Nearly half of the women in China will have different degrees and different forms of pelvic problems after childbirth, such as back pain, postpartum vaginal laxity, physiological urinary incontinence, uterine muscle prolapse, etc.
If the damage to the pelvic floor muscles is not restored in time, when a woman enters menopause, with the decline of the physiological function of the entire body, urinary incontinence and other phenomena will be more serious.
First, the important role of pelvic floor muscles in women
Pelvic floor muscles, colloquially speaking, are the muscle groups at the bottom of a woman's pelvis. The pelvic floor of women is composed of muscles, ligaments, nerves and connective tissue, of which connective tissue is the most vulnerable to damage, and the process of pregnancy and childbirth in women will cause inevitable damage to the pelvic floor muscles.
The pelvic floor plate composed of connective tissues such as ligaments and fascia of the pelvic floor is like a "hammock", which tightly hangs organs such as the urethra, vagina, bladder, uterus and rectum, and has many functions such as controlling urination and defecation, supporting pelvic organs, maintaining vaginal tightening and improving sexual satisfaction.
Once the pelvic floor muscles and nerves are damaged, it will bring a series of troubles to women, such as vaginal relaxation, poor couple life, abdominal distension and constipation, frequent urination, leakage of urine, etc., which seriously affects the quality of life of women.
Pregnancy damage to the pelvic floor muscle is certain, but many women are easy to ignore the examination of the pelvic floor muscle when examining the body after childbirth, there will be no medical conditions and discomfort at that time, but the impact later is very large, and the pelvic floor muscle treatment time is relatively long, when the problem is even more difficult to solve.
Second, the harm of pelvic floor muscle injury is great
In women with pelvic floor muscle injury, common symptoms are vaginal laxity, sexual dissatisfaction, stress urinary incontinence (involuntary leakage of urine when abdominal pressure increases such as sneezing, coughing, laughing, or lifting weights), recurrent vaginitis, and urinary tract infections.
If pelvic floor muscle injury is not treated in time, there may be problems such as pelvic organ prolapse, vaginal bulging, rectal bulging, bladder bulge, urinary incontinence, etc. in the future, and with age, physical function declines, these problems will become more and more serious and require surgical treatment.
Third, the incidence of postpartum urinary incontinence is 15-40%
More than 20% of mothers in the 2 months postpartum period will have postpartum pain problems; the decline in pelvic floor muscle strength is most pronounced in the 6th to 8th weeks after childbirth;
The incidence of postpartum urinary incontinence is about 15% to 40%, and the incidence of postpartum urinary incontinence is higher in women who have urinary incontinence in the early stages of pregnancy or before pregnancy, while the incidence of postpartum fecal incontinence is 1% to 5%. Postpartum mothers should pay attention to the prevention and treatment of pelvic floor dysfunction.
Fourth, it is recommended to check the pelvic floor muscle function after childbirth
It is recommended that postpartum mothers do a pelvic floor muscle function examination to understand their pelvic floor function in order to carry out corresponding rehabilitation training.
Doctors usually ask questions to see if the woman has sneezed or coughed involuntarily. Then, through ordinary gynecological examination, observe whether the woman has vaginal bulging, cervical prolapse, etc., and then conduct pelvic floor muscle strength assessment if necessary.
The pelvic floor muscle strength assessment should normally be between 3 and 5 grades. However, most new postpartum mothers have pelvic floor muscle strength of only 0-2 levels and need to do corresponding rehabilitation training.
Fifth, which can cause pelvic floor muscle damage
Pregnancy and childbirth can cause pelvic floor muscle damage
First of all, during pregnancy, abdominal pressure and the gravity of pelvic organs, from pointing to the sacrum before pregnancy to pointing to the pelvic floor muscles, coupled with the increasing weight of the uterus, make the pelvic floor muscles of pregnant women continue to be compressed, the fibers of the pelvic floor muscles are deformed, and the muscle tone is reduced.
