Strengthen the pelvic floor in pregnancy and postpartum
After pregnancy and postpartum, a woman’s body undergoes changes. Some of them can have negative consequences like the pelvic floor.
One of the parts of the pregnant woman’s body that suffers the most during childbirth is, without a doubt, the pelvic floor . That is why it is important to strengthen it and at PregDream we teach you how to do it. The perineum or pelvic floor are the muscles and ligaments that hold the bladder, uterus, and rectum in their correct position.
The increase in weight to which the pregnant woman’s body is subjected, especially that which supports the lower abdomen, and the dilation that the pelvic floor experiences during the expulsion phase in childbirth, weaken the muscles in the area and this It can lead to incontinence, prolapse (drooping of the uterus and bladder), or sexual problems. To prevent these problems, it is essential for the mother to train these muscles during pregnancy and postpartum . We tell you how to keep them strong with a few simple exercises.
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CHANGES THAT THE PELVIC FLOOR UNDERGOES IN PREGNANCY AND POSTPARTUM
The pelvic floor is a set of muscles and ligaments that support the lower abdomen, close the sphincters (urethra, vagina, and anus), and help stabilize the pelvic joints. It is located in the lower part of the pelvis, closing the abdominal compartment. Vaginal delivery and pregnancy are the leading cause of pelvic floor dysfunction, which can lead to loss of bowel control, drooping of the uterus and / or vagina, or sexual problems.
The mother’s weight gain and the dilation of the perineum to allow the baby to come out , weaken the muscles in the area. During pregnancy, the increase in progesterone and relaxin levels suffered by the pregnant woman, the relaxation of the muscles of the abdominal wall and the growth of the uterus, cause an increase in the muscles of the pelvic floor. In the last stage of pregnancy, it is advisable to prepare the pelvic floor muscles for the moment of delivery, in order to tone and make these muscles more flexible, and thus suffer as little as possible during delivery.
After delivery, it is essential that the mother re-educate the muscles of the perineum, to reduce or avoid the disorders that may have triggered pregnancy and delivery in the pelvic floor
HOW TO STRENGTHEN THE PELVIC FLOOR
To strengthen this part of the pregnant woman’s body and prevent its deterioration after childbirth, gynecologists recommend the practice of muscle contraction exercises, both during pregnancy and in the weeks after delivery. The most advisable thing is to do what are known as Kegel exercises . It is a series of exercises specially designed to contract and relax the pelvic floor muscles . The most important thing is that these muscles can be contracted voluntarily and consequently, they can be strengthened with gymnastics just like any other muscle in the body.
However, the hardest part is identifying and isolating the correct muscles . To begin with, try to contract the muscles around the anus. Afterwards, try to contract the muscles of the vagina, imagine that you have to hold a pen or you can insert a finger into the entrance of the vagina and try to squeeze it. Hold on for a few seconds and then relax. Finally, to constrict the urethra area, imagine trying to stop urinating.
Once correctly identified they must be contracted at the same time. While working the pelvic floor, the abdominal muscles should be monitored with one hand and the inner thigh with the other, to be sure not to contract the abdominals , the thighs or the buttocks, because in that case the work will not it would be effective.
IMPORTANCE OF KEGEL EXERCISES
– Eliminate or avoid incontinence aggravated by the weight of the baby on the bladder during pregnancy .
– Facilitates the baby’s expulsion phase, producing fewer tears.
– Increases blood circulation in the rectal area, which helps to heal a tear or episiotomy more quickly , and reduces the appearance of hemorrhoids.
– Prevents the prolapse of the uterus, bladder after being a mother.
– Tones the vaginal muscles, favoring the return to normal sexual life after childbirth.
– Increases sexual pleasure and reduces pain in sexual intercourse after giving birth.
KEGEL EXERCISES
The most important thing in these exercises is to respect the rule of double rest time than work time, so as not to produce muscle exhaustion. You can perform the “fast” contractions version , contract and lift the pelvic floor with force briefly and immediately relax. Or the “slow” contractions, slowly contract your pelvic floor muscles inward, as hard as you can and hold the tension for five seconds and relax for ten.
There are different positions to perform Kegel exercises, choose the one that is most comfortable for you :
– Lying on your back with your legs bent and your hands on your belly.
– Lying on your side, also with bent legs and hands on your belly.
– Sitting in a chair with your feet flat on the floor and your knees slightly apart.
– In quadruped position (with hands and knees resting on the floor)
– Standing (with the pubis pointing to the ground and slightly separating the legs)
– Squatting with your legs apart.
To increase the effectiveness of these exercises you can accompany them with abdominal breathing , first take air through the nose and perform the muscle contraction while expelling the air through the mouth. Perform sets of ten repetitions.
MORE ADVANCED KEGEL EXERCISES
We show you some more advanced and complex Kegel exercises that you can do both during pregnancy and postpartum :
1. Press against the inside of the knees with the back of both hands. When you feel tension , slowly begin to lift your pelvic floor, inhaling little by little . Breathing out, relax all the muscles again.
2. Face up with the legs semi-bent, feet resting on the floor, exhale placing the pelvis in retroversion. Raise your buttocks by holding your pelvis up. Hold the posture for a few seconds and lower slowly, inhaling.
3. With legs bent and feet crossed on the floor. Hold a ball between your knees, lift your buttocks by exhaling, hold for a few seconds and return to the starting position by inhaling.
4. The “elevator”: Stand with your feet slightly apart and parallel. Imagine that the pelvic floor is like a multi-story building with an elevator. We are on the ground floor; You have to begin to tense your muscles and feel that you are going up floor by floor , and then you go down slowly.
5. Lying down with your knees bent, separate your legs at the height of your hips, raise your arms off the floor at the height of your hips with your palms facing each other. Breathe in and when you breathe out, raise your head and chest, feel the abdomen that exerts pressure on your lumbar spine and on the floor. If you notice your lower back arching, adjust by lowering your back. Maintain the contraction of your perineal muscles and a gentle abdominal breath, relax by bringing your back back, and take three breaths until you return to the initial position .
Dr. Tabriella Perivolaris, Sara's mother and fan of fashion, beauty, motherhood, among others, about the female universe. Since 2018 she has been working as a copywriter, always bringing to her articles a little of her experience and experience as a mother and woman.