Pelvic Floor Exercises – Kegel Exercises after Delivery
“I couldn’t understand why there was so much pain. It especially hurt while being intimate with my husband… you know? I felt a little bulge… down there, but I thought my body has changed so much after giving birth, and I was busy fussing over Rohit’s diaper rashes, so I didn’t pay attention to it,” says Radhika who gave birth to a baby boy just a few months ago.
What Radhika didn’t realise was that she was suffering from a pelvic organ prolapse after delivery. What looked like a little bulge would soon turn into a painful protruding of an internal organ. She might have been able to improve her condition by doing Kegel exercises.
What are Kegel Exercises?
Kegel exercises are performed to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles. These muscles are responsible for the smooth functioning of all your organs down south.
Why strengthen your pelvic floor muscles?
Think of the pelvic floor muscles as a basket. The strands of this basket are made up of tissues and muscles. It holds all the organs of your pelvis in their rightful place. If the strands keeping the basket together are stretched and they move, the organs held on top of it would also topple down lower.
The movement of these strands is caused by weakening of the tissues and muscles. It can lead to many severe things such as the inability to hold your urine and stools and lowering of other organs into the vagina. A strong pelvic floor can save you from all this trouble.
What happens if pelvic organ prolapse does occur?
Most women face pelvic organ prolapse after undergoing pregnancy or childbirth.
“Prolapse” refers to a descending or drooping of organs. Pelvic organ prolapse refers to the prolapse or drooping of any of the pelvic floor organs, including the:
- Bladder
- Uterus
- Vagina
- Small bowel
- Rectum
This is because the developing fetus puts a really huge amount of pressure on the tissues and muscles of the pelvic floor. Let’s find out more about this.
What causes pelvic organ to prolapse in the first place?
Not just pregnancy and childbirth, but anything that puts increased pressure in the abdomen can lead to a pelvic organ prolapse.
Genetics might also have a role to play. In some women, the connective tissues are weaker, increasing their risk of pelvic organ prolapses in the future.
Some other causes can include:
- Being overweight or obese
- Constipation
- Pelvic organ cancers
- Hysterectomy or removal of the uterus
- A cough that does not go away or is chronic
How do I find my pelvic floor muscles?
To train your pelvic floor muscles, you should know where they are. The next time you are peeing, stop mid-flow, the muscles you tightened to do this are your pelvic floor muscles.
If you’re still not sure about where your pelvic floor muscles are, get help from a doctor.
How do I perform Kegel exercises?
There is good news for busy mommies! Kegel pelvic floor exercises can be performed anytime, anywhere. While you are making a run to the pharmacy to get diapers for your baby, grocery shopping, or even during play time with your little one.
Practice Kegel exercises only when your bladder is empty. Do this by tightening your pelvic floor muscles for 3 to 5 seconds. Then relax them for 3 to 5 seconds. This makes up one cycle of pelvic floor exercise. Repeat this cycle at least ten times a day.
Take help from your doctor to perform these. Once you know how to do the simple pelvic floor exercises, you can level up and discuss variations with your doctor.
Recovering after pregnancy can take a lot longer than you expect. Pelvic floor exercises after delivery can ensure you get there sooner. Take time out for self-care and try to be patient through this tough phase.
