Nine years ago I was diagnosed with a grade 2 cystocele after the birth of my 3 children. I was referred to a pelvic floor physiotherapist where I was trained to do kegels and various pelvic floor exercises to remedy the symptoms. While the symptoms got better over time they didn’t completely go away. I went on to have my last baby and continued with physiotherapy. I was given a kegel exercise routine to practice daily. This practice along with stress created a hypertonic pelvic floor. My symptoms were exasperated and eventually my pelvic floor disfunction worsened. The cystocele was now at stage 3 along with a uterine prolapse. At this point the pelvic pain I experienced was so bad I was bed ridden most days.

While I wondered what the future held for me I poured through websites and FB groups to find help. It looked bleak. Most of the people going through what I was were having surgery or already had surgery with not so great results. Even my physiotherapist had suggested surgery would be in my future. I was depressed and heart broken. I couldn’t do any of the activities I loved with my kids. Some days I couldn’t even take care of the house or them.

Then one day a group I was in was interviewing Trista Zinn in a podcast and I listened in. She talked about her personal experience with prolapse and that’s when things started looking brighter for me. I started to have hope again. Long story short Trista patiently and graciously taught me how to do Hypopressives in the summer of 2016. By August of 2016 I was no longer stuck in bed. By September of 2016 I was back doing gentle activities like walking, swimming and biking with my kids. The pain was lessening and the depression was lifting. By the spring of 2017 my physiotherapist said I had healed myself. By June 2017 my urogynocolgist who was supposed to do my surgery, had I needed it, said there were ZERO signs of prolapse and sent me home.

To this day Hypopressives are still one of my favourite exercises. They are one of the best tools I have been given for core function, pelvic health and posture. They gave me my life back.

Jamie L.M.

August 11, 2018

I have seen posts from new moms that are in the depths of despair from post-partum issues and thinking they’ll never get back to the activities they once loved. This was from three days ago, after completing my first [post-baby] marathon. I was in a very dark place emotionally for the first 16 mos PP, with prolapse, diastasis recti, incontinence, and pelvic pain. I NEVER thought I would do another marathon and felt like a piece of my soul had been robbed from me. I’ve been diligently doing hypos with Trista Zinn via Skype for the past 2+ months and look where we ended up. THERE IS HOPE, ladies! The clouds will lift. You are not alone.  I am thankful for Trista’s expertise. <3

June 24, 2018

Hi everybody. I want to give you an update about me to encourage you on your own journey. My daughter (3rd child) is almost a year and a half old now. Three days after she was born, half of my uterus came out. It was a very traumatic and scary experience. Fortunately, I did not have to have surgery because the entire thing did not come out and it did go “back in place,” meaning it wasn’t hanging out anymore. I saw specialist. He recommended a pessary and told me that in 5 to 10 years I would probably deal with it coming out again. I also found out that I had a low-grade cystocele. You all are well acquainted with the emotional journey that can come with this, and that was certainly true for me. I was very athletic before all this. I spent several months in terrible pain even though it seemed like I was doing all of the right things to rehabilitate. I was constantly aware of the dysfunction and brokenness I seemed to be experiencing.

My biggest turning point was starting hypopressives with Trista Zinn over Skype. After two weeks of learning hypopressives, my pain was greatly diminished. After two months, I felt like myself again with flare-ups here and there, usually around the time of the month or certain types of activities. It went from constant discomfort to occasional discomfort and pain.

Four months ago, I weaned my daughter completely. It took a couple of months, but for the last two months I have been almost completely symptom-free (2 symptom-like days in 2 months) even as I have been steadily increasing my workouts.

Don’t give up, ladies! Our bodies are resilient. Sometimes it feels like it will never get better, but reject the thought. I honestly hope that all of you will experience great improvements as you continue in your journey.

November 20, 2017

Two weeks after I gave birth to my first baby, I felt heaviness and a bulgy feeling in my vagina to which I discovered a mild prolapsed bladder.. why didn’t anyone tell me this could happen straight after birth?!? I went through a LONG period of time in mourning over my body that I once had, and many, many tears of helplessness. One morning I awoke very early, crying (which was not uncommon for me) and desperately looked on Google for an alternative to prolapse recovery. I needed something to add to my kegel routine!!! I found Trista’s website and watched her testimony and felt the first real hope for my prolapse after 3 months of depression and prayers. After training with Trista on Skype for about 5 weeks so far, I can testify how amazing hypopressive exercise is and below are my email updates sent to Trista thus far (and my hypopressive journey has just begun!!):

1-2 week update:
My husband looked in my vagina while I was doing an apnea (suction part of the hypopressive exercise) and saw everything get sucked up especially in the floor pose. He was very very impressed! You are an AMAZING trainer Trista!!

2 week update:
Loving the hypos!!!!! It’s also helping my breathing… I had noticed my lungs were a bit weak on capacity since birth. I have noticed I can breathe in a bit more as each week goes by. Yay!!!!

5 week update:
Another progress update – I had some marriage time yesterday and my husband said he can’t remember me feeling tighter down there! He said he’s noticed a HUGE change this past week!! And he thinks I’m tighter than before our baby’s birth (and she was a whopping 4.43kg (9.76 pounds) with a 38cm head… AND I had a second degree tear as a result)!!!
Woo hooooooooo! I loooooooove HYPOS!!!!!!!!!

I was honestly contemplating having no more babies if my bits were all going to fall out even more but I feel so much more secure and supported down there after doing hypopressives… I’m actually excited about the future pregnancies I may have!!!!!!!! :-) :-) :-)

I’m so excited to go back to the gyno in 6 months and see how I’ve improved after doing these exercises! I reckon hypos are even helping my anxiety levels (lowered my cortisol (stress) levels, praise the Lord!!).

I really cannot explain, with words, my gratitude for your help so far Trista! It is changing my confidence and my life… and my marriage time ;) !!!! My husband thanks you too hehe!!!

Such a blessing you are!

CDH

May 10, 2017