Postpartum Kegel Exercises

Kegel exercises are movements that are designed to helping you squeeze certain areas in order to strengthen the pelvic muscles that surround the vagina and the rectum. These muscles give support to the bladder, rectum, uterus and vagina. Strengthening them is very important for reducing the harmful effects the pregnancy caused on this specific part of the body. If the muscles of the pelvic floor are weak, the probabilities of getting urinary incontinence by stress, which is when urine leaks out when you cough, laugh, jump etc, as well as prolapse of the rectum, vagina and uterus, as these organs will hang from the pelvic floor.

Pregnancy places an extra amount of weight over the muscles of the pelvic floor, and when a vaginal delivery occurs it causes them to stretch which is more of a challenge for them. The end result of this is general weakening of these areas. Some women seem to be able to keep wonder muscular tone in the pelvic floor after labor, whereas there are others that notice symptoms such as urinary incontinence, feelings of a loose vagina, or pressure over the pelvic floor due to a hanging uterus, vagina or rectum. Kegel exercises are good because they help the muscles of the pelvic floor to be strengthened.

These exercises are done by squeezing the muscles around the vagina and the rectum. One simple way of knowing if you are doing them correctly is by trying to stop a leak of urine in the middle of the process or by sticking a finger inside the vagina and trying to squeeze the muscles around the finger. You will know that you are doing the exercises correctly if you feel the squeeze on your finger.

When you first start out doing these exercises try squeezing your muscles for around ten seconds and then loosen up. You can squeeze around five to ten times per exercise session, and try to do around three or four sessions throughout the day. Once you become a little bit more used to it, you can try squeezing around twenty to twenty five times per session and continue doing the around four sessions throughout the day. The good thing about these exercises is that they can be done no matter where you are or what position you are in, such as when you are laying down, sitting up, watching television, cooking, talking over the phone, driving etc.