Recovery after childbirth
So, you’ve just had a baby, your vagina feels like its been mountain biking for 10 days straight, and you’re wondering what the hell to do to make it better?
First off, read here, to learn what to do whilst in hospital after birth. Then, after a day or two, start your pelvic floor exercises. Read this, to figure out how to squeeze your pelvic floor. Once you have that sussed, download an app to remind you to do your exercises three times a day. The best iPhone apps I’ve found are ‘Squeezy’ and ‘My kegel’. I don’t have an android, so any suggestions of good apps are welcome!
Then, do these three pelvic floor exercises three times a day:
*This number is however many weeks old your baby is. i.e. if your baby is 1 week old, hold for 1 second. When your baby is 2 weeks old, hold for 2 seconds. And so on. You’re aiming for 10 x 10 second holds.
For the first few weeks, perform these exercises in lying i.e. when chilling out with your baby, when you go back to bed after a feed etc. Then progress to sitting, and eventually standing.
Also, remember to squeeze your pelvic floor before you cough/sneeze, lift your baby or weights, or change positions.
Do this every day and decrease your risk of leakage of urine, leakage of feces, prolapse, back and pelvic pain and to improve sex.
– the vagina physio
