Kegel exercises after childbirth: why and how to do it. Kegel exercises for women after childbirth - restoring the figure and women's health

Why do doctors constantly talk about the importance of sports and training? Because the fitness of the body depends on how healthy and full-fledged lifestyle a person can lead. And for the fair sex, training the pelvic floor muscles is extremely important, since they are naturally weak, which is aggravated by the processes generic activity.

Kegel exercises for women at home can help not only strengthen them, but also improve the intimate sphere. What is the Kegel method, how to conduct classes and what are the indications for them - you will learn about everything from the article.

The pelvic muscles support the uterus, ovaries and bladder, and that is they need to be trained... As a result of gymnastics for intimate muscles, it is provided:

• prevention of prolapse and constipation, as well as incontinence;
• increased libido;
• increased sensitivity during orgasms (as well as their quantitative increase);
• trouble-free pregnancy and easy labor.

A special load for the intimate muscles allows not only to improve health, but also affects the quality of intimacy, and in addition, facilitates the course of pregnancy.

The strengthening technique for intimate muscles was invented a long time ago. Historians confirm with manuscripts and images with sculptures the fact that ancient women from India, China and Japan owned similar techniques.

Even simulators for these exercises: jade eggs, vessels with water, etc. However, not everyone used these exercises - only priestesses of love, geisha and women of high position in society could afford it.

But since 1940, a breakthrough began in science and its ideas about the treatment of certain diseases in women, and doctors understood the importance of a strong pelvis.

Directed & Explosion & Arnold Kegel, who studied the problem of enuresis in women in labor. He found that in a woman's life, the vaginal and pelvic muscles are greatly weakened, and this leads to uncontrolled urination. Kegel came up with his own method of treating this problem, which is known today as Kegel gymnastics for the fair sex.

Exercises for the pelvis is necessary for regulation of the body's sexual functions... But there are also medical reasons:

• pregnant women to facilitate future childbirth and reduce the risk of ruptures and miscarriages;
• as a prevention of prolapse of the pelvic organs and with an already existing problem;
• in the case of hemorrhoids, pain during sex and lack of orgasms;
• with a high risk of developing enuresis;
• for the prevention of blood stagnation and subsequent inflammatory processes;
• to increase sex drive and sensitivity.

Healthy and elastic muscle tissue is extremely important for health and intimate life, so you need to monitor it.

However, despite the extremely positive impact of the technique, there are a number of contraindications to its implementation. Among them:

• inflammatory processes in acute or chronic form;
• the presence of infectious diseases in the genitourinary system;
• exacerbation of cardiovascular diseases;
• the last stages of prolapse;
• oncological processes in the body;
• fresh trauma to the perineum or surgery in this area;
• cervical erosion;
• bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract or uterus, as well as the risk of their development.

Gymnastics is allowed during pregnancy and immediately after childbirth. only after the approval of the attending gynecologist to avoid negative consequences and threats to the health or life of women and children.

Doing Kegel exercise for women is like doing a pleasant task for your health.

Gymnastics itself is quite simple and does not require specific tools and conditions.

It must be performed at home, and after getting used to it, in any other place.

Initially you need identify the muscles to be trained... There are three methods for this:

1. Natural - during urination it is necessary to stop the stream for 6 seconds by contracting the vaginal muscles. In this case, the necessary sections will work. To remember their position, you need to repeat the exercise several more times.
2. Palpation - lying on your side from the back, stick two fingers into the perineum. By contracting the muscles, it is necessary to achieve an easy retraction of the fingers inward, again being in this state for 5-6 seconds.
3. Visual - with the help of a mirror, carefully examine the area between the vagina and the anus, straining it. If you use the right muscles, you will have a narrowing sensation.

After that, you can start training. It is only important to tighten the correct areas without using the pelvis, anus or abs. As with any workout, regularity is important, therefore, you should constantly do gymnastics up to 5 times a day.

It is best to do it at first, lying down and with an empty bladder, so that painful sensations during exercise, enuresis and inflammation do not arise.

The method involves performing each Kegel exercise up to 5 times a day for 10 approaches. At the same time, it is recommended to do a light back massage.

There is everything four basic exercises which were developed directly by Professor Kegel:

1. Gradual tension - you should take a comfortable lying position and contract and unclench the muscles. Moreover, compression and relaxation should be gradual. To do this, it is convenient to count to 5 silently (where each number is a second), increasing tension or relaxation for each count. After a couple of weeks, the count can be increased to 10.
2. Vacuum - lying on your back and bending your legs at the knees, you need to raise the pelvis and squeeze the muscles, while, as it were, pushing the hips and pelvis up. In this case, the areas in the vagina and the press should be strained. At the highest point you need to stay for 5 seconds (gradually increase the time) and descend.
3. Rapid tension - in a comfortable position, quickly squeeze the vagina together with the anus. It should look like this: a second is squeezing, a second is relaxation. Gradually bring the time to 100 seconds.
4. Hold - in a comfortable position, strain and hold the muscles in tension for up to three seconds. Increase gradually up to 15 seconds.

After 2-3 months of basic exercises, you can go to a more advanced level, which involves performing basic exercises in certain poses that increase the load:

1. Standing, feet shoulder-width apart and with slightly bent knees, put your palms on your buttocks.
2. Kneeling on the floor, you should stretch your arms forward on the floor and rest your head on them, while lifting your buttocks.
3. Sitting on the floor, cross your legs and straighten your back. After making sure that the weight of the body is pressing on the pelvic bones, strain them, imagining how the buttocks are lifted off the floor.
4. Standing, with knees bent and legs set shoulder-width apart, put your hands on your hips and keep your back straight.
5. Lying on the floor, raise your legs up and bend at the knees. In this case, the buttocks should be pressed against the wall.

It is possible to move on to more complicated exercises only after high-quality mastering of basic exercises and after the first results appear, that is, approximately after 2-3 months of regular gymnastics.

It is very important for pregnant women to strengthen their pelvic muscles for several reasons. This is:

• reduces the risk of miscarriages and complications during childbirth;
• reduces the likelihood of rupture during labor;
• helps to quickly recover from childbirth.

During gestation, all internal organs endure a tremendous burden, especially in the small pelvis, therefore elastic and strong muscles in this area are a real salvation from pain and complications.

In addition, pregnancy and labor significantly weakens them, so special attention should be paid to their tone.

Lying on your back and bending your knees, slightly apart, you can start exercises: tension and relaxation of muscles.

Up to 30 hikes should be done at a time. In addition, it is recommended to perform an imitation of childbirth - to relax and hold your breath, and then push, as during a bowel movement. Then take a break for 40 seconds and repeat.

Before this task, it is very important to empty the intestines in order to avoid incidents. Regular performance of Kegel exercises together with breathing exercises will allow transferring pregnancy and childbirth is much easier and painless than with weakened pelvic muscles.

Kegel exercises after childbirth can be resumed after 3-4 days and only if they have passed without breaks and complications. Otherwise, it will be possible to practice only after the permission of the gynecologist. Workouts are carried out in the same way as before childbirth, but the number of approaches is reduced to 3-4 per day. Pains may occur immediately, but they disappear after 3-4 days, otherwise it is necessary to visit a doctor and stop exercising.

The implementation of this complex is an excellent opportunity to improve the health and general condition of the genitourinary system, as well as to solve the problem with involuntary urination without operable and medical intervention.

Becoming a mom is great. But do not forget that after giving birth you have not ceased to be a woman - charming, beloved and desired! True, it is possible that some changes have occurred in your intimate life.

After the birth of a child, sexual relations between spouses can acquire a special integrity and spirituality. At the same time, as never before, the sexual relations of newly-made parents require mutual understanding, sensitivity, and a willingness to meet each other - especially in the first months after childbirth.

This period of sexual relations is almost always characterized by significant changes in sexual desire in both spouses. Many women experience a temporary decrease in libido - and there are more than enough reasons for this. Fear of possible pain, accumulated fatigue, preoccupation with caring for a baby, fear of waking up a child can reduce the intensity of female sexuality even in the absence of birth trauma to the genitals and uncomplicated postpartum period. In addition, some women develop postpartum depression, which results in decreased libido and sexual arousal.

Many women generally think that their sex life is over. And this is confirmed by disappointing statistics: one in five young mothers have problems in their sex life throughout the first year after giving birth. However, do not give up on sexual relations. It is clear that the quality of sex life has changed. It takes time for you to adapt to your new role as a mother and your sex life to your new body.

During this time, sexual contacts should be as soft and tender as possible. It is advisable to start them only after the complete postpartum recovery of the uterus (reduction of its size, cessation of discharge of lochia - separated from the uterus in the postpartum period), vagina and perineum.

Often, a decrease in sexual desire is mutual and can be equally pronounced in a man. At the same time, the fear of inflicting pain on the partner, new qualities of her body: a breast full of milk, and ... deep shock in connection with the birth of a new life can act as a kind of limiters here.

WHEN IS POSSIBLE AFTER BIRTH?

A woman's uterus, vagina, and perineum have done an incredible job of delivering a baby. Someone's vagina and perineum in the process of all this, although it turned out to be significantly stretched, but remained intact. Some have tears, and some have incisions and stitches. It is easy to understand that it will take time for these organs to approach their original state. It usually takes 4-6 weeks.

Usually, obstetricians recommend resuming sexual intercourse 6-8 weeks after childbirth. This requirement is primarily due to the fact that it is during this period that the uterus gradually returns to its previous size, the placenta attachment site (child's place) heals. After all, after the placenta separated from the wall of the uterus during childbirth, a wound surface remained in its place, which is very sensitive to the effects of microbes and viruses. If an infection gets into an unhealed wound during intercourse, the case may end with endometritis (inflammation of the inner layer of the uterus) - a rather serious complication, often requiring scraping of the uterine cavity and massive antibacterial treatment.

It may seem that if the birth occurred by cesarean section, then such problems should not arise and sex can be engaged almost immediately after childbirth. Indeed, the vagina did not undergo any changes in this case, but the wound at the placenta attachment site should heal in the same way as after natural childbirth. In addition, a scar remains on the uterus, which heals within the same 4-6 weeks, despite the fact that the healing of the scar on the skin occurs much earlier.

Before resuming, it is advisable to visit a gynecologist to make sure that your body is back to normal.

SEXUAL LIFE AFTER BIRTH

The first problem that is often encountered after childbirth is vaginal dryness, caused by a lack of estrogen hormones and disappearing after the normalization of hormonal levels. In this case, it is advisable to use special gels (lubricants) that moisturize the mucous membranes. These products can be purchased at the pharmacy.

Women experience pain or fear of sexual intercourse due to injuries received, be it tears or incisions in the perineum. The mucous membranes and skin at the entrance to the vagina and perineum are very sensitive in the postpartum period. In the area of ​​the seams, especially with pressure, pain may occur, sometimes quite pronounced. But even after the stitches have healed, pain may occur in the perineum when trying to have sexual intercourse for a while. This is due to the fact that there are a lot of sensitive nerve endings in the perineal region. If the integrity of the perineum is violated, they are damaged and can be clamped when suturing.

During sexual intercourse, a woman may provide unconscious resistance to penetration of the penis. In this case, you need to try to relax as much as possible, using the poses "woman on top" ("") or "face to face": this way you can control your movements and avoid pain.

If there is a suture on the perineum and soreness during intercourse, it is recommended to massage the scar with cream or massage oil (for example, sea buckthorn, which has a healing effect). It is also helpful to soften the seam area with ointments used to absorb keloid (rough) scars. These ointments include SOLKOSERIL, KONTRAKTUBEX and others. If your partner does it, then you will combine "business with pleasure" - therapeutic effects and erotic massage!

PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECTS

Psychological problems include a change in a woman's perception of the world around her. It may seem to her that her state of "eternal fear for the child" is completely unsupported by her husband and relatives. A young mother may develop a feeling of loneliness, isolation from loved ones. Often women complain about the "inability to disconnect from worries." And only when the child has grown up, does not need constant care and began to sleep separately, do young parents have a chance to survive another honeymoon.

How can you help yourself during this difficult period?

A set of Kegel exercises can help heal the perineum and eliminate pain. Their implementation can be resumed from the 5th day after childbirth. In the middle of the last century, gynecologist Arnold Kegel invented these exercises specifically for women who, after childbirth, have problems with involuntary urination. Subsequently, it turned out that these Kegel exercises also increase sexual tone, improve blood circulation and even allow you to control orgasm.

Kegel Exercise 1: Straighten in any position, relax the muscles of the abdomen, buttocks and legs. Squeeze the muscles around the anus several times quickly, as if preventing bowel movement. The exercise can be done several times a day.

Kegel Exercise 2: Do exercise 1, but at a slower pace: for 10 seconds, tighten the muscles and relax them for the same amount of time.

Kegel Exercise 3: Start with relaxation, then gradually squeeze the pelvic floor muscles, and you should start from the back group, and only then involve the front, in each position, lingering for 3-5 seconds.

Each Kegel exercise should be done for 2 minutes, and the whole set of Kegel exercises should be repeated at least three times a day. You can perform these exercises almost anywhere: while walking, sitting in front of the TV screen, while traveling on the subway: and in any position: sitting, lying down, standing.

General fatigue and constant lack of sleep also do not contribute to the emergence of sexual desires. Here the help and support of the child's father is needed in solving everyday problems, joint care of the baby.

Also, new mothers tend to doubt their own sexual attractiveness because of the changed forms, frequent weight gain, stretch marks that have appeared on the chest, hips, abdomen. Of course, in this situation, a lot depends on the man. He needs to make some effort to convince his beloved that she is more beautiful than all mothers in the world. You, in turn, try to find time for gymnastics and do not be zealous with the use of excessively high-calorie foods.

Sometimes women refuse to make love because of fear of a new pregnancy, but pregnancy can and should be protected. Speaking about postpartum contraception, I would like to remind young parents of a well-known truth: breastfeeding does not interfere with conception at all, since in modern conditions, even against the background of lactation, the possibility of conception resumes quite quickly.

About contraceptives, the use of which is possible in the postpartum period and is combined with breastfeeding, it is better to consult a gynecologist, because their selection should be made strictly individually.

In conclusion, I would like to say that neither family nor sexual life stops with the birth of a child. No matter how difficult the first months of your life after childbirth are, try to maintain the love that was before, and do not darken family relationships with mutual reproaches and resentments. Think about how joyful and desirable sex was for you before, and imagine how exciting it will be after such a significant break.

No wonder they say that it is the resumption of sexual relations after childbirth that is the end of the postpartum period and the beginning of a new stage in family life. May this time be happy for you!

Kegel exercises target the pelvic floor muscles. Under normal conditions, they (muscles) are rarely used, as a result of which over time or under the influence of various factors, they weaken and lose elasticity. As a result, the main task (keeping the organs in the small pelvis) is not performed properly, which often leads to problems in sex life and all sorts of diseases.

On a note! The exercises were developed by the famous obstetrician Arnold Kegel in the middle of the last century.

When is Kegel Exercise Recommended?

The following are the main goals of these exercises:

• treatment or prevention of lowering of organs located in the small pelvis;
• countering the effects of aging on the body;
• treatment of fecal and urinary incontinence;
• prevention of inflammatory processes in the genitals;
• preparation for childbirth or pregnancy;
• prolongation of good sexual health;
• increased sexual activity;
• increased sexual sensations;
• increased orgasm (vaginal and clitoral);
• regeneration of tissues that have been stretched after childbirth.

As you can see, exercises can be performed in many situations, but we are interested in postpartum recovery.

Video - Kegel Exercises with a simulator

Why are there problems?

During pregnancy, there is an excessive load on the pelvic floor muscles. They are not only a support for the embryo, but also a kind of channel through which the fetus leaves the womb during childbirth. Muscles can weaken for various reasons - due to a tear in the perineal tissue or, for example, an episiotomy.

A similar condition manifests itself in the weakening of the muscles of the urinary tract, due to which some urine may be released (for example, when coughing or laughing), and the walls of the vagina descend. The latter after childbirth increases slightly and becomes less elastic. Often, when the perineum ruptures, the tissues of the inner layer are destroyed. Less commonly, the genital slit is unable to close completely even after the perineum is fully restored. Low elasticity and sensitivity of the vaginal tissues can cause a decrease in sexual sensations, and in two partners at once.

Kegel exercises will help solve all these problems.

How to identify the right muscles?

When a finger is inserted into the vagina, the desired muscles are compressed around it, while the spinal or gluteal muscles need to be relaxed. In other words, if the muscles close around the finger, then what is needed is being trained. At the same time, you should breathe deeply and evenly.

There is also another way. It consists in the fact that you need to sit on the toilet, slightly spread your legs and try to stop urination without moving them. The muscles that are tense at this time are the muscles of the pelvic floor.

On a note! If you could not identify them the first time, then do not despair - you need to try again.

Method one. Contraction of muscles

In this case, the muscles will only contract. The pace is different.

Exercise number 1

Step one. The muscles quickly contract / unclench for ten seconds, followed by a ten second break. After three approaches, you need to rest for half a minute.

Step two. The muscles contract / unclench for five seconds, after which you need to rest for the same amount of time. The exercise is repeated nine times.

Step three. The muscles are compressed, held for half a minute and relaxed for the same time. The exercise is performed twice, after which step one is repeated.

Exercise number 2

For two minutes, the muscles simply contract and relax. The duration gradually increases to twenty minutes. The exercise should be done at least three times every day.

Exercise number 3

Step one. The muscles contract, hold for five seconds and relax. You need to do ten approaches.

Step two... The muscles quickly contract / unclench ten times, the exercise is repeated three times.

Step three. The muscles are compressed and held for as long as possible (up to two minutes). After a two-minute rest, the exercise is repeated.

Exercise number 4

Step one. The muscles contract / relax thirty times, then the second step must be started. The number of contractions in the previous step is gradually increased up to a hundred times.

Step two. The muscles are compressed with extreme force and held for half a minute, then they are unclenched for the same time. The procedure is performed five times.

Method two. Muscle squeezing and "pushing"

There are also several exercises here, we will consider each of them.

Exercise # 1. Abbreviations

In this case, everything is simple: the sexual muscles tense and relax at maximum speed.

Exercise number 2. Slow squeeze

Step one... The muscles tense in the same way as when you stop urinating.

Exercise number 3

It is called "pushing". Its essence is as follows: it is necessary to moderately push (in the same way as during bowel movements or childbirth).

On a note! Workouts should begin like this: squeeze + contraction + "push" five times daily (at least ten approaches).

A week later, five more exercises are added to each complex; the number of approaches remains the same. The weekly addition is repeated until there are 30 of them. After that, the number does not increase, but the exercises are performed with the same frequency.

Kegel exercises for women after childbirth. How can you avoid many delicate problems through exercise and restore your body?

Woman after pregnancy and childbirth: changes in the body and figure

In the process of carrying a baby, as its weight increases, the load on the pelvic muscles also increases. By the end of pregnancy, the weight of the baby and amniotic fluid can reach 10-15 kilograms or more, and under this weight not only the deep muscles of the abdominal wall are stretched, but also the muscles of the perineum, the upper part of the vagina and other muscles of the pelvic floor.

In everyday life, they often go unnoticed, but it is due to these muscles that the pelvic organs occupy a normal - anatomical - position. If muscle tone weakens and the ligaments become less elastic, problems arise that older women often face - prolapse and even prolapse of the walls of the vagina, uterus, urinary incontinence and hemorrhoids.

To prevent these problems, Kegel exercises were developed. After childbirth, they take on special importance, since it is during this period that the risk of complications increases. Therefore, as soon as the mother's health returns to normal, the stitches (if any) will be removed, then you can begin to master the complex.

As soon as the mother's health returns to normal, you can begin to master the complex.

Many questions arise for those who decided to perform Kegel exercises after childbirth:

• How to do them if you don't feel the pelvic floor muscles?
• How often should they be done?
• What does efficiency depend on?
• Will there be no harm if after childbirth hemorrhoids have already developed, or an episiotomy has been performed, and many others.

As a rule, the answers come by themselves, in the course of classes. It is enough to know that there are no contraindications to this complex, and in order to feel the necessary muscles, it is enough to imagine that for some reason you are deprived of the opportunity to use the restroom, but it is simply necessary at the moment. Squeezing those muscles that will help you endure before the bathroom is empty, you will feel what you should feel during the workout. As the muscles are worked out, they will be felt more and more vividly.

Kegel exercises for diastasis:

After giving birth, some women cannot understand why the stomach does not want to go away. They exhaust themselves with diets, sports training, and the stomach still hangs like a bag. Unfortunately, this often indicates that the abdominal muscles have stretched during pregnancy. This phenomenon is called diastasis. Removing subcutaneous fat, we still do not get a flat, tucked up abdomen, since there is no strong muscle corset.

With very complex forms of diastasis, it may even be an operation. However, mild to moderate forms of diastasis can be tried to heal on their own with the help.

Kegel Gymnastics Exercises:

So what is Kegel gymnastics for women? Exercises after childbirth boil down to the following:

• Retraction of the muscles of the perineum and anus. It is performed with a deep breath, the contracted muscles are held in this state for at least ten seconds, while breathing remains free. Exhale muscles relax.
• Retraction of the lower abdominal muscles (pulling the navel towards the back). It is performed according to the same principle as the first exercise.
• A combination of the first and second exercises.

Then the breathing technique changes: exhalation is performed on effort, inhalation is performed on relaxation. In the future, each exercise is repeated as many times as possible, but for the first lessons, one or two repetitions will be enough.

Efficiency will be determined, first of all, by the degree of tension needed by the muscles, and secondly, by the total time of their retention in a tense state. Therefore, the more often and more carefully you work out each exercise, the better the results will be.

Kegel exercises for women after childbirth on video:

Muscle recovery after childbirth:

Kegel exercises - execution technique:

Kegel exercises reviews:

Cool exercises really help to recover from childbirth. I have only one, though they are in trouble, I get tired and forget to do them ... (Liza I.)

Many, probably, have heard about the special training of the vaginal muscles, developed by the American gynecologist Kegl, but not everyone knows that such exercises can be performed after childbirth. It is during this difficult period of recovery of the female body that this type of activity will normalize the tone of the genitals, accelerate tissue healing and quickly return to full-fledged intimate relationships.

In the article:

Kegel exercises before childbirth - benefits and feasibility

A set of Kegel exercises for expectant mothers can be performed at any time, provided that you feel well enough and there are no contraindications. It is only necessary to exclude the posture on the back after the 16th week of pregnancy: this can cause a rapid deterioration in the condition due to pressure on the inferior vena cava.

The closer the moment of birth, the more important the condition of the vaginal tissues becomes, because in an untrained woman, the risk of ruptures increases markedly. Nevertheless, if at an early stage the expectant mother did not devote time to training at all, then one should not practice at an increased pace, because during pregnancy a sharp increase in the load is fraught with dangerous consequences.

But it is equally important to devote time to training in the prenatal period, because if tears arise due to the weakened tone of the vaginal walls during childbirth, it will be more difficult to correct the situation. Thus, the best option is to perform Kegel gymnastics both before and after childbirth.

The effectiveness of exercise during this period is as follows:

1. The elasticity of the muscles in the perineum increases, which, in turn, reduces the risk of tears during childbirth.
2. Blood circulation in the pelvic region is normalized, thereby eliminating the risk of hemorrhoids before or after childbirth.
3. The degree of painful sensations directly during childbirth decreases, which is due to the training of the muscles of the vagina.
4. The risk of prolapse of organs when carrying a child is reduced.

It is better to start gymnastics at an early stage or at least in the middle of pregnancy, since closer to childbirth, the soft tissues of the vagina swell intensively, so doing exercises with the help will cause difficulties.

Kegel exercises during pregnancy

The first exercise is best practiced on the toilet.

Special exercises according to the method of the American gynecologist are included in the curriculum of many schools for expectant mothers. The following complex is most effective:

First exercise... Slightly spread your legs at the knees and slightly spread them while sitting on a chair. Then tighten the muscles of the perineum for 5-10 seconds. To find the muscles you want, you need to visualize which muscles are tense when you try to stop urinating. These are the corresponding muscles of the perineum. Then relax them as much as possible.

Second exercise, named "Elevator". Mentally distribute the vagina on different "floors" and alternately strain the corresponding areas, starting from the bottom and moving up. Upon reaching the upper "floor", again tense the muscles of the vagina alternately, shifting downward. In total, you need to do five approaches without interruption. Execution time for one should take 1 minute on average.

Third exercise called "Waves" consists in alternating tension and relaxation of the desired muscles of the vagina and adjacent muscles of the anus. First of all, you should squeeze the vaginal muscles, then the anus, and then relax in the reverse order.

Fourth exercise aimed at training muscles that will be involved during childbirth in the most active and painful process - attempts. An attempt must be made to push, as before a bowel movement. In this case, the muscles of the vagina should also be involved. After that, the muscles are relaxed and the movements are repeated again. Thanks to these exercises, the process of childbirth will be less painful.

