Let’s Talk About the Pressure No One Talks About

 

Constipation is one of those things we brush off as “just annoying,” and prolapse often goes undiagnosed or ignored because it feels too personal or embarrassing to name.

 

But for many women, especially postpartum or over 40, the two go hand in hand — and not in a friendly way.

 

It’s like your body is holding tension in all the wrong places, and no one told you how much one issue could quietly feed the other.

 

You try to “push through” it — literally — only to feel like your insides are working against you.

 

And they kind of are.

 

But there's more to this story, and understanding what’s happening is where real relief begins.

 

 

How Straining Leads to Sagging — and Why It’s a Vicious Cycle

 

The pelvic floor is like a sling holding your bladder, uterus, and rectum in place.

 

When you strain to pass a bowel movement — especially if you’re dealing with chronic constipation — that downward pressure stretches the sling over time.

 

Eventually, it weakens, and when it weakens, your organs start to shift out of place.

 

Pelvic organ prolapse is the result — whether it’s the bladder pushing into the vaginal wall (cystocele), the rectum bulging from behind (rectocele), or the uterus descending downward.

 

It’s surprisingly common, and even more surprisingly misunderstood.

 

What many women don’t realize is that prolapse then makes constipation worse. When the rectum is displaced, stool gets trapped or harder to pass.

 

You may feel like you’re never fully empty, or that you have to “help” things along manually. And so the cycle of pressure and straining continues.

 

“Chronic straining during bowel movements is a key risk factor for pelvic organ prolapse,” says Dr. Mary Jane Minkin, clinical professor at Yale School of Medicine.

 

“But prolapse, in turn, contributes to difficult defecation. One feeds the other.”

 

 

When Sitting Becomes a Source of Strain

 

We don’t often think about how sitting affects our pelvic health, but the way we sit can increase intra-abdominal pressure — especially when posture is off.

 

For women dealing with both constipation and prolapse, this can make symptoms worse, from pressure in the perineum to difficulty fully evacuating the bowels.

 

Using a supportive cushion designed to align the pelvis and ease spinal compression can take unnecessary pressure off the pelvic floor.

 

Purivon’s Posture Support Cushion encourages natural pelvic alignment, making it easier to relax those tense, overworked muscles — especially helpful during long hours at a desk or while seated on the toilet.