Category: Post Natal

Self care is a hot topic right now but have you thought about how to self care for your pelvic floor muscles and pelvic area? 

So here they are: My hot tips to keep your pelvic floor and lady bits working well and feeling amazing!

In General:

• No soaps/moisturisers with chemicals – can irritate and cause infections.
• Pelvic Floor Exercises regularly – start with one of our pelvic floor and core programs see results within 2 weeks. See Programs 
• No straining to urinate or do number 2’s – This puts extra pressure on your pelvic floor muscles with and increase in your intra-abdominal pressure downwards. This can lead to a pelvic floor dysfunction or to a risk of prolapse. Instead lean forwards, lift up your heel so you’re on your toes and relax your muscles. 
• Pelvic floor muscles activated and on when doing other weights or lifting anything including your baby. This is where you reach a functional level of pelvic floor control. It will make you feel stronger and also protect you from a possible pelvic floor dysfunction or risk of prolapse. 
• Good quality collagen for type 1 and II fibres to help improve the quality of your muscles and ligaments surrounding your pelvic floor. Like my favourite here

Pregnancy & Birth

• Ice Pads after birth or Padsicles – to help with the healing process and reduce any swelling. Spray your pad with water and witch hazel (distilled – avoid any that have alcohol in them) if you like, fold the pad back up and freeze in a freezer bag. Let them thaw for a few minutes prior to use, then use up to 10 minutes every hour as needed in the first 24-36 hours after birth. 
• Warm compress during pregnancy – helps your tissue relax prior to labour. 
• Perineum massage during late stage of pregnancy (after 35 weeks) to reduce your risk and severity of tearing during labour. Gently and with clean hands and natural based lubricant. Check with your health professional if this is applicable to you first. Tiny Hearts Education have a great run down on how to here 

Sex

• Well lubricated before sex – we know that the pelvic floor muscles help with stimulation to the clitoris and can increase arousal. So try doing some pelvic floor exercises before having sex. Other options include using a natural based lubricant. Eg Olive & Bee Intimate Cream. 
• Urinate after sex – can help reduce the risk of urinary tract infections which due to the increase in frequency of urination and the acidity can affect your pelvic floor muscle function. 

I’m sure we’ve all done them at some point to try and get these elusive pelvic floor muscles working but stop right now! These mistakes are preventing you from feeling strong and getting back to the exercise you want to. They are preventing you from stopping your leakage and they are preventing you from having amazing sexual pleasure. Read on to see what you can do instead. 

When you are doing your pelvic floor exercises try to avoid theses common mistakes below.
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3 most common mistakes:

1. Tilting your pelvis – now we know this can be great for pelvis mobility and good for sexual pleasure but it does not help with your pelvic floor muscle activation while exercising! You want to find a neutral position with your spine and pelvis. So when you’re lying on your back, make sure your tailbone firmly rests on the ground without moving while you do your exercises. 
2. Squeezing your butt cheeks together like there is a $100 note you don’t want to let go of – This is working your outside buttock muscle (your gluteus maximus) not your pelvic floor muscles. Yes your pelvic floor muscles go from your pubic bone at the front all the way to your tailbone at the back including around your anus but squeezing your butt cheeks is not going to get them working. Instead relax your buttock and focus around your vaginal area to connect with your pelvic floor when exercising. 
3. Clenching your outer abdominals – this is probably the most common mistake I see in the clinic.  We’re so used to our rectus abdominis (6 pack abs) working that we forget there are deeper layers of muscles underneath. It’s also very hard to take a deep relaxed breath with these muscles working (hint hint – if you’re struggling to breathe at the same time as pelvic floor exercises this is probably why) Put one hand under your rib cage and the other deep down towards your pubic bone. The hand under your rib cage shouldn’t feel anything working underneath just relaxed and resting while you’re exercising. You can also think about your body being in half – the top is breathing and the bottom is gently lifting and squeezing through your pelvic floor muscles. Remember the feeling is all internal.

Hot Tip: your pelvic floor muscle contraction won’t feel like a big bicep contraction, they are small muscles and they are internal. I think one mistake people make is expecting if to feel like this huge contraction. It won’t, it will be subtle. 

Long term we do want our pelvic floor muscles to work with our deeper abdominal muscles with more functional exercises but that is down the track once you have mastered the pelvic floor muscles alone. Our Pelvic Floor strength systems for pregnancy and our new mum recovery program work with you every step of the way. Starting at the basics with video instruction and through to more functional exercises including your deep core and pelvis stability. 

​Unsure how strong you are?
Or if you can activate your muscles?

Take our Pelvic Floor Quiz for pregnancy or new mum’s to find out how strong you are!