Exercising your Kegel muscles during pregnancy and after childbirth is very important. These hidden muscles in the lower abdomen help to support the uterus, control the bladder and influence the sexual experience. Well-trained Kegel muscles mean better sex, easier childbirth, and faster recovery after childbirth. That is why it is worth doing exercises for the Kegel muscles, especially during pregnancy and after having a baby.
Kegel exercisesshould be performed not only by womenpregnantandafter giving birth , but also those planning pregnancies.
The names are different: pelvic floor muscles,Kegel muscles , pubic-coccygeal muscle, but it is always the same set of muscles and ligaments that - figuratively speaking - support the cavity organs ventral from below. They are like a hammock stretched between the pubic and coccyx, surrounding the bladder (urethra), vagina and rectum.
Kegel exercises are pelvic floor exercises developed by the American gynecologist Arnold Kegel.
When these muscles are strong - the hammock is tightened well and supports the organs in the right position. On the other hand, when the muscles are relaxed, flabby - then the hammock descends and trouble begins.
Apregnancy and childbirthare situations where the muscles around the vagina and perineum stretch like no other time in a woman's life and are never exposed to injury. However, this can be prevented.
Kegel muscles in good shape
In Poland, there is no tradition of women exercising the vaginal muscles and the pelvic floor, but in some communities of the Far East, young girls have long been taught by their mothers how to keep them in perfect shape by systematically stretching and relaxing these parts of the muscles. condition.
In the West, the American gynecologist Dr. Arnold Kegel was the first to discover the beneficial effects of these muscles' activity at the turn of the 1940s and 1950s. He developed special exercises for the pelvic floor muscles, which henceforth bear his name. They should be performed by young and he althy women, because it is an investment for years.
A well-trained pubic-coccyx is
- better sex
- easier childbirth
- faster recovery after childbirth
- a good chance that they will not appear in the futurehe alth problems such as urinary incontinence, uterine prolapse or bladder prolapse
Kegel exercises are a preventive and therapeutic method that is free of charge (even for the uninsured!), Easy to perform, painless and really effective! Well-trained pelvic floor muscles mean better sex, easier childbirth and faster recovery after childbirth. Today, a woman's life is much longer than it used to be, and one of the most common complaints in elderly women is urinary incontinence, in part due to weakening of the pelvic floor muscles. Kegel exercises are effective in preventing this. They can be performed by ladies of all ages, including those suffering from heart disease or other serious diseases.
Kegel exercises before pregnancy
Exercise significantly improves the quality of sex life. The more the pelvic floor muscles are weakened, the harder it becomes for the partners to feel themselves and for the woman to orgasm.
Well-taut, efficient muscles of the vagina and perineum definitely increase the sexual experience of both partners. And that's why you should start practicing as early as possible, especially since you need to wait at least a few months for the effects.
When you learn how to properly work your muscles at the beginning of intercourse, you can easily resume exercise during pregnancy and after childbirth.
Kegel exercises during pregnancy
Getting pregnant should be a signal to resume (or start) Kegel exercises. They are then very advisable. Why?
- their important task is participation in carrying a pregnant uterus. When the muscles are strong, they make it easier to carry the weight of the growing fetus
- by strengthening the muscles of the vagina and perineum, you prepare them for childbirth. Well-trained muscles are flexible, thanks to which they work better during the passage of the baby through the birth canal and facilitate its displacement. High flexibility also reduces the risk of injuries and their overstretching during childbirth and accelerates recovery
- exercises help to protect the perineum from rupture and incision. Well trained, it is easier to consciously tighten and relax. This is important because when the head comes out, you should refrain from tensing the muscles and let it gently slide outwards. If the woman in labor is able to relax her perineum at this point, and it is flexible thanks to exercise, there is a good chance of giving birth without an incision or cracks in the perineum.
Note: if your pregnancy is at risk (e.g. the cervix opens too early), it is better not to do these exercisesto do.
ImportantIf you have given birth naturally, you can start exercising your Kegel muscles 24 hours after giving birth. You should practice them for at least 2-3 months after giving birth.
Kegel exercises after childbirth
Also in the postpartum period, exercise your Kegel muscles - thanks to that you will get back into good shape faster. If you have not exercised during pregnancy, it is mandatory to do it after giving birth, because the hammock muscles are probably very strained and stretched.
This can cause many problems. Here are the benefits you will get from exercising:
Exercising the Kegel muscles will prevent many postpartum complications such as stress urinary incontinence, lowering or prolapse of the reproductive organ and bladder, difficulty in achieving sexual satisfaction (too loose vagina).
- you will get back to a successful intercourse sooner. After giving birth, many women find their vagina looser and wider, which causes discomfort and sometimes even prevents them from reaching orgasm. Thanks to the exercises, the entrance to the vagina becomes narrower and its walls more elastic, which makes the sensations as intense as before.
- you will prevent bladder problems. Urinary incontinence, i.e. involuntary letting go of urine, e.g. when laughing, coughing or strenuous exercise, is a very troublesome postpartum ailment. About 30 percent of them complain about it. women who gave birth naturally. It is also the result of the fall of the "hammock", ie stretching of the muscles and ligaments of the pelvic floor - the bladder lowers and its lower wall presses against the urethra, widening its opening. Exercise is a very effective way to eliminate this ailment - both immediately after childbirth and in later life.
- You will relieve possible constipation and hemorrhoids. Kegel exercises also strengthen the anal muscles, making bowel movements easier.
CHECK>>how to exercise your Kegel muscles anywhere, anytime! To help yourself, you can, for example, imagine that the bottom of your pelvis is an elevator, and you try to pull it up - higher and higher, to the highest level. As the elevator goes to the next floors, flex your muscles harder and harder until they are fully tense. For a long-lasting effect, exercise must be performed for at least 2-3 months after the baby is born. Every gynecologist and urologist will tell you that it is worth exercising. And as it goes down, gradually loosen it until you "reach the ground floor". You have to exercise regularly, every dayby performing at least 30-40 contractions. Do not get discouraged, although the effects will not be visible immediately. However, after 5-6 weeks of regular exercise, you will notice the difference yourself by inserting 2 fingers into your vagina and feeling the force of her muscles clamping on them, or by inserting a tampon there (after the full 6 weeks of puerperium) and then pushing it out without using your hands - with the sheer strength of the vaginal muscles. This specific, intimate gymnastics does not require going to a fitness club, special equipment or even putting up a blanket or sports outfit at home. What's more - and especially after giving birth - you don't need to spend any additional time on it during the day. So you don't have to feel guilty that you could devote these moments to your child or doing something at home. Kegel exercises can be performed while feeding your toddler, standing at the sink, kitchen counter or in line at the cash register, sitting on a park bench, in the car, at the computer, and in many other everyday situations. All you need is will and consistency. Exercise generally involves alternating tension and relaxation of the muscles around the vagina and perineum. They are not difficult, you just need to know which muscles are involved. Namely, the ones you tighten against the flow of urine. However, note: you should not exercise while doing this, as it may lead to a urinary tract infection. Stopping the flow of urine is only to help you identify these muscles - then you need to exercise dry. "M jak mama" monthlyKegel exercises - lift up
You can do Kegel exercises anywhere