figuring out this posture!!

Submitted by momof5boys on May 15, 2017 - 5:50pm
Body: 

Hello. I am very new here. I have been reading what you wonderful ladies have to say about prolapse for the last few weeks, and I have purchased the WW starter kit, book, and a few other items. I am now into the hundreds of dollars at WW, so I guess I am committed! I am learning so much from Christine Kent and am a bit appalled by how little I knew. I think all of this could have been prevented had I known what I do now. WW info is going to be my go-to baby shower gift from now on!

I am forty years old, still menstruating, and have given birth to five amazing boys, ages 4 through 18. The first delivery was an epidural and episiotomy and lots of bleeding. The second was an epidural and a huge baby with broad shoulders who had to be pulled out. Lots and lots of bleeding and vomiting after the birth. The third was a fairly easy natural delivery, except that he was sunny-side-up, so his head was effectively much larger coming out than it should have been. The fourth was a super easy delivery. Our fifth and final little boy resulted in a 3 1/2 week hospital bedrest before delivery, a few blood transfusions while still pregnant, an emergency C-section, and an 11-week early preemie (thus he was the last!). I was pretty huge during all of my pregnancies and suffered major, debilitating round ligament pain and pelvic separation with one of them.

I have suffered chronic constipation since my last baby. No wonder, since I was given multiple rounds of steroids and antibiotics, followed by pain meds and super high doses of ibuprofen. Can't complain, though, since Baby Boy and I both survived what would have killed us both in another time or place. In hindsight, I think I have had some very mild cystocele and rectocele symptoms for a while, but they were not bad enough to alert me. Afterall, I wouldn't expect my vagina to look or feel the same as it did before five babies. About 4-5 weeks ago, I noticed what I am sure is a cystocele and definitely a rectocele, which makes bowel movements difficult. I have since been drastically increasing my fiber and water intake, as well as using a glycerin suppository almost every time I have a bowel movement. Seems to be helping the pooping problem for the most part. I have also discovered a supplement called triphala which seems to be gently helping VERY much, but we will see. I have only been using it for four or five days. I have an appointment with the OB/GYN at the end of this month, so I will get an official diagnosis at that point.

I am a very busy mom, as I am sure many of you are. I am committed to this posture, but I am finding it difficult and often impractical for my lifestyle. I am willing to do what I need to in order to make it happen, though. I did buy the Remember to Remember video, but it did not address my specific posture questions.

How does one maintain the WW posture when hiking down a very steep hill? I have found it fairly easy on a gentler grade, such as a road, but many hiking trails have much steeper grades and for extended distances. Yesterday, my husband and I took four of our five kids on a fairly long, steep hike with a pretty significant elevation gain. I was able to maintain the posture well on the way up, but on the way down, it was almost impossible, especially on the very steep, rocky parts. The more I tried to maintain posture, the higher the impact became and the more precarious and out of control I felt. We live in Mount Shasta, in Northern California, and hiking is a big part of what we do as a family. I do not want to give it up, but I also do not want to exacerbate the prolapse.

I homeschool my three youngest children, and we spend a lot of time snuggling up on the couch as I read to them. Read-aloud/cuddling is the heart of our homeschool and also of the nurturing and affectionate environment I want to create for them. When I use the WW posture, I am straight and firm and not a comfy mommy for them to snuggle up to, and they seem very uncomfortable and fidgety on the couch. Any good ideas on snuggling kiddos while keeping the ol' pelvic organs where they belong?

As a mom to many, I end up bending over and picking up things from the floor All. The. Time. I often go around the house on a warp-speed pick-up spree and end up bending over countless times within a five or ten minute period. I do have my kids help, but I still end up doing it myself quite a bit, often multiple times each day. Is that Ok? Is there any special way I should bend over and stand up, as I am doing this motion over and over and over...?

I apologize for such a long post. If you have read this far, you have my heart-felt gratitude! I look forward to being a part of this amazing community of supportive women and to any advice you can pass along to me.

Forum:

Surviving60

May 16, 2017 - 5:18am

Hi momof5 and welcome to the Forum! You will never regret your investment in Whole Woman resources. I consider Christine Kent's work to be the most important thing to come along in women's health since.....who knows what. It is vital for all women and yet still so drowned out by the torrent of misinformation out there.

Reading your post, my first impression is that you are doing pretty well, considering the variety of your birthing experiences. You are no worse off than many of us, like myself, who had two very large babies, but I am now convinced, was mostly done in by a life of horrendous posture (and lots of kegeling......don't do it, folks!).

I don't think I can tell you how to walk downhill in posture. Maybe someone else here can. As you settle into the posture and it becomes more or less automatic to you, your body I think will figure this out for itself. I can't recall ever having an issue with this, but I do most of my walking relatively flat, so honestly I can't say. I just know that like any activity, you will find a way to tweak it when you have crossed over that line between studying and true understanding. I have been doing this posture for 7 years and still have revelations at times.

