. I have about a stage 2 rectocele and I have my uterus which of course helps pull the organs out of the way. I do my share of gyrations on the toilet, but over the years the posture has helped me not have so many of those times when I didn't feel I emptied out completely. But aside from dietary considerations....I think your best shot is to get the organs in the best possible position and keep them there while on the toilet. This is a challenge I know; anatomically it seems that in the absence of a uterus, the rectocele has a long way to travel to get out of the way. Best of luck to you. - Surviving

Agree with Surviving. It sounds like you rectum is pooling down at the bottom and needs to straighten up. Mine was also to a point, but having a uterus and doing the posture and the exercises has helped pull my uterus off my rectum and lengthen it back up there where it should be.
In the absence of a uterus, i don't have the knowledge anatomically to know what to do.
As far as diet goes for emptying the bowels, or keeping them moving, too much fiber and whole grains can be just as detrimental as not enough. There has to be a balance. Cut out as much processed food and sugar as you can. Keep eating your veggies, adding a little whole grains, and if not a vegetarian, a little meat. Everybody is physically different on how their body responds to food, so you will have to play around with different things.
As for now the splinting is probably your best bet, until you get this all straightened out.
Wish you the best.

Hmmmmm, I do not know the answer to that. My 'cele is not as far out as yours; I don't have to splint so I don't actually feel my 'cele with my fingers when my rectum is full (in fact I don't spend much time poking around at all). I'm not a splinting expert, but it always struck me as a logical solution if the poop might be stuck there, and I know others here had have success with it in certain situations. - Surviving

I'm not sure what would be in your tennis ball Cecilly. Some ladies here have described how when they feel the need to defecate that's when the bulge is larger. Assuming this to be right then of course a good easy to move stool is a priority. Just on that I am with graceful about the fibre. Fibre is advised to be used to help prevent constipation by bulking out the stool, but too much can lead to diarrhea which is not good for prolapse either. Just remember too that while you eat lots of insoluble fibre that will constitute a lot of what you have to defecate, because it passes straight through for the most part. I am very choosey with my fibre as I find I have painful digestion (especially in the large intestine) of a number of fibres
There are usually other pressures which could push on the rectocele; gas for one and a full bladder for another and any inflammations of the intestines for a third most frequent cause. I wonder too if certain of your laxative foods might not also be adding to the inflammation. Just keep an eye out.
Also, I'm not sure in your case Cecilly if this applies, but in uterine prolapse when these pressures occur and you are not in a position to readily correct them, the uterus, once it escapes the labia, is no longer a flat tube but inflates. As you yourself no longer have a uterus and there is unresisting space in your vagina perhaps your rectocele when pushed to an extreme, it too inflates. Worth having a think about. Lots of work ahead of you Cecilly, but you'll find it is worth it.

Dear Cecilly,
My rectocele is not as bulging as yours, though it does fill any space at the entrance of my vagina. It is usually empty.
I have found that using WWP, if my BMs are the right consistency, they bypass the pop. At times there is BM in it if it doesn't bypass, it usually resolves itself the next day. Only if I am VERY uncomfortable I use my thumb to push the pop with BM in it up as far as possible & about 30 min later it comes out properly, though not always. On those days I will use lubricant inserted after splinting to help. I find for me splinting doesn't help, while doing a BM. In your case if the BM never bypasses your pop then holding the bulge in & making a sort of wall with your thumb & fingers may help.
WWP has helped strengthen my legs so I lean forward on the toilet seat with none of my weight on it or stand at a 45 degree angle, adjusting aim accordingly!!! LOL ( if I need to push, I push but try not to strain).
I have had to adjust my diet form previous posts, to including in my diet, 2-3 pieces of fruit daily, & 2 - 3 slices of wholegrain bread, minimal coffee, drinking some water & tea. I only eat sweet food if I am hungry after a meal, & only eat until full. I take magnesium, as recommended by fab, 3x day & that seems to really help. I found one that is Aspartate free.
I can't maintain health & peace of mind & do the no sugar, no grains, no fruit approach, which is popular today, as my pop management is a priority. Lately, I refuse to "diet" & feed my body when it is hungry, though I won't have soft drink in the house. If there is cake, I will have a piece after the more nourishing options if I am still hungry. This has been helpful in stopping any comfort eating when not hungry, the deprivation of dieting, which just shuts my system down,& keeps my BMs regular & more manageable.
I have had a wakeup call recently, as I go into menopause, with small hard BMs sitting in the rectocele a couple of times, that wouldn't stay "up", with my style of splinting & that is uncomfortable hence the better management of my pop.
Listen to your body & mind bowel connection, relax more, worry less, WWP will help your whole body to function better, & use what you read on the forum & the support of the lovely ladies here, to work out what works for you.
(((hugs))) &
Best Wishes,
Aussie Soul Sister

