You may have heard these things from your mom, your best friend, or even a healthcare provider. But take it from me and some legit research, these are MYTHS!
Myth #1: If I leak, I’m weak!
Many believe that incontinence, whether it be stress or urge incontinence, is caused by a weak pelvic floor. While this may be the case for some, it is not the answer to all! This is the reason that kegels are not always the best thing to practice if you are experiencing leakage.
Myth #2: I should pee “just in case”
I know, I know. I can hear you saying, "but what if..." This is a habit we form from childhood. We were constantly told, “Just try and go” even when we may have not had the urge.
So why is this an issue?
Our bladder is actually a very complex system wired to our brain. When we consistently tell our bladder to empty when it is not full, we can accidentally train it to think its filling capacity is much lower than what the bladder can actually hold!
Normal bladder emptying is every 2-4 hours during the daytime and no more than one time during the night. There are some exceptions such as: pregnancy, right before bedtime, or before a longer road trip.
Myth #3: I was “Cleared” at six-weeks for exercise and sex!
I hear this every day.
"My doctor cleared me for exercise and said I am good to jump back into my exercise routine, but it just doesn't feel right." Although a lot of healing takes place within this timeframe, sox weeks really isn't a magic number. Muscles are still learning how to function in a changed environment, tissues are still healing from being stretch or possibly torn, and let's be honest you are running on 47 minutes of sleep some days.
PLEASE! Give yourself some grace and realize that your body needs proper rehabilitation. Just like any big injury, the muscles, joints, ligaments, organs, etc need special guidance to reach their full healing potential.
I actually love working with moms in the first six weeks to help optimize their healing and reduce the risk of any postpartum complications. This might include pelvic floor exercises, stretches, diaphragmatic breathing, and others.
Myth #4: Practice kegels when you pee
AHHHH! This seriously used to be recommended by many healthcare providers as a mode of pelvic floor strengthening. YIKES.
As we talked about the bladder and brain connection above, let me remind you that your bladder is complex! Interrupting your pee stream can really confuse your system and lead to pelvic floor dysfunction. If you are practicing a Kegel, save it for another time!
I want to know; did you believe any of these myths? Comment below!
If you have any questions, send me an email at motherhoodwithmacy@gmail.com or book a free consultation online!
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