For your bending and picking up things, as a general rule just try to hinge at the hips, rather than curling down from your waist which flattens lumbar curvature.

You will not always be in perfect posture. I for one would never give up that couch-snuggling time. Place some support in the lower back when you do this (same for driving). And vow to stay in the best posture possible when you are on your feet.

Bulking up your stool with lots of water and added fibre isn't necessarily the best way to address constipation, nor do you want to become dependent on a suppository to get the job done. Fresh fruits and vegetables, and healthy Omega-3 fats will help in this area. I got my elderly mother off of stool softeners by adding freshly-ground flax seed to her meals.

It sounds to me like you have a healthy and happy lifestyle which will lend itself quite well to prolapse management the WW way. It has given so many of us a totally different approach to many areas of our lives. I know that I am better off for having had to deal with prolapse and finding Christine's work in the process, than I would have been if I'd never had prolapse at all. I am grateful every day, and I love to see new members getting off to a great start. Keep it up!! - Surviving

Aging gracefully

May 16, 2017 - 9:38am

HI momof5boys,
I have done my fair share of hiking with prolapse, but I had more of a problem on the uphill when first starting this work. I remember getting to the top of a hill, stopping, jiggling, and doing some firebreathing while my patient husband waited for me. Over time, I did this less, because the posture started to become more a part of my natural form.
I agree with surviving, there will be times wen you fall out of posture, so don't think you have to keep this strict regiment all the time, just try to be mindful of it, because over time it will become part of you too.
It really sounds like you have had a great start into this work!

shefu

May 16, 2017 - 12:10pm

Hey momof5boys! We have similar lifestyles (I am a mom of four plus a couple furry kids as well). I haven't been at this long but I can tell you that since starting this journey, my discomfort has greatly improved. I am enjoying life more than I dreamed possible. Some days I overdo it and my body reminds me. The next day I just dial it back a little and am more aware of lifting, carrying, posturing. I spend a lot more time on the floor now and my kids just accept that and my dogs definitely don't mind. As for the task of keeping the homefront tidy, I'm learning to ask for more help and even (gasp) letting things go that used to drive me nuts. Sip tea, eat lots of seeds and fruit, adore your beautiful little ones. I'm sending you good thoughts.

momof5boys

May 16, 2017 - 2:51pm

Thank you so much, Surviving60, Aging Gracefully, and Shefu. You ladies are so encouraging and PRACTICAL! I love practical.

Speaking of practical, today the kiddos and I did our read-aloud time together lying in my bed. They LOVED that even more than the couch, and I assume lying on my back with knees bent and a couple pillows under my head and neck is fine for prolapse (?). A little hard to keep my sleepy eyes open that way, though... ;-)

How long did you ladies faithfully use the WW posture before you noticed a significant difference in prolapse symptoms?

I have an appointment scheduled with a women's pelvic heath PT in about 3 1/2 weeks. Sounds like many women have found this particular pelvic therapist really helpful. It is going to cost at least $600 (yikes!), so I hope it is beneficial. So long as the therapy does not conflict with the WW posture, it certainly can't hurt (except for the ol' bank account ;-)).

Shefu, do you still pick up and pack around any of your kiddos? I have stopped picking up my almost-five-year-old just lately. He is annoyed by it, but he knows I am happy to hold him if I am sitting down (which he apparently considers inferior to standing). I was a shameless baby and toddler wearer, and I wonder if that, combined with so much sitting/slouching on the couch and recliner while cuddling babies and kids over the past 8 years is what has done in my pelvis. Sounds like you are able to juggle prolapse and all the challenges, demands, and blessings of motherhood. That is just fabulous and I am inspired! I am curious about what kind of prolapse you have, if you don't mind sharing, that is.

Thank you again, ladies, for all of your uplifting and helpful responses.

Surviving60

May 16, 2017 - 5:30pm

We are not big on PT here; it tends to align with the traditional and very flawed medical view of the female pelvic cavity as a basket or hammock on which the organs are perched. PT is generally kegel based; they will want to see how tightly you can squeeze. They may tweak your posture but not necessarily anywhere near to where you should be aiming....they are all for the "neutral pelvis". So if you go, please go in there educated and prepared to smile and nod and then not go back! - Surviving

shefu

May 17, 2017 - 12:16pm

I wore my babies too. We called them velcro kids. My kids are too big to carry now but I did see Christine demonstrate how to lift kids. (Maybe in the First Aid for Prolapse video? Surviving60 probably knows where). I have a stage 3 rectocele and stage 2 everything else. Many days my rectocele is hardly noticeable but DIET is my biggest helper. (Lots of good info on this site for that). I can tell pretty quickly if I'm not mindful of that and I get that bulgy dragging feeling. Otherwise, I can get about my day with a pretty light step (and less of a bulge). It helps to start the day with a little whole woman exercise, just to put my mind in the right place. Throughout the day I do lots of jiggling and fire breathing and often get on the floor on hands and knees to take pressure off. I also put the mirror away and stopped obsessing about how it all looked. Now I just go on how I feel. Much better.