Cecilly, thank you for posting about the bulge as you seem to have exactly the same thing as me. There is never any poop in my rectocele either and it just feels like a soft bulge that comes down. I have tried splinting which I presume is just pushing the bulge up again and pressing backwards inside, (not sure if that's splinting or not) however it doesn't help to make more poop come out.Have you had any diagnoses as to what is prolapsing? I ask because I have been told I had a bladder prolapse, then I had another Consultant say it was a rectocele (I still have my womb) and still another said it was weak pelvic floor muscles. I take movicol to help but it doesn't help as I think the discomfort is all coming from everything falling down rather than stool needing to come out. I am working on getting WW posture a lot recently so hoping for things to improve, but the bowel issues/pressure is the problem. I am keen to know how you got a proper diagnosis. I would like to also wish everyone a very Happy Christmas and thanks to Christinealso for all the very. Nice newsletters which I enjoy getting. God Bless. Charlene

Cecilly, I forgot to add above that I never know either if this pressure feeling really is a genuine need to empty my bowels or if it's a feeling that is coming from the bulge when it comes down. Perhaps it does not mean there is any stool there, or that I even have to empty my bowel, although it feels like it. I wear a v2 brace which is supportive when I'm going out. I'm not sure if I have a prolapse as got so many different diagnosis on this but definitely have the same as you.

Are you sure the bulge is the rectocele and not the cystocele? Your description of it sounds just like mine. I have both cystocele and rectocele, the bladder prolapse being more obvious but still with the same problems in being able to defecate. The reason I'm bringing it up is that we sometimes overlook the obvious or believe what the doctor says. It seemed to me at first my bulge was coming from the back. When I did a good self examination (just with a finger), I was able to determine that the bulge in my vagina is in the front wall. It actually feels like a ball and I can move my finger all the way around it in the back, but find it bulging into (and out of) my vagina from the front. This was part of my proof that it is my bladder and not my rectum. The way I am able to pee or not pee completely depending on it's position is another indicator. There has never been any firmness in it; it clearly feels like a water filled balloon. (Sorry for the TMI, but further examination proved it was not my rectum also.)

This may be entirely irrelevant to you. I didn't search to see if you wrote about your doctor's description in your diagnosis or if you had confirmed which, what, where for yourself. I just thought it might be a possibility. My self-exam and diagnosis was a great relief to me and helped me to understand the posture better and tell whether or not I'm doing it right. Being in WW posture showed me an immediate difference in position and was the evidence that convinced me that WW information is correct. (Of course, changing into the habit of it and learning to maintain it in positions other than standing, sitting and walking isn't immediate at all.) I should add the disclaimer also that my uterus is still there and not prolapsed. If I'm entirely off on your case, let's dedicate this post to self-examination in general. Okay?

The most common form of prolapse is the combination of cystocele and rectocele. I don't think it's terribly important to know whether you have one or the other or both. Any kind of diagnosis (including self-diagnosis) is nothing more than a subjective interpretation of a snapshot of a moving target! So don't worry about it. It would be different if each type of 'cele required a different approach to management and stabilization. - Surviving