Gyneflex and cystocele

Body: 

Hello all:
I am a 34 year old fiirst time mom to a 16 month daughter. I delivered her at home and she weighed in at a very healthy 10 pounds 4 ounces (!). I had a 22-hour labor and pushed for almost 3 hours...a lot of laboring was spent on the toilet which I now regret. I have a grade 1/2 cystocele and although it hasn't affected my quality of life too terribly, I am constantly aware of it and have to plan walks, trips around bathrooms. :( We are going to be trying for another baby soon and I really worry about the effects of the 2nd pregnancy and delivery on my cystocele. I just joined the site yesterday so I have only been doing my postures for a day but I do feel less pressure and urge. I have ordered the DVD, I can't wait to watch it.

My question relates to the Gyneflex...has anyone tried it? I purchased it awhile back and I admit I'm not faithful about doing it everyday.

But now I'm hesitant about making my cystocele worse from what I've read about the Kegelmaster. Any thoughts on this? Thank you all--I've read quite a few posts and I'm really comforted by the support you all have for each other. This website has really made me rethink my Pilates mat routine and make some serious modifications in my exercise routine--thank you for that. I hope to join in on some discussions now that I'm a member. :)

Peace,
Rachel

The jury's out on these devices. From my viewpoint though, they offer little in the way of correcting our natural pelvic organ support system. The general dysfunction with prolapse is one of prolonged myofascial strain either acutely with a lot of force (birth) or chronically with less force. These lead to the sustained changes in myofascial length we are all too familiar with. I believe the focal point of the actual pelvic interior dysfunction (the whole musculoskeleton is the primary focal point) is across the middle of the pelvic diaphragm. When this area loses its tension, it shortens, widens and sags. Because of accompanying skeletal change, the organs are pulled back toward an unsupportive, weakened wall. It moves toward these dimensions when the pubic bone and tailbone move closer together, as in these sorts of exercises. All muscles have a functional length, and studies show that deleterious change is most pronounced in SHORTENED rather than lengthened muscles.

Christine

I sing alot and was wondering the pressure being put on the diaphragm am I hurting the rectalocele and prolaspe more.

We've discussed singing a bit...just use the SEARCH function on the left of the screen and it will pull up those posts.

Hi Guenevere

I've thought about this a lot. I figure that 'singing breathing' is just another producer of intraabdominal pressure. It is nothing to be scared of; just use your posture to diffuse it, just like you do with coughing, sneezing, or bracing to lift an object. Intraabdominal pressure cannot be avoided; it is not bad. It is just something that happens in everyday life. Another trick is to sing with full lungs, rather than half-empty lungs, so that your ribcage is lifted all the time, which will help keep your 'hub' tight, and all your pelvic organs in position over your pubis. You may need to breathe a little more often sometimes, but I have found that wholewoman posture and singing go hand in hand.Embrace it and keep singing!!

Cheers

Louise