Pregnancy, births or excess weight can stretch and weaken the muscles that support the pelvic organs, is what is known as problems in the pelvic floor (or pelvic floor). This floor is a base formed by muscles and ligaments that support the uterus, small intestine, colon and bladder.
If the pelvic floor muscles are weak, the organs can descend and the most frequent problem that comes with them is urinary incontinence. Other more serious consequences are bulging of the vagina due to pressure from other organs or fetal incontinence.
We focus on incontinence, since it is possible to control the dripping of urine through Kegel exercises, special exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor and give good results if performed properly during pregnancy and postpartum.
Women who have had a vaginal delivery have a greater tendency to have pelvic support problems than those who have had a caesarean delivery, although this is not true if the caesarean section has been urgent after labor.
And in any case, whatever the birth is, the pregnancy's own weight gain and muscle strain already affect the pelvic floor, so it never hurts to practice these simple kegel exercises during the months of pregnancy and postpartum.
Kegel exercises: tips
The exercises are named after Dr. Arnold Kegel, who developed them for his patients in the 1940s as a method of urinary incontinence control. Its purpose is therefore strengthen the muscles of the pelvic area and improve urethral or rectal sphincter function.
Specifically, it involves working the pubocoxygeal muscle contraction, located on the floor of the pelvis. The success of the exercises depends on the correct practice of the technique and a constant fulfillment of the exercise program.
We leave you tips on how to perform Kegel exercises correctly, especially how to know that we exercise the correct muscles and what is the routine to follow:
At the beginning, choose quiet places where you can concentrate to perform them well, and better if you are lying down. Afterwards, they will come out more easily and almost anywhere.
Tighten the muscles we use to prevent urine from flowing. This contraction displaces the vagina and rectum up and back. This is what we do to cause the urine to stop and flow again (the exercise can be done at the beginning in the toilet to check that we are doing it correctly).
Another way to find the right muscles is to imagine that, sitting on a small ball, we want to take it with the vagina and suck it in. If we insert a finger into the vagina and make the correct contraction, we will notice some pressure.
Once you have found the muscles that we have to contract, when tightening it counts up to four or five holding this position of contracted muscles, relaxing later. Repeat the contraction ten to fifteen times.
Make 40-45 contractions a day during the last months of pregnancy and the first after delivery, but dividing the contractions three or four times a day.
Be sure not to tighten your stomach muscles, thighs or buttocks. Nor should you hold your breath while doing these exercises.
The great advantage of Kegel exercises is that they can be performed in virtually any situation and very discreetly once we have acquired the "technique": while watching TV, in the office, driving, reading, before bed ...
If we get used to the exercise routine during pregnancy (combined with the rest to keep fit) it will be easier for us to continue with them once the baby is born (and when we are fully recovered, probably after the puerperium or quarantine).
The results of these exercises are usually noticeable after four weeks of completion after delivery, perhaps less if you have exercised the pelvic floor during pregnancy and depending on what the area during labor has suffered.
Definitely, do not forget during pregnancy and postpartum properly perform Kegel exercises to optimize pelvic floor muscle tone. For a better recovery and quality of life onwards, it is worth it.
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In Babies and more | Kegel Kat, Kegel exercises on mobile, Kegel exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor in pregnancy (video), Recover the pelvic floor after childbirth