Sassi246

May 15, 2018 - 11:25am

I am still trying to figure out the posture. I thought I had it but then realized I wasn't relaxing my stomach. Wow. That's hard to do. I'm overweight and with A relaxed stomach I look pregnant. But I also notice that I can't contract my vagina with a relaxed belly. So I realized how I walk around with everything contracted. I especially am contracting my vagina and trying to walk very lightly since the prolapse happened. I try to keep it contracted so more won't fall out! But when I relax my belly It feels like more is going to fall out of my vagina! I'm scared to let go.

Aging gracefully

May 15, 2018 - 12:36pm

Hi Sassi246,
I felt the same way after first finding prolapse, and I also had that fear and kept contracting those vaginal muscles when I was walking around.
But, after time with this work and consciously pulling those pelvic organs into the lower belly and out of the vaginal space, I built the confidence to let the posture do the work for me.
Just keep working on it, and use the ww tools in Christine's work and what is described all over this forum to help you along.
You too will be able get past this initial fear and beyond to greater comfort, mind and body.

Sassi246

May 15, 2018 - 9:22pm

I haven't felt my organs move yet. Should I right away or does it take awhile. I've tried being on my hands and knees and also on forearms and knees but I don't feel anything happening. I've heard reference made to jiggling. I don't know anything about that. I only have the first aid series of videos. What else should I get that's not in the first aid series. Also have watched the new kegels and one other one that is free.

Aging gracefully

May 15, 2018 - 9:38pm

Hi Sassi246,
Although our pelvic organs are moving all the time, the awareness or feeling of them moving into the lower belly takes time. It's mostly about symptom relief. When you start feeling less pressure and bulging, you are on your way.
It took me quite a few months to start feeling anything, but I kept at it, and so glad I did!
Jiggling is simply bending over touching the floor, chair, stairs, back of tub and just jiggling shaking or jumping. I always follow this with firebreahting. Christine will be adding this and some other techniques to the First Aid, so you will be getting them soon.
I also highly suggest the yoga series. There is so much additional information and fabulous exercises to help you.
Whole woman walking is also great while working on those posture principles.
This all takes time, especially as we get older to get that lumbar curvature back into shape as it should be.
Time and dedication.

Surviving60

May 16, 2018 - 5:15am

When I first started, I too felt awkward with my belly relaxed. I'm not overweight, but i do have a tummy on me, and the desire to minimize this was what helped me remember to keep the chest strongly lifted. This creates a sleek line.....WW posture is not a floppy-belly look. Being overweight as such, is not a disadvantage here. In fact, in correct posture, with room for the organs to be held forward, some extra weight just enhances the dynamics. Keep working on it.....it takes time and determination to break old habits and form new ones. - Surviving

Typicalme

May 16, 2018 - 10:02am

i've mentioned on here before that I too look kinda pregnant doing this.... but it's really just my belly fat... I've experimented in the mirror and when i poke and prod under my 2 inches of belly fat, the muscle under there is firm and taut in ww posture. It's really amazing... and it feels way more natural than sucking back... isn't it crazy how hard it is to relax your belly?? i wonder if men have this problem... I see my husband letting it all hang out with no cares in the world yet we've been taught to suck it all in. sorry, i digress....
I really make an effort to lift up up up and not in...
Recently, Christine has commented on here about how women tend to have a lower belly that juts out with an upper belly pulled in - that's been me my whole life! because i was sucking in and breathing wrong, everything was getting squished down. after months of doing this posture (still tweaking, still learning) i'm seeing the shape of me change. I'm really trying to retrain my whole abdomen to lead from the ribs. i've been watching my diet for the past few weeks and i'm overall less bloated and gassy and i'm losing that pregnancy type look. I may have some diastasis going on but i'm not sure... i try to clench my stomach muscles and slide my fingers around - i'm not feeling any separation but i'm not sure...

i can totally relate to the walking lightly tho! the first few weeks(months?) i tiptoed around - no jarring, no lifting, no bending really - feeling so fragile.. 7 months on I sometimes jump up and down in full posture as a type of jiggling and to kinda feel strong.
i have never felt my organs move per se - well, i manually moved my bladder up and it fell back down if that counts... but over time i just didn't feel that bulge anymore, first for parts of the day, then later for longer and longer. so it wasn't a dramatic shift in my bladder, it was over time less noticeable, then only noticeable at night and so on...

Christine

May 16, 2018 - 12:09pm

Ha! …that is true of my husband as well. Do you think it can possibly be related to something else they carry out front ??? :-)))

I love that we are pulling the lower belly into the upper belly where it belongs! I love carrying my abdominal wall forward in WW posture and am so grateful to the women who validate that yes, this is indeed what happens over time with the WW work.