The above complex can be performed in the absence of contraindications and complications. At the very beginning of training (during the period of mastering the Kegel complex), each exercise should be performed 2-3 times, gradually bringing the number of repetitions to 10-15. You need to do it several times a day and bring the number of workouts up to 5 times a day. You can devote time to exercise in the second and third trimester, and only two to three weeks before childbirth, training should be stopped. Of course, if complications are detected during pregnancy, they refuse to perform the complex or agree with the doctor.

When to do Kegel exercises after childbirth

After a complex and responsible process of labor, this complex takes on no less importance than, because it is necessary to restore the stretched muscles of the vagina.

1. If the birth was without ruptures and serious injuries, the first movements according to the Kegel method can be carried out already 2-3 days after the birth of the baby. If you feel discomfort, it is better to postpone the beginning of classes.
2. If the perineal area has stitches or other complications, training should be postponed for at least 10 days, and in some cases, much longer. They can only be started by consulting a gynecologist. Perhaps the specialist will advise you to do the exercises only after the uterus and other organs are fully restored, and this can take 6-8 weeks from the moment of delivery.

Training intimate muscles after childbirth contributes to the solution of such tasks:

1. Restores the tone of the stretched muscles of the perineal zone.
2. Leads to rapid cleansing of the uterus from lochia (postpartum discharge).
3. Reduces the risk of possible urinary incontinence.
4. Reduces the risk of inflammation of the reproductive organs.
5. Provides a quick return to sex life.

Thus, exercise is very important for strengthening the pelvic floor muscles, which in turn avoids many gynecological problems.

They should be performed carefully in the postpartum period, especially until the bloody discharge stops. If any pain occurs, you need to immediately stop intensive movements, and you can resume classes only after a visit to the doctor.

The first exercise is "Pause". Within a few seconds (ideally 10–15), the muscles should be squeezed, as if trying to abruptly stop urination. Then you can relax the previously tense muscles of the perineum and, after a short rest, start a second approach. For the first time, you can try the exercise when you visit the toilet "in a small way", sitting on the toilet, in order to more accurately feel the necessary muscles and understand how to strain them.

The second exercise - "Fixation"... Squeeze the muscles of the vagina strongly, hold in this state for 5 seconds, and then relax. Repeat the exercise several times. Such movements effectively improve the tone of the vaginal muscles. In the future, it will be possible to use special devices for training the vagina, which must be inserted inside, but this is appropriate only after the cessation of all postpartum discharge.

The third exercise is "Lift". It is done in the same way as the exercise of the same name for pregnant women, but it should be performed carefully in the postpartum period, gradually training the muscles of the vagina. Tension movements and the subsequent complete relaxation of the vaginal muscles are first performed from the bottom up, and then back.

The fourth exercise - "Storm". The movements are similar to the previous workout - "Lift", but in this case it is necessary to alternately contract the muscles of the pelvic floor, moving in the direction from front to back.

Each of the exercises presented in the above complex is done 10 times, i.e. first 10 muscle contractions for the "Pause" exercise, then - 10 "Fixation" movements, etc. But it should be remembered that at the very beginning of training, the number of repetitions of each movement should be minimal - 2-3 times, subsequently the load should be gradually increased.

The complex itself, consisting of several exercises, is repeated 5-8 times a day. Only with such intense training can the expected restoration of tissue elasticity and an increase in muscle tone be achieved.

Kegel after childbirth, it is desirable for at least two months - until the full restoration of the normal state of the female genital organs. However, you can practice much longer in order to maintain the tone of the vaginal muscles at the proper level and achieve maximum satisfaction in intimate relationships.

You can do the above movements according to the Kegel method while in any position that is convenient for a woman. The most comfortable position is sitting, but in other positions (standing, on all fours, squatting, etc.) it is also recommended to do them.

Provided that such activities are constantly performed, the female body returns to normal faster. The need for intimacy arises faster than women who do not devote time to such physical activity at all. And the sensations themselves during sexual intercourse become more vivid, and this strengthens the relationship with the partner.

Unsurprisingly, Kegel gymnastics reduces the risk of postpartum depression. This is due to a decrease in painful sensations in the uterus, rapid normalization of hormonal levels, restoration of intimate relationships and an improvement in their quality. Therefore, such exercises are effective for all young mothers, and you can start them as soon as the doctor permits.