Pelvic Floor Exercises After Pregnancy

This can cause incontinence.

Pelvic floor exercises after pregnancy.

Doing pelvic floor muscle exercises kegels from early pregnancy onwards can stop those accidental wees in late pregnancy and within six months of childbirth. Practicing these exercises will help you feel connected to what happens inside your body as well as increase your strength and resistance to prevent problems related to this area. Pelaez et al 2013. Performing kegel exercises during pregnancy is an effective way to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles and help prevent incontinence pelvic organ prolapse and assist with labor and delivery.

During your pregnancy your pelvic floor muscles will loosen due to hormonal changes in your body. During pregnancy and after childbirth your pelvic floor muscles are lengthened and weakened. Doing pelvic floor exercises will strengthen these muscles and help you control any accidents. It is extremely important to follow the right technique and target the right muscles.

Pelvic floor muscle exercises after pregnancy are the simplest non surgical options to resolve common post delivery issues but unfortunately most women find it hard to isolate the right muscles for kegel contractions. If you strengthen your pelvic floor then you will be helping to prevent or reduce the severity of incontinence. Hay smith et al 2008. Pelvic floor exercises can also prevent prolapse which is where the pelvic organs drop down into the vagina hay smith and dumoulin 2006.

Kegel exercises are pelvic floor exercises. If the gap is still obvious 8 weeks after the birth contact the gp as you may be at risk of back problems. Regular pelvic floor and deep stomach muscle exercises can help to reduce the size of the separation between your stomach muscles. The gp can refer you to a physiotherapist who will give you some specific exercises to do.

This loosening along with your growing baby pressing on your bladder may cause you to leak urine when you cough laugh sneeze or exercise.