Exercises in the puerperium: from when/until when | Recovery gymnastics exercises and duration

Exercises in the puerperium: from when/until when

Before starting the therapy it is important to know that due to the birth, the feeling for the pelvic floor is still very bad at the beginning, but it gets better day by day. 1st day- 2nd day after birth: 2nd -3rd day: 3rd -4th day: 4th -5th day:

• On the first day the pelvic floor is perceived. This may be a little more difficult, as the feeling has not yet completely returned due to anesthesia.

  The patient lies on her back, adjusts her legs and consciously breathes into the abdomen. The diaphragm moves downwards with the patient and during exhalation it moves upwards again. During breathing, the diaphragm is in direct contact with the pelvic floor, both move in the same direction.

• In order to better perceive the pelvic floor, patients tilt the pelvis backwards during exhalation, i.e. press their backs really flat on the floor.

  Then release the tension again with the next inhalation.Due to the long pregnancy and probably little exercise during this period, combining movement is a coordinative challenge at the beginning, but quickly becomes easier.

• In order to increase the pelvic floor tension, the patient should imagine that she is pulling a flower inwards. If the patient is able to perform all the steps well, the goal is to combine all the exercises to achieve the best possible pelvic floor tension and thus stimulate the regression.

• On the 2nd day of treatment, the exercises are repeated again and it is checked whether the patient can build up the tension well. To increase the level of the previous day’s exercises, the patient crosses her arms and leaves them at a 90° angle, as if they were placed on a table.

  During exhalation, in addition to the pelvic tilt and pelvic floor tension, pressure is built up in the arms as if you were pressing on the imaginary wall. This pressure build-up supports the activity of the abdominal muscles to a greater extent.

• After both exercises of the previous days have been repeated, an exercise in the lateral position is now started. The knees are slightly bent.

  The patient inhales deeply into the abdomen and during exhalation the pelvis is tilted and the pelvic floor is tensed.

• As an increase from the previous day, the fist of the upper arm is placed in front of the body. Breathing takes place as above and during exhalation pressure is also built up via the fist into the support. This increases the activity of the abdominal muscles.