When Can You Start Doing Pelvic Floor Exercises After Birth?
The pelvic floor is the collection of muscles that support your bladder, uterus, and bowel.
What do you think would happen if they were too weak?
You can find out more about how to keep them strong with this blog post!
Your pelvic floor will be stretched during pregnancy, so it’s important to learn how to exercise it before birth. But when should you start doing pelvic floor exercises after childbirth?
Read on for some helpful advice on getting back into shape post-birth.
After you’ve had a baby, it’s important to keep your pelvic floor strong.
But When Can You Start Doing Pelvic Floor Exercises After Giving Birth?
The answer will depend on the type of delivery you had. You don’t want to pressure yourself or cause too much strain. However, if you take it easy now, it may make recovery more difficult later.
Here’s what you should know about starting pelvic floor exercises after giving birth:
1 . It’s best not to start pelvic floor exercises until the bleeding has completely stopped. Usually, this is after about 3 weeks for vaginal births and 4-6 weeks for cesarean sections or other surgical deliveries.
2 . You can help the uterus shrink by doing Kegel exercises.
3 . It’s important to avoid constipation, incontinence, and other issues related to the pelvic floor muscles after giving birth. This can help keep your recovery time quick and simple.
4 . Avoid putting too much pressure on yourself! The muscles need time to heal before you can strengthen them.
5 . If you start to notice any pain in your vagina, bladder, or rectum during Kegel exercises, then you should stop right away. You may have done too much, or your pelvic floor muscles may not be ready to exercise yet!
6 . It’s recommended that women wait 4-6 weeks before starting pelvic floor exercises after childbirth.
7 . Make sure you tell your healthcare provider that you’re trying to do pelvic floor exercises. They can help determine if you’re ready or if there is another issue with the muscles that need more time to heal.
8 . Once you feel confident about doing these exercises, then it’s important to start slow and work your way up.
9 . After about six weeks, you can start to do Kegel exercises for 20 minutes each day.
See How Long Does It Take To Strengthen The Pelvic Floor?
Summary
It’s best to wait for the bleeding to stop before starting pelvic floor exercises after birth.
A woman can help her uterus shrink by doing Kegel exercises. These are often recommended during a pregnancy instead of waiting until after giving birth.
Some healthcare providers recommend that women wait 4-6 weeks before doing these exercises, but it will depend on the type of birth you had and how your body is recovering.
If you feel ready to start, then it’s best to talk to your healthcare provider first. They can help determine if you’re ready or if there is another issue with the muscles that need more time to heal.
How To Keep Your Pelvic Floor Strong?
Exercise, exercise, and exercise!
You probably already know how important it is to keep the pelvic floor strong.
But what can you do?
Here are some exercises that you can do to help your pelvic floor muscles get back into shape:
1 . Kegel exercises – You may have heard of these before. Kegel exercises help you strengthen your pelvic floor muscles.
2 . Squats – Squats are a great way to exercise the pelvic floor and burn extra calories! They’re perfect for moms who want to get back into shape quickly after having a baby.
3 . Planks – Planks are great for strengthening the entire core. This includes the muscles in your pelvic floor.
4 . Hip abduction exercises – You can also do specific hip abduction exercises to strengthen the muscles around the pelvic region.
5 . Exercising with a pregnancy belly (or post-pregnancy body) – It may be difficult to find exercise equipment that fits when you’re pregnant or have recently given birth. If this is the case, then you should find an alternative to your regular workout routine that still works those muscles!
6 . You can also try swimming or biking instead of running as a way to exercise your pelvic floor muscles.
7 . Make sure you warm-up and stretch before doing any exercises (including Kegel exercises).
8 . Don’t forget to rest when you need it.
9 . After doing the exercises, remember to practice your breathing techniques. This will keep your mind and body in sync while strengthening the muscles in your pelvic floor region.
10 . It’s also important to make sure you’re using the right kind of equipment when doing exercises (including Kegel exercises).
11 . If you start to notice any pain in your vagina, bladder, or rectum during Kegel exercises, then you should stop right away. You may have done too much, or your pelvic floor muscles may not be ready to exercise yet!
12 . Talk to your healthcare provider first if you’re doing these exercises after giving birth. They can help determine if you’re ready or if there is another issue with the muscles that need more time to heal.
13 . Don’t feel bad if you aren’t able to do these exercises right away. These muscles take a lot of work to strengthen!
14 . Remember that it’s important to breathe when you’re doing these exercises. Holding your breath may lead to other problems, such as passing out or getting dizzy.
15 . Don’t forget to rest when you need it. But remember…just because you don’t feel like exercising doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t!
16 . When exercising your pelvic floor muscles, remember to start slow and move up from there. You can always increase the amount of time or repetitions as you get more comfortable with the exercises.
17 . Remember – doing too much right away will make it harder for you to exercise in the future.
18 . You can also use a special tool to help strengthen the pelvic floor muscles.
19 . Most importantly, make sure you’re doing what’s right for your body.
What if I’m not ready to exercise after giving birth?
It’s perfectly fine to take some time off.
Many people choose this route because they just don’t feel like exercising right away.
That’s OK!
It’s important to remember that everybody is different, and it’s perfectly fine if you don’t feel like exercising after giving birth. In fact, most women don’t.
But make sure you’re not making it a habit to stay inactive all the time.
See How To Pelvic Floor Exercise For Bladder Leakage!
Related Post: