Does anyone practice the squatting method to have a BM instead of sitting on the toilet? I was reading up on this and is supposed to be better for your rectal system, but it looks like it would put even more pressure on your rectal area and subsequently stress an AF even more.
(NEVER in my ENTIRE life could I have dreamed that I would be asking this on an AF support forum!)
Thanks!

Hey Chris,
There are some threads a few pages back I think about squatting. I have never been brave enough to try but I know some others have and I am sure they can get you started!!!!

squatter here :-)
once you squat, you'll never go back to sitting :-)
LOL
actually, i squat at home and when i need to, will have to sit elsewhere.

I tried squatting but can't manage the acrobatics of it in my home bathrooms. I think I do a pseudo-squat though by putting my feet up on the edge of the tub and lean forward. I've read others used a stool to put thier feet on while they are sitting.

if worse comes to worse, but this is a good alternative, get yourself a cat litter box and some litter.
this will help you stay balanced on the floor, the litter box right beneath you, and once you pooped, you can scoop it out and flush it down the toilet!
:-)

i find there is less pressure on my butt if I sit on my hands

there will also be less pressure on your anus if you can breathe and push from the abdomen using deep deep breathing. you can even feel the diaphragm having an effect on the movement of the stool pushing out.

check out natures platform.com
i have one and love it!!!

So based on the group's response, this doesn't put more presssure on your AF?

I'm a squatter, too. Big fan. I haven't noticed it putting more pressure on my AF. I'm curious -- did you read that somewhere? I find that squatting helps things move out a little easier...of course, overall, I don't think I'm making much progress on my AF these days, so not sure I can say that squatting is really helping.
I traveled through India 4 years ago, and Nepal about 8 years ago, and during both those trips I had to squat a lot. I remember finding it surprisingly comfortable even then (before the AF).
I would only recommend it if you feel like you're not going to fall and hurt yourself. I hold on to my sink for balance. And if I'm constipated and have to squat for more than a couple of a minutes, it can get really tiring on my legs/feet. Also, if you do it, keep your feet dry and the toilet seat dry.