Pelvic Floor Therapy After Childbirth: Common Isn't the Same as Normal
If you've been told to "just do your Kegels," you're in good company. It's the most common advice given to women dealing with bladder leakage, postpartum discomfort, or pelvic pain. It's also incomplete — and for some women, it makes things worse. The problem with Kegels as a standalone prescription A well-known study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology looked at how accurately women performed a pelvic floor contraction after receiving brief verbal instruction. Fewer than half did it correctly. About a quarter were contracting in a way that could actually promote incontinence rather than improve it. The researchers' conclusion was direct: verbal or written instruction alone isn't adequate preparation for starting a pelvic floor exercise program. If you've tried Kegels for months without results, that's worth sitting with. The exercise may not have been the problem. The instruction was. Not every pelvic floor needs s...