Second, vaginal delivery is the leading cause of pelvic floor muscle damage in women. Generally, the diameter of the fetal head is about 9-10 cm, while the normal vagina diameter is only about 2.5 cm, and the vagina is squeezed and expanded by the fetal head, which will lead to pelvic floor muscle damage, perineal nerve damage and so on. The effects of twins, macrosomia, and high number of births on the pelvic floor increase.
Long-term constipation, obesity, menopause, etc. also have an impact
In addition to pregnancy, childbirth and other reasons, women in the process of long-term constipation, cough, lifting heavy objects, obesity, large exercise, etc., will damage the pelvic floor muscles to a certain extent.
In addition, after menopause, the pelvic floor problem in women will be more serious due to the rapid changes in hormone levels in the body. The incidence of pelvic floor dysfunction in adult women is more than 30%-50%, which is directly proportional to age, number of deliveries, weight, and long-term constipation.
It is a misconception that caesarean section can avoid pelvic floor muscle injury
Surveys have shown that 1/3 of women will experience pelvic floor relaxation, and when laughing, coughing, sneezing, and running, they encounter the embarrassment of "leaking urine". Many new mothers have a misunderstanding that only a smooth delivery will cause the birth canal to relax, and only then will pelvic floor rehabilitation be needed. In fact, the entire pregnancy period relies on the pelvic floor muscles to support the growing fetus, as well as the pressure of the abdominal cavity and pelvic organs.
The pelvic floor muscles gradually relax under constant pressure, a phenomenon that exists before childbirth. Therefore, whether it is a vaginal birth or a caesarean section, it is inevitable to cause some damage to the pelvic floor function of women.
It is recommended that all postpartum mothers have a pelvic floor muscle function check for targeted rehabilitation.
How to measure the pelvic floor muscles is loose?
1. Urgency, urinary frequency, symptoms of dysuria, delayed urination, incomplete urination;
2. Coughing, sneezing, laughing, lifting weights, exercising, involuntarily leaking urine (urinary incontinence);
3. Postpartum vaginal laxity, consistency life is not satisfied;
4. Difficulty in sexual intercourse, pain in sexual intercourse;
5. Pelvic pressure or swelling sensation, lumbosacral compression or pain;
6. There is a swelling coming out of the vaginal opening or vagina.
If you have any of the above symptoms, the pelvic floor muscles have been loosened or have begun to atrophy, but no matter which of the above you hit, you can use the "Pelvic Floor Engineering" project to exercise the pelvic floor muscles, so that they can recover their elasticity and be healthy as ever!
Postpartum pelvic resumption of exercise
1. Intense exercise
Position: The woman is lying on her back, with her hands flat on either side of her body, her legs bent and her waist pressed against the bed.
Method: Do 3 movements at the same time when exercising, that is, inhale with the mouth, tighten the abdomen, tighten the hip muscles, hold it for 2 seconds and then relax, and then exhale with the nose. Repeat 10 times.
The earlier the pelvic floor muscle training begins, the better, and if the physical condition allows, the naturally born woman can start exercising on the 3rd day.
2. Compression motion
Posture: The woman takes a sitting or lying position, and the practitioner guides the woman to push the pelvic floor muscles from the back up to the front of the body, keep the muscles contracted for 5 seconds, and then return to the original state, repeating 6 times.
Method: When contracting the pelvic muscles, do not hold your breath, but pay attention to the strength of the contracted muscles, not just the number of times.
3. lifting exercise
Posture: The mother takes the supine position, the feet are straight, the toes are together, and the practitioner guides the mother to follow the following steps: first do the flexion and extension of the toe, and then take the ankle as the axis, respectively, inward, outward movement of the feet, and then do lifting exercises, so that the belly is alternately tightened and relaxed.
Method: When contracting the pelvic muscles, do not hold your breath, pay attention to the strength of the contracted muscles, not just the number of times.
⊙ Copyright Notice: The article originates from the Internet, if there is infringement, please contact us to delete.