Pregnancy is an amazing experience but it brings along a plethora of challenges. Hormones go haywire, you will gain some weight, your normal sleep habit will be disrupted and everything from your lifestyle to your diet will be affected. Childbirth is an awesome experience but there are some aftereffects that are not so pleasant. You may gain weight post pregnancy. You may suffer from stress incontinence. Your strength, agility and endurance may be impaired to an extent. You may or may not be in the perfect physical or emotional state that every woman wishes for. Since your newborn will be completely dependent on you, it is quite natural to focus on their needs than the self. Most mothers ignore their health and quintessential requirements while prioritizing the welfare of their babies.
Every woman should be watchful of what they eat and drink, how much sleep they get, whether or not they are feeling alright and also spend some time on themselves post pregnancy. This is where Kegel exercises come into play. One common fallout of pregnancy for most women is weakened pelvic muscles. The process of childbirth is painful. Even if you opt for a caesarean, your pelvic muscles will be weakened to an extent. Of course your pre-pregnancy bodyweight and fitness level will be a contributing factor but there will be some effect on your bladder, uterus, bowel movement and the various muscles in the pelvic area. Many women experience stress incontinence and irregular bowel movements. Most women will lack the kind of strength in their pelvic muscles they had before pregnancy and childbirth.
Benefits of Kegel Exercises Post Pregnancy
Kegel exercises, developed by Dr. Arnold Kegel, can relax the pelvic muscles and help in healing and recovery after pregnancy and childbirth. Kegel exercises are a nonsurgical option to strengthen the pelvic muscles that can pave the way for regained fitness, to the pre-childbirth or pre-pregnancy level. The exercises will also help women to get back their flattering figure.
- Kegel exercises can heal the strained pelvic muscles. Every woman will have weakened pelvic muscles after pushing the baby during the birthing process. Many women have their vaginal muscles, the uterus and the cervix scarred or slightly torn during delivery. These muscles will heal in due course of time. Pelvic floor stretching can speed up this natural healing process. These exercises will increase the flow of blood to the scarred, torn or damaged areas and facilitate swift healing.
- Kegel exercises can help women regain optimum bladder control after pregnancy and childbirth. It is common for women to have limited bladder control during pregnancy. Post childbirth, many women have stress incontinence, situations when a bit of urine may leak involuntarily. The expansion of the uterus during pregnancy increases the press on the muscles in the pelvic floor. This weakens these muscles and that causes bladder problems. Many women experience urine leakage during laughing, sneezing and coughing during the last trimester and a few weeks post childbirth. Kegel exercises can help you to overcome stress incontinence.
- Kegel exercises will not only strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, heal the uterus and facilitate bladder control but they would also help regain the firmness of the vaginal muscles. This is crucial to rekindling romance and sharing the same kind of intimacy that you were accustomed to before pregnancy. Some women take a while before they can resume their normal sex life. Some women find it easier. Kegel exercises can definitely help. Stronger pelvic muscles and vaginal labia will make sexual intercourse more pleasurable, for the woman and the man.
- Many women have loosened ligaments in their womb and lower abdomen. This is natural as the body tries to conform to the size that can meet the growing needs of the fetus. Ligaments will suffer some loosening and some may even be slightly torn. There may or may not be any pain or symptoms. Kegel exercises will help with the healing and firming up of these ligaments. Women who gain substantial weight after pregnancy and childbirth will take longer to have such ligaments completely healed. Kegel exercises can help with weight loss and the healing of the affected ligaments.
- Kegel exercises can prevent or cure stress incontinence. They prevent pelvic organ prolapse and vaginal atrophy. Pelvic organ prolapse is not uncommon in women who have given birth to a couple or more kids. Every pregnancy and subsequent childbirth takes a toll and there is some sustained damage to the pelvic muscles. The muscles may weaken so much that they would fail to support the various organs, including the uterus, the bladder and the rectum. These organs may drop down and almost extend to the vaginal area. There can be other related problems too. Kegel exercises can help women to avert such untoward developments.
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