One of the most frustrating things about pelvic organ prolapse is that it likes to give a constant reminder that it's there
Feelings of heaviness, a bulging sensation, or that tampon falling out feeling can wreak havoc on your brain and leave you feeling like you're thinking about you vagina all day long
While I am of course a big advocate for getting to the root of the issue and working on strategies that will improve your prolapse for the long term (*hint: check out my Core Confidence program), sometimes you just need some simple strategies to help you out in the moment or to get you through a busy day.
What I love about these strategies is that they're easy to implement and don't really require much extra time in your day:
GET THINGS MOVING: Constipation is not your friend when it comes to POP. The added pressure can leave you feeling more symptomatic, so make sure to drink plenty of water and eat a nutrient dense diet. And on that note:
DON'T STRAIN ON THE TOILET: Again, all that pushing down isn't going to help. In fact, propping your feet up on a stool or squatty potty can help to get you better positioned to drop the kids off at the pool ;). Also- you want to be fairly efficient here. This isn't the place to be spending extra minutes scrolling through Facebook, watching just a few more TikTok videos or leisurely looking through the newspaper.
SPANX, COMPRESSION LEGGINGS, OR EVEN JEANS WITH A TIGHT WAIST AREN'T DOING YOU ANY FAVOURS: I know we live in a culture that wants us to suck everything in and smooth everything out, but when you wear clothing that squeezes everything in, that pressure has to shift somewhere and it's usually down. So do yourself a favour: wear more comfortable pants and let that belly go!
GET EXTERNAL SUPPORT: If you're on your feet a lot or if you know certain activities make you more symptomatic, external support can be a good option to take the pressure off your pelvic floor. Support shorts like these ones or a support belt like this can help give you some extra confidence.
And finally, at the end of the day if you want some symptom relief, try one of these positions to help you relax and give your pelvic floor a break:
ELEVATE YOUR HIPS AND YOUR LEGS: This one lets you shift things in the opposite direction ;). A fantastic added bonus is that when your hips are elevated above your heart it triggers a nervous system response that allows you to de-stress. It's good to stay here for at least 5 minutes.
PRONE REST: This one is for all of the butt clenchers out there (you know who you are!!). Lying down on your belly can help release your glutes, which means releasing that tension you would have been holding in your pelvic floor as well.
SIDE BENDS: Often, issues in your pelvic floor stem from tension and tightness up above. Mobilizing your upper body can mean more space and freedom in your lower body to find relief.
Small steps can start to put you on the path to sustainable change. Adding in just these few simple tweaks can start to build the brain-body connection to find more symptom relief and confidence in your body :)