Difficulty with sitting posture

Submitted by beandippy on September 18, 2006 - 2:56pm
Body: 

Hello everyone. Since two weeks ago, when I developed a rectocele, I've been learning about and working at improving my circumstances. Unfortuately, I've since also developed what I think must be a cystocele, so instead of seeing improvements right away, there's been more of a setback. Still, I'm interested in avoiding surgery and trying desperately to at least get my body back inside of me and under control.

I now have both Christine's book and video, and have been doing the posture as much as I possibly can. My biggest problem seems to be sitting, which is especially difficult in the car, at the computer, and at church. I have found that I can do pretty well at maintaining the posture, but the problem is that when I do, I get a numbness from putting so much pressure on the genital area, and it is also sometiems uncomfortable sitting right on top of where my rectocele is. Does anyone have advice for dealing with this, or perhaps am I doing something wrong and need to adjust? Thanks for any suggestions - Glor

mommynow

September 19, 2006 - 8:44am

I also struggled with sitting in the beginning but have managed to change my ways :)
I sit on the floor now when I am on the laptop with my legs crossed in the posture. I put my car seat straight and it is pretty comfortable.
If your seat leans back somewhat maybe you could a small pillow in the small of your back. I know what you mean about church. I find that the hardest time to sit in the posture because all the benchs lean back and it is really hard to sit straight. I usually wear a fleece jacket now and then use it as a support for my back so that I can sit up and not lean against the back. Now that I have been doing the posture for so long I can't sit the way I used to because now that is uncomfortable! The only time I get uncomfortable with pressure on the genital area is on hard chairs for a long period of time so I try not to sit very long. I bought a chair for the dinner table that has a padded seat but it allows me to cross my legs and sit in posture.

louiseds

September 20, 2006 - 7:01am

Hi Glor

I am a bit like Mommynow with sitting posture. I think I need to start sitting crossed-legs a bit more, but there is often a way to sit properly.

The main thing I have discovered with sitting is that I no longer expect to lean back in a chair at all. I just sit on a stool when I can; a flat-seated chair as a stool when I can't find a stool; perched on the edge of a seat that has a backward sloping seat (like those wretched stacking chairs); bolt upright in the car with a lumbar support cushion to prevent my head restraint from poking into the back of my head and give my butt some room at the bottom; or with a big cushion behind my lumbar area on a slouchy sofa. I have converted a standard office chair by removing the back completely and the upholstered seat, and using the pedastel and casters and the metal bracket that the seat is bolted to. I have replaced the contoured seat with a piece of flat 5-ply, bolted (with shims to level it) to the metal base with an old firm sofa cushion on top. My workplace is obsessed with ergonomic perfection, so I just do what I am told when the occupational therapist comes, then put the back down as far as possible when she has gone, so I am not tempted to lean against it and ruin my posture.

If I need to sit badly sometimes, it doesn't really seem to matter because I sit properly 90% of the time.

Hope that helps.

Cheers

Louise