People often do not understand the pelvic floor’s function, location and composition. However, when women get pregnant, they start to focus on it as during and after pregnancy, this part of their body is put to the test. The pelvic floor needs strengthening after the delivery, and women with a strong (but not too strong) pelvic floor will experience the safest pregnancy and delivery. It is crucial for everyone to understand pelvic floor strengthening before an issue arrives and also for women after delivery. This post will give you a better understanding of pelvic floor strengthening.
What is the pelvic floor?
The pelvic floor looks like a hammock that supports your pelvic organs: bladder, uterus, rectum, etc. It is made from muscles, ligaments and tissues at the base of your spine. The pelvic floor’s main function is to help bladder control and support the uterus during pregnancy and is essential in sexual function.
Why does pelvic floor strengthening prevent pelvic organs from prolapsing?
The hammock that provides the pelvic floor needs to be robust enough to contain the pelvic organs in your pelvic area. You can imagine that your organs wouldn’t stay in place without it. That is why pelvic floor strengthening is essential. Of course, if you have a weakness in your pelvic floor, your organs won’t prolapse instantly, but it will start with incontinence.
Pelvic floor and pregnancy
The pelvic floor will indeed be affected by pregnancy, and every pregnant woman will become aware of its importance during the postpartum period. Women mostly experience incontinence when coughing, laughing, sneezing and exercising. They can also face vaginal laxity, decreased sexual function, vaginal tags and tender or misaligned episiotomy scars. All those issues affect mothers’ lives and must be handled as quickly as possible. Women without cases during postpartum are advised to follow a pelvic floor strengthening treatment as this essential body part weakens during pregnancy while bearing the weight of the organs, the baby, the amniotic fluid, and the placenta. You must choose the right professional to conduct a successful pelvic floor strengthening.
Pelvic floor strengthening treatments
- To prevent pelvic organ prolapse, you can do Kegel exercises at home. Squeeze the pelvic floor muscle as if trying to stop the urine flow, hold it for a few seconds and release it. Then, repeat this exercise ten times in a row to complete a set. It will be best to do three sets per day for better results.
- This exercise can be sufficient for some women; a specialist like your midwife or physiotherapist will advise you. However, most women must start pelvic floor and tight functional abdominal muscles four to six weeks after the delivery. It is valuable for vaginal delivery and the Caesarian section. Emsella chair can be recommended. It is a high-tech chair that delivers electromagnetic pulses to stimulate and strengthen the pelvic floor muscles. You only have a little to do as the chair works for you. High Intensity Focused ElectroMagnetic energy (HIFEM) produces 11,000 supra-maximal muscle contractions. You usually need six sessions of thirty minutes to recover a solid pelvic floor.
- Physical activities like yoga and pilates are recommended to anyone who experiences pelvic floor weakness. The posture and muscle engagement needed during these sports sessions is focused on the pelvic floor area. It will be an essential help to maintain your pelvic floor in shape.
The pelvic floor is the base of the human body’s core and should be taken care of as its function is vital for the organism. Contact the right professional to get the proper pelvic floor training treatment and avoid pelvic organ prolapse.
