How Effective Is Kegels

M.,

Kegels are effective if you want to have good sex after your babyis born and if you don't want your bladder to fall out when you are older :-)

I highly reccomend them.

K.

It really depends on how stretched out your pelvic floor muscles are. If you gained a lot of weight in your pregnancy or had a traumatic birth, they may not be as effective as in someone who did not gain much weight (and didn't stretch out as much) or had a birth with no trauma (such as tears, episiotomy, etc.)

Personal experience, after my first daughter (I gained about 15 pounds with the pregnancy and had a vaginal delivery with no trauma) I was fine, but my second pregnancy I gained 80+ pounds with the twins and had a C-section. I had to go to a urologist and we did multiple therapies for 3 years and then decided surgery was the only thing that was going to work because I was so stretched out, that they could barely feel pressure on the monitors when I did the kegals. Tried weights, and biofeedback, nothing worked.

Hi, M., Kegals are actually very effective when done correctly and consistently...getting a ball to squeeze between your knees, lifting your bottom up off the bed with knees bent and feet on the bed, performing straight leg raises,and other similar exercises help to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles. Remeber, these muscles are small and fatique quickly, so only hold your Kegal's contractions about 3 counts. Work up from doing about 5 each twice daily to doing 20 each twice daily..hope this will help you...M. T

I am a firm believer in Kegel exercises. As a Passion Parties consultant, we receive training on Kegel exercises. A complete workout would consist of 4 different types of exercises.

1. Contract and Hold
Squeeze this muscle group and hold it for a count of ten. Then contract and hold for another count of ten. Continue doing this.
2. Flutter
Contract the muscle group as quickly as you can. These won’t be large squeezes, just rapid light ones. Stop, take a rest – and then do it again.
3. The Elevator
Imagine that there’s a little elevator in your pelvic region and that you want to raise it up floor-by-floor to the top floor. So, start at the ground floor and go up to the first floor, then up the second floor, and last, to the third floor. Then gradually allow the “elevator” to go back down stopping at each floor. Once you get to the ground floor, completely relax the muscles you’ve just exercised.
4. The Workout
For even better and quicker results, having something to squeeze will make Kegel exercises easier to do and feel more natural. Using weighted balls such as Ben Wa, Pleasure Pods or Pleasure Pearls, insert only one ball or side at first. Squeeze and release for two minutes. When you start to notice greater muscle strength, add the second ball or side.

If you are interested in seeing those products or ordering them, you can look at my site: www.littleshopoflove.com. If you order any products from my site, put "Mamasource" in the comments section of the order form and I will give you $10 off your purchase of $50 or more. It won't reflect that discount on that order form, but I run the orders and cards manually and will honor that before charging your card.

Keep in mind that just like you could eventually build your bicep muscle some by flexing your arm without a weight in it, when you put a weight in it, you see results much faster. The same is true for your PC muscle doing Kegels. Use a weighted helper like the Passion Pearls and do the exercises above and I think you will be pleased with the quicker results.

Happy squeezing!
C. Anderson
____@____.com
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Hi! I am the mother of a two year old daughter. I started to do Kegel excercises when I first found out I was pregnant. I didn't stress over how much or how many. I used the same techniques described by the Pleasure Party woman. It helps to start in the bathroom also, where you can begin to urinate and try to stop the flow over and over as you go. Then, just do them as you think about it...watching tv, at your desk at work, doing dishes...no one can tell that you are "working out"! I have had better sex with my husband after the vaginal birth of our daughter than I had before...they work! Good luck.

M. - I too would like to know how many do you need to do a day/sets, etc. I hope someone responds with your answer.

I was told to do at least 100 a day. Do them when you are working on something else, in the shower, working out, watching TV, etc. My muscles are tighter than they were before the pregnancy just by doing them whenever I thought about it. So, they do work, you just have to do enough of them. I started when I could after the baby was born. She was a normal delivery, but of course you are going to be sore and not want to do it right after. I waited about a few weeks to start. It was hard at first, but keep trying. Good luck!

M.,
I am a physical therapist and need to advise you on this from my professional experience. Kegals are a good exercise and effective if done correctly. DO NOT do them while urinating. That is a common misconception that is not recommended professionally. Just do them whenever it crosses your mind. If you are able to hold them 3-5 seconds that is good. When sitting in a chair, try to pull the muscles up off the seat. If you are having a hard time telling if the right muscles are contracting, then stand up and lean over on the kitchen counter on your elbows. If you turn your toes slightly in and then try to contract those muscles you may feel them better. It is good to add pilates and core strengthening exercises in for a great trunk/core stability workout. Lots of luck.

After 6 pregnancies...it really takes a toll on the bladder and my doctor recommended the exercises to help strengthen my muscles, the alternative would be surgery to tack the bladder, which doesnt last. The exercises helped alot for that and hubby noticed a big difference too.

Kegels work! My aunt saved herself bladder surgery doing these things and she was in her 70s at the time. Whenever you think about it do 10 or 20 especially when sitting in the bathroom you get the best effect there. Good luck

I do 10 when ever I think about it during the day. Very effective.

W. Q

Hi M.
I was listening to the new Doctor Channel on Sirius today and the Sex Therapist was talking about Kegels. He said that they "do absolutely no good unless they are done in conjuction with Bio-Feedback." Apparently, Dr Kegel has been misrepresented all these years. This is about all I can tell you but I remebered your post when I was listening and thought I would pass it along. I'm not really sure what Bio Feedback is but it apparently has something to do with the mapping of blood flow so I guess you would need to be hooked up to some type of monitor to do them correctly. Having said all this, I think if doing them makes you feel better and more sexy isn't that the point!

Kegels are effective but not nearly as effective as learning a mixture of pilates and yoga techniques and sticking to them..