A Guide To Your New Family's First Weeks - Meriter Health Services

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Strengthening Your Pelvic Floor Muscles Strong pelvic floor muscles are vital to a woman’s health and sense of well-being. Your pelvic floor muscles are like a sling that supports your pelvic organs such as the bladder, uterus and rectum. These muscles are essential for bowel and bladder functioning, and contribute to the enjoyment of sexual intercourse. Pregnancy and childbirth can weaken these muscles in many ways. Below, we will explain how to get these muscles back in shape to prevent incontinence (the inability to hold back urine or stool) and increase your physical comfort during sexual intercourse. These gentle exercises can help you look and feel better after the birth of your baby. The most common and easiest way to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles is to do Kegels. First, visualize your muscles as a sling (see picture below). Try to tighten and lift your perineum (the area between your pubic bone and tailbone) as if you were stopping the stream of urine or holding in gas. Hold these muscles around your vagina and anus tight for a count of three. Relax for a count of three, and repeat working up to holding for a count of ten for 10 repetitions. You can also pulse the muscles quickly. Remember to relax and breathe deeply between repetitions. It is best to do these exercises every day; aim for three sets of 10. Since no one can tell when you are doing them, good places to do them include when you are driving, at your desk, while watching TV or while nursing. Once you can do Kegels in Postnatal Exercises and Body Mechanics uterus bladder rectum Pelvic floor muscles the sitting position, try to do them while standing, walking, while coughing or sneezing and while lifting or carrying. Do not do them while urinating, as it may interfere with your ability to empty your bladder completely. If you still feel like you need additional help, your doctor or physical therapist can recommend additional exercises and other options. Babies Can Get Heavy! Right now your baby is light, but you should begin lifting and holding your baby correctly now. This will help prevent muscle pains and strains in the future. You may be so busy with your baby that you don’t think you have time for yourself, but remember— paying attention to yourself is a good gift to your baby! Realize that twisting or bending your spine while lifting is bad for your back. People often do this when picking up their child from a changing table. So, when you lift your child from the table, get close and face your hips towards him/her. Bend at your hips and knees by squatting or lunging, DO NOT bend at your waist or back. This is a good example of breaking down a movement. When you think of an action in slow motion, any steps that may be harmful to you will become obvious. Some good actions to analyze include placing your baby on the floor and putting your baby in a crib. Here are additional ways to prevent muscle aches: • Tighten abdominal and pelvic floor muscles when you lift or lower. This will protect your back. • Take a good look at the height of cribs, changing tables and other objects, and raise or lower them to fit your height. • Don’t step over child gates, as this can hurt your pelvic joints. • Kneel or squat when putting your child in an infant swing or stroller. You can also lower your child into a swing from behind. • If possible, have someone help you when you put on or take off an infant backpack or sling. • If you carry a diaper bag, frequently change the side you carry it on. • Watch your posture and stop yourself from slumping over. 60
• Car seats should only be carried for short distances (car to house) Strengthening Exercises Do these gentle exercises daily, as able, to speed recovery. Abdominal Tightening Lie on your back with your hands around your abdomen and your knees bent. Breathe in, and then tighten or draw in your abdominal muscles while breathing out. Imagine drawing your navel in toward your spine as you draw your abdominals in. Ankle Circles When sitting or lying down, circle your feet clockwise. You should do this often to keep blood going to your feet. Shoulder Circles Circle your shoulders backward to prevent tight upper back and neck muscles. Scapular Retractions Stand or sit with good posture, back straight, head up. Pull shoulder blades down and back in the direction of your opposite back pockets. This exercise is especially helpful when holding or nursing your baby because it is easy to let your shoulders roll sloppily forward and strain your shoulders and back during these times. Heel Slides Lie on your back with one leg bent. Slide your other leg up toward the hips, and then straighten it out again while keeping your abdominals drawn in and your back still/neutral. Head Lifts Lie on your back with your knees bent and your arms around your abdomen. While breathing out, lift your head up off the bed tightening and drawing in your abdominal muscles, hold this position for 10 seconds. Then return to starting position and repeat 10 times, working up to 30-50 a day. If you notice a separation in the middle of your abdominal muscles while doing this exercise, this separation should lessen as you increase your strength. The Leg Roll Lie comfortably on your back with your arms out to your sides. Bring your knees up, while keeping your feet on the floor. Gently roll your legs first to one side and then the other. Keep your stomach drawn in as you move. The farther you go, the more you will stretch the opposite side of your lower back. You can stretch different places in your lower back by moving your feet closer to or farther away from your buttocks. The Pelvic Tilt Lie on your back and let your hands rest near your sides with your palms up. Tip your pelvis forward and hold. Next, rock your pelvis back and hold. Slowly repeat these motions. This exercise can help relieve pressure that you feel across the bottom of your back or in the center of your buttocks. Walking Is Good Exercise Now that you have an active baby to care for, you may forget about exercising. Most babies enjoy a ride in a stroller and this is a great way for you to get exercise. Start out with 10-20 minutes a day (you might even break it up into 2 ten minute walks initially), walk at a pace where you feel you 61
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A Guide To Your New Family’s Firs
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If You’re Expecting.... We look f
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Nutrition and Feeding: Formula Feed
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Postpartum Medication Log and Infor
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Turn to this book and your doctor,
Page 11 and 12: • Your nurse will check on you ro
Page 13 and 14: Head The bones of your baby’s hea
Page 15 and 16: Mother Care The first weeks after g
Page 17 and 18: Postpartum Medication Information B
Page 19 and 20: Hemorrhoids Hemorrhoids are varicos
Page 21 and 22: Recovery From Cesarean Birth Becaus
Page 23 and 24: Nutrition and Feeding: Breastfeedin
Page 25 and 26: Helping Your Baby Latch to the Brea
Page 27 and 28: How Your Milk Changes Your body mak
Page 29 and 30: latching correctly, the easier and
Page 31 and 32: Expressing and Storing Breast Milk
Page 33 and 34: Lifestyle Issues Nutrition for Moth
Page 35 and 36: Nutrition and Feeding: Formula Feed
Page 37 and 38: During the first days of life, a ba
Page 39 and 40: Common Skin Conditions and Cord Car
Page 41 and 42: Caring for the Foreskin and Decidin
Page 43 and 44: the first few days of life, but can
Page 45 and 46: Tub Bath When the cord has fallen o
Page 47 and 48: Recognizing Illness Illness in a ne
Page 49 and 50: Why And When Do Babies Cry Crying i
Page 51 and 52: What Do I Do If I Feel Like I Am Lo
Page 53 and 54: Finding Childcare (The City of Madi
Page 55 and 56: To prevent flat head molding due to
Page 57 and 58: Sibling Relationships Most families
Page 59 and 60: Baby Blues The most common, least s
Page 61: Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scal
Page 65 and 66: Postpartum Medication Log To assist
Page 72 and 73: How Is Breastfeeding Going Answer t
Page 74 and 75: First Weeks Index 2010 Activity....
Page 76 and 77: Rooming In.........................
Page 78 and 79: Notes Use this section to take note
Page 80: The Birthing Center 202 S. Park Str
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A Guide To Your New Family's First Weeks - Meriter Health Services

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