Benefits of Kegel Exercises for Pregnant Women

Kegel exercises or exercises are exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor. In your pelvis is a group of muscles and ligaments that hang like a sling between your hips. These pelvic floor muscles support the bladder, uterus and other organs, and control the flow of urine and contractions of the vagina and anal sphincter (anal muscle).

Kegel exercises train the pelvic floor muscles to contract and then relax alternately for short periods of time. There are many benefits of Kegel exercises for women, especially for pregnant women. How and when should you do Kegel exercises during pregnancy?

Also read: Pregnancy Gymnastics, Light Exercises Ease Childbirth

Benefits of Kegel Exercises for Pregnancy

Research has shown that doing Kegel exercises regularly before, during and after pregnancy can help reduce the chances of pelvic floor problems. When the fetus in the womb is getting heavier, the muscles of your pelvic floor must be extra hard.

When you finally give birth, these muscles stretch even more to make room for the baby to pass through. A third of women experience a tear in the pelvic floor muscle tissue during childbirth, and the effects can be felt both in the short and long term.

So that this problem can be avoided, pregnant women are advised to regularly do Kegel exercises from the beginning of pregnancy. The benefits are many, including:

1. Better bladder control

An estimated one-third of women experience loss of bladder control or urinary incontinence. The sign, urine seeps every time you cough, sneeze or try to jogging. The reason is because the pelvic floor muscles are no longer elastic and are not fully able to support the bladder.

In addition to urinary incontinence, there is another, less common, effect, namely fecal incontinence. This is a risk for women who experience a third-degree tear or a long episiotomy during labour. Both urinary and fecal incontinence can be prevented with Kegel exercises.

2. Faster Delivery

Research shows that women who do pelvic floor exercises have a slightly shorter active phase of labor than women who never do Kegel exercises.

3. More fun sex.

Kegels have also been shown to increase sexual pleasure. Even though you've had vaginal birth more than once, you can still get sensual pleasure and reach orgasm more easily.

Also read: Pain during sex, what's wrong?

How to Do Kegel Exercises

Kegel exercises are quick, easy, and inexpensive! You can do it anywhere, whether you're stuck in traffic or stopped at a red light, waiting in line, or watching TV. Here's how:

Before you start, make sure you know what pelvic muscles are. If you don't know yet, try deliberately stopping your pee when you pee. The muscles you tighten when you do this are the same muscles you will train when you do the kegels.

If you're still not sure you've found the right muscles, insert a clean finger into your vagina. If you're doing the kegels correctly, your vagina should contract around your finger. Try not to hold your breath, and avoid tightening your thighs, stomach or buttocks at the same time. Still having trouble? Don't hesitate to seek expert help, to a certified Kegel trainer.

Once you've discovered your pelvic floor muscles, here's a suggested kegel routine:

- Tighten the muscles for three to five seconds, then relax for a few seconds. Start with 10 exercises per one session per day.

- Next, start practicing contracting and relaxing the muscles longer, up to 10 seconds at a time and doing more repetitions as you get used to it.

During pregnancy, Kegel exercises can be started at any time. The earlier and regularly you practice, the greater the benefits. After you give birth, you can immediately restart your kegel routine.

Make it a habit to do it regularly even when you are breastfeeding your baby. Don't worry if you can't feel after delivery because the perineum will be numb after birth. This is normal, and after a few weeks, the sensation will return to normal.

Also read: Postpartum Gymnastics, Light and Amazing Movements

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFcuN9z7X04[/embed]

Reference:

Whattoexpect.com. How, When and Why to Do Kegel Exercises During and After Pregnancy

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