I'm convinced - I just need practical direction

Hi Lindalew and welcome. Whole Woman is not an exercise program, it is much more. You will be learning the postural concepts and retraining your body to return to its natural, original shape. This requires you to soak up some knowledge and apply it to every waking moment of your life. This doesn't come without patience, mindfulness, and commitment. There's no quick fix out there. This isn't meant to sound like a lecture but only to point out that you can't just do your daily workout and be done with it. I discovered my prolapse at 60 and really had to immerse myself for quite awhile before the lightbulb moment arrived. I achieved this while working full time, taking over the care of an aging parent, and dealing with another serious family health crisis. Once you master posture, you are doing the WW work all day long, every day, which means that it isn't interfering with your busy life at all. It enhances everything you do.

My personal suggestion for you would be to start with a bundle that includes the book (Saving the Whole Woman), and basic dvd (First Aid for Prolapse). You can get these digitally or have them shipped to you. For my money, these are still the best bang for the buck, though if you are serious about the work, you will eventually want a more filled-out library of resources. I have everything WW ever produced, acquired over time. Best of luck to you. - Surviving

Hi Lindalew, and welcome. I can wholeheartedly agree with what Surviving says. I came here just short of 3 months ago, and already by concentrating on the posture, and recently starting the First Aid for Prolapse regime, I can already feel an improvement in my prolapse. I have also started cycling again, something I haven't done for about 8 years, and until I saw Christine's YouTube video on cycling didn't think I would be able to do with prolapse. Actually it really does help also.

Maintaining the posture is difficult at first, but I can honestly say that it almost comes as second nature to me now.

Hello, Lindalew. I am close to your age. I was diagnosed in September 2016 with a Stage 0 cystocele. I saw a urogynecologist in late January 2017 (i.e. last month) and received a diagnosis of a large uterovaginal prolapse--Stage 3 cystocele, Stage 3 rectocele and an enterocele. A couple of days after seeing the urogynecologist (and BTW: That exam is humiliating, humbling and horrific!) I was in such constant pain and had such fatigue that I thought I would be confined to sitting for the rest of my life--with or without the recommended surgery. I have been praying for guidance about how to deal with my pelvic organ prolapse and I discovered Whole Woman about a week ago. I can tell you from my experience that even with my "advanced" diagnosis after just one week of trying to constantly remember to have correct WW posture and of doing the exercises, I feel tremendously better. There is definite improvement in my symptoms. It sounds like you feel pretty overwhelmed right now, but you can start taking care of yourself just by trying to use the correct posture. It is work to use the correct posture and just to remember to do it, but it definitely pays off! And it is the healthiest and in the long run the cheapest option I have found. I think it is a miracle--for me at least--to have found Whole Woman and Christine Kent and her work and the support of Lanny Goodman. And the ladies in this Forum provide such wonderful guidance. Hang in there!

Hi Bug's Mom and thanks for the supportive post. It's so important and so much appreciated, when our newest members step up and offer encouragement and real-life experiences to one another. This can be a very solitary journey, but it doesn't need to feel that way. Keep us informed of your progress! - Surviving

Thank-you for the supportive note, Surviving. I will definitely keep you informed of my progress. After only one week, I realize the WW program is revolutionizing my life and having positive effects on my family. I appreciate the wonderful information being shared by Forum Members. I felt pretty desperate before finding WW.

Hi Lindalew,

What I have found works best for the little time that I have to do exercises is the Pee On/Pee Off Continence Exercises which is in the The Whole Woman Solution to Urinary Incontinence online course that I purchased about a month ago. The exercise takes less than 20 minutes and I noticed a huge improvement in my cystocele within a couple days of doing this exercise faithfully everyday.

Last summer I was to the point of being totally miserable all the time and went to the doctor and got a pessary. At the same time I also purchased the All Inclusive Bundle. I am about 1/2 way through the book now (I'm a super slow reader with little time to do anything for me). Also I have watched some of the DVDs but have found that I am too out of shape to do them easily. The Pee On/Pee Off Exercise is much easier for me to do with my lack of strength and/or flexibility. The Pee On/Pee Off Exercise is building my strength and flexibility and I am hoping to find time to start doing other exercises in the DVDs soon. In addition to building by strength/flexibilty I have noticed a large improvement in my cystocele. Also my stress incontinence has improved drastically. When I first got my pessary I used it all the time except during that time of the month when I was miserable from all the bloating and general issues of that time along with my cystocele being unbearable. For the last 2-3 months that time of the month is much better in regard to my cystocele - some days I don't feel it now others it is just a small feeling of it. There also have been a few days during other times of the month that I haven't used my pessary the last couple of months (days that I don't think I will lift as much as normal) and have been comfortable without it. A year ago I was miserable everyday (before I had my pessary). Yesterday is a great example - I chose to not to use my pessary as I thought we were staying home all day and wasn't planning on doing much lifting, we ended up going shopping. While out - I had to lift my 3 year old daughter numerous times and also did some other lifting and never felt my cystocele at all. At this point I think I am afraid of not using the pessary a lot of days because I'm afraid of becoming miserable during the day, but I do also know that without the knowledge of all the Whole Woman I definitely would need to use the pessary. I am trying to become less afraid of using pessary and am going more days without it than I thought I'd ever be able to. My hope is that I will be able to go without it except on days that I know I will be doing lots and lots of heavy lifting like on haying days or days that I am harvesting bushels of things from the garden or canning them. I don't know if I will ever be able to go all the time without using my pessary but I do know that I will be able to go more often without it.

The other things that really don't take special time during the day are the breathing and posture. I have focused on both of those and feel that I am in posture probably about 75% to 85% of the time now. With the breathing it has been a little more challenging as I've been a mouth breather for years but I am now breathing through my nose probably 50%-60% of the time now. (Hard habit to change. I've got a lot of allergies and refuse to take medicine for them unless they are bothering to the point that I can feel it in my chest and coughing more than I can handle.)

The cheapest way to see improvement is definitely working on the posture and breathing. However, the online courses, DVDs and book help to explain everything. The visuals in the online courses and DVDs are immensely helpful to me. Christine does a wonderful job of explaining how to be in posture and how to breath. Also there have been several times since last summer that Christine has had specials/discounts on items in the store. I understand that several people are like myself and have little money to spend on things but I recommend saving a little each day or week until you have enough to purchase the items you feel are going to be of the greatest value and use to you. Last summer I chose to purchase the All Inclusive Bundle (after talking it over with my husband) as it is cheaper to buy it all at once and I kinda looked at it as a birthday gift to myself which I kinda felt was being selfish but also knew that I was becoming a very mean and grumpy and no fun to be around mom and wife and needed to do something before I let my cystocele and pain and misery ruin our family.

I don't know if the bladder can kink....maybe more likely the urethra, I think. Your friend needs to learn Whole Woman posture and toileting practices. If proper toileting position (lift up and forward off the seat) doesn't tip the bladder enough, then she can get down on hands and knees in the shower or over a basin. She needs to be emptying completely or she will run into problems. Here is a good suggestion to get her started:
https://www.wholewomanstore.com/Whole-Woman-Fundamentals--Posture-and-To...

-Surviving

Yes, the whole woman work is full of wonderful information and tips, much more thorough than what can be be found on the forum alone.
I suggest you send your friend to this site so she can read up on the whole woman work, and get a chance to see all the great materials she can purchase in the whole woman store. It would be such a benefit for her to see it first hand, herself.