Tips for postpartum recovery and firmness

Precisely repair the pelvic floor muscles first, control the separation of the rectus abdominis before training the core, and daily pit avoidance is 10 times more effective than surprise training.

A while ago, I accompanied my cousin who just gave birth to a postpartum check-up. I met several girls carrying a bag of "vagin shrinking gel" and "firming pills" bought on WeChat Moments and asked the doctor if they could be used. As a result, the doctor directly said that most of these products may not even be compliant with the erasure standards. They can cause allergies and itching in mild cases, or damage to vaginal flora in worst cases, which is not worth the gain.

There are currently two schools of thought in the industry regarding postpartum tightening plans. Most doctors in public rehabilitation departments recommend doing an evaluation first before proceeding: during the 42-day review, pelvic floor electromyography evaluation and rectus abdominis separation measurement must be performed. If the pelvic floor muscle score is lower than 60 points, or If you have mild prolapse and urinary leakage, you should first follow the doctor's instructions for electrical stimulation or biofeedback treatment, and don't practice blindly on your own. However, many practitioners who have been doing obstetrics and gynecology for many years believe that as long as it is not a pathological problem, if you insist on correct independent training at home, the effect is not bad and the price/performance ratio is high.

When my sister-in-law gave birth last year, her pelvic floor muscle score was only 52 in the 42-day review, and her rectus abdominis was separated by 2 and a half fingers. The doctor at the time said that it was not too serious and she could practice at home for a month before rechecking. The method she learned from a rehabilitation practitioner to find a sense of force was very simple, which is to deliberately interrupt three times while urinating. You can feel that the sore muscles are pelvic floor muscles, not pinched muscles. The thighs and belly are either tightened, or the force that "sucks" the urethra into the body. After finding the right feeling, she can practice it when she takes the subway to work or when watching TV dramas at night. Each time, she will tighten it for 3 seconds and then put it back for 3 seconds, a set of 10 times. She just does two sets of exercises when she thinks of it. She doesn't have to worry about the time. She just practiced for two months and then went back for a review. Her score was directly at 89, and even the previous problem of coughing and leaking urine was gone.

Oh, by the way, many people now ask whether to have private tightening surgery. There are actually quite big differences in the industry on this matter: one party thinks that if it is severe pelvic floor muscle prolapse, or there is obvious discomfort in sexual life, it is indeed correct to go to a regular tertiary hospital for corrective surgery. It is a quick-effective solution. After all, it has affected normal life, so there is no need to bear it. However, the other party also feels that as long as it does not reach a pathological level, it can be restored to a satisfactory state through long-term independent training. Surgery is risky after all, so there is no need to take this risk. The specific choice depends entirely on your own physical condition and needs. You don’t need to listen to other people’s lies.

Many people ignore the impact of daily habits. I once had a friend whose pelvic floor muscles had almost recovered 2 months after giving birth. As a result, she had constipation and leaked urine for another half a month. When she went for a review, her score dropped by almost 20 points. Therefore, you should really pay attention to it in the first half year after giving birth. Don’t hold heavy objects that exceed the weight of the baby. Don’t stand for a long time. When you are constipated, use a small amount of vaginal fluid and don’t force it. Try to do as little squatting as possible. If you pay attention to these small details, it will be much more useful than going to the maternity health center twice a week.

Many people think that tightening means tightening the belly, and they start doing abdominal crunches blindly. This is really a big mistake. If your rectus abdominis is separated by more than 2 fingers, abdominal crunches will only make your rectus abdominis separated more and more serious, your belly will become more bulging, and it will press down on your pelvic floor muscles, which will slow down your recovery. If the separation is more than 2 fingers, just practice abdominal breathing obediently: When lying down, place your hands on both sides of your waist. When you inhale, your belly expands to both sides and you feel your hands being pushed away. When you exhale, draw your belly toward the spine without raising your upper body. Practice for 15 minutes each time, 1-2 times a day. When the separation is reduced to about 1 and a half fingers, you can slowly add low-intensity core training such as plank support. Step by step, you will not step into the trap.

Actually, there is no quick trick. I have seen girls who have returned to their pre-pregnancy state the fastest. They have been doing fitness habits before pregnancy. Their core strength is already good, and it is almost the same after more than 2 months after giving birth. I have also seen girls who do not exercise at all, and they have recovered very well after practicing slowly for more than a year. There is really no need to worry. Just listen to those who say "return to girlhood in 7 days", they are all gimmicks to make money from you. If you really are not sure about your situation, spending tens of dollars to register at a public rehabilitation department for an evaluation is much more useful than buying an IQ tax worth thousands of dollars.