“Many women are unaware that they have dysfunctional pelvic floor muscles, because there are only mild symptoms such as breaking wind or urinal incontinence when they cough or sneeze. Early detection should be performed, because such complaints may become permanent if left alone. To prevent it, women over 30 should perform Kegel exercises routinely whether they have given birth or not, because pelvic floor muscles may also weaken with age,” said dr. Tyas, who also practices at the University of Indonesia Hospital Depok, West Java.
“It is especially important for mothers to maintain the strength of their pelvic floors during pregnancy and childbirth. Remember, a woman’s body is made to accommodate childbirth, and the pelvic floor will usually return to their original condition on its own. Kegel exercise only helps it recover faster and further strengthen it, so it should be performed regularly – 3-5 times a week – before, during, and after birth. Strengthening the pelvic floor muscles will help avoid the tearing of the birth canal during birth, the onset of postpartum urinary problems, and make mothers recover faster for postnatal sex. However, do not strain yourselves. Never force yourself to do the exercise – or to have sex – if you don’t feel like it. To complement this effort, massage the perineum area routinely during the final month of the pregnancy to help prepare the vagina and perineum for birth.”
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Furthermore, mothers must keep fit and healthy by performing routine light exercise and maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle. It is important for them to maintain the delicate balance between obesity and malnutrition during pregnancy. They should adopt a fiber-rich diet to prevent constipation, and make sure that they have sufficient levels of protein, vitamin C, vitamin D, and iron during and after pregnancy. (est)