Kegels, kegels, kegels - Page 2

[SuburbanHippie]

 

I've had SPD with 2 of my pregnancies and squatting was not happening!  It was horrific.  At one point I had to sleep in a recliner and shuffle sideways to walk to the bathroom.  Just the thought of squatting made me wince while reading this thread. LOL.

[fertilemyrtle]

Hey Suburban Hippy,

Squatting is definitely not good for some cases, including pubic bone separation.   Thankfully, most people don't have that, and when you do, there are specific exercises that help.  In my prenatal classes, most things get modified for SPD sufferers. 

MarineWife, glad u r not embarrassed.   Some people are though, or if not incontinence, then varts (air leaving vagina uncontrolled, sounds like a fart).   A specialist in the pelvic floor can help all those things, and worse.    I'd do research and get names first, and then ask your dr.  for referral.   Just a regular PT probably won't have the knowledge. 

[Asheya]

A relaxed pelvic floor is important for birth! Pregnancy makes your pelvic floor lose muscle tone, and this is the way its supposed to be. Gentle yoga squats are useful to strengthen your legs for birth and open your pelvis, but they can also induce the birth process, so be careful of using them in the third trimester before you are 37 weeks. The most important things you can do to protect your pelvic floor for long term health are:

1. Don't lift heavy things, when you are pregnant (you have a big gap between your abdominal muscles for one thing) and especially in the first 6-8 weeks after your baby is born. DON'T LIFT ANYTHING HEAVIER THAN YOUR BABY.

2. Do not overdo your activity during your childbed period (the first 6-8 weeks after the birth of your baby). Stay at home with your baby for the first 10 days, and get other people to look after your other children and clean your house, cook your meals etc. Concentrate on bonding with your baby during these first few months. If you start bleeding more than usual, you know you have overdone it (and that's hard on your pelvic floor).

3. Start doing pelvic floor toning exercises (gentle squats, postpartum yoga) 6-8 weeks after the birth of your baby. This is the most important time to regain pelvic floor tone.
 

Originally Posted by Gismobabe 

I peed myself every time I threw up during my last pregnancy, same with sneezing. My mw told me to not do kegel exercises before the birth as you need a relaxed pelvic floor. After the birth nothing really helped and after going to physical therapy with this terrible pelvic floor exercise machine and no improvement an osteopath saved me. He told me my bladder was slightly out of place dislocated by the growing uterus. He did some manipulations and suddenly it was all no problem. This pregnancy I have peed myself one time with a very full bladder throwing up.

I am just saying it might not be what you think it is!