Have I done myself a disservice?!!

Submitted by Variable on March 8, 2017 - 4:11pm
Body: 

Hello ladies.

I hope some of you can provide me with a little guidance/reassurance! I am 13 months pp from a rather brutal vbac to a giant-headed but very lovely boy. Alas my hopes of enjoying my 2 lovely boys were somewhat ruined by the discovery of the dreaded prolapse(s) at 3 weeks pp. There is much about the proceeding montgs/year I would like to forget. The endless googling. The overwhelming anxiety and the shocking lack of information and misguidance from medical professionals. I have never received what I would consider an accurate diagnosis and have been told on many occasions that I was fine....despite symptoms of severe heaviness and a bowel that bulged and filled my vagina before bowel movements. For the last 12 months I have followed the 'conventional' route and gradually lost all faith. Kegals defintely made me worse and whilst I had a core of steel, I still felt uncomfortable walking and standing most of the time. I have certainly improved somewhat over the last year. The heaviness reduced and bowel movements were much easier through dietry and toileting changes. My periods returned 2 months ago and thankfully since then I have actually had some symptom free time but my uterus is also misbehaving as I suspected it might with the hormonal fluctuations. I suspect it is my uterus that has caused a lot of my symptoms although I've been told time and again that it's 'normal'.

So after all this I've decided that kegals and physio are not working and I know I gave it my best shot!! I started ww work in earnest nearly 3 weeks ago. I don't want to get overoptomistic because im in the good part of my cycle right now but I can definitely feel some improvement and the exercises and fire breathing work wonders. My question to you lovely ladies is have I missed my best opportunity for pp healing by starting now? I know I have not helped by doing core work but I have tried to be careful and have not strained on the toilet for many many months. I just recall all my organs were so very mobile in those early months and now they feel less so. I am worried (I do that a lot!!) that I have done myself a huge disservice by not starting sooner. Any words of comfort/wisdom would be much appreciated.

I would also like to say thank you. I have lurked here for a while and the information I have learned has been invaluable. Not to mention the help it has provided for my mental state. I am just cross that I didn't start sooner. I suppose hope and denial were to blame. I just thought and hoped I might feel myself again without having to think about being careful forever. I am now ready to be the most graceful I've ever been I just hope I don't regret starting so late! Sorry. This has unintentionally turned into an outpouring!!!

Forum:

Aussie Soul Sister

March 8, 2017 - 9:05pm

Dear Variable
Be reassured that it does take time for the body to recover from giving birth.
Also Whole woman "abs" are long and strong, and they become a wall of firmness without any effort (NO holding in or tensing), when standing in whole woman posture. The reason you were still feeling uncomfortable with a "core of steel" is that the muscles are shortened and pulled inward, which squash the internal organs into a smaller space, making them fall back and down and sit on top of each other.

There is a lot of pressure on women to return to their pre - pregnancy state like a "flat stomach" in a hurry ---
-- so slow down, enjoy your babies and I read that you like the belly/torso breathing which is so calming - it is also creating your lumbar curve again with every in- breath, and bringing your front wall of muscle and underlying fascia back to it's longer length, so that it can house your organs with the space they deserve to function freely.
Walking and standing and sitting in the posture will strengthen your torso, and align and strengthen your whole body.Walking is pelvic wall exercise in itself!

I didn't know about Whole woman when my children were small, so you have the chance to observe how your little boys will grow and develop their posture, stand with flat upper backs and strong feet, and sit strongly unsupported, and they will breath into their bellies and torsos...I did know to dress my girls in loose clothing and let them go barefoot as much as possible at home.

Move forward now and enjoy your whole woman journey... take it slowly as you have without pressuring yourself...your body mind and soul connection/intuition will develop and that will help you to know when to try something new like the exercises.....remembering that the Posture is fundamental as you have probably read here before!

Best Wishes,
Aussie Soul Sister

Variable

March 9, 2017 - 1:21am

For taking the time to respond, it helped. Slowing down is good advice....I do tend to obsess! and breathe.....

Surviving60

March 9, 2017 - 5:27am

I had two very large babies and felt lots of PP bulges, but just assumed that was normal, and didn't have access to the internet back then to get myself into a state of panic. Then I kegeled for years because that was the conventional wisdom for my generation (and sadly, still is......if kegeling worked, prolapse would have been wiped out by now!). Shortly after menopause I became greatly symptomatic once again, and discovered Whole Woman. It has been life-changing for me and so many others. It's never too early or too late to start this work and reap the benefits. You will be fine. It sounds to me like you have an excellent grasp of the concepts.....have faith in your wonderful body and its ability to heal. - Surviving

Variable

March 10, 2017 - 1:15am

I appreciate it