Month: July 2015

How to take care of your Kegels daily

Kegel muscles are functionally and medically important for everyone (men and women!), so if you’re wondering if you should take care of your Kegels, the answer is YES.

Kegel muscles are associated with incontinence, back pain, pelvic organ prolapse, hip pain, and even your sexual performance.

When I am treating a patient in the clinic, I make sure to talk about daily positions and movements that affect their condition before educating them on exercises. The reason is that the positions and movements we perform repetitively each day will affect our bodies more than spending 15-30 minutes a day exercising. It’s incredibly important to treat our bodies well by first integrating good posture and movements into our daily habits.

kegels, kegel muscles, pelvic floor muscles, physical therapy, postpartum, pregnancy, women's health

First, I will address sleeping position because it’s one of the most important positions our bodies assumes that determines which muscles are stiff and which ones are too flexible. A sleeping position is like holding a stretch for hours at a time. It might seem like Kegels wouldn’t be impacted by our sleeping position, but if our hips are internally rotated and/or adducted (knee rolled inward and past midline), the pelvic floor muscles are stretched out because they actually attach to the hip bone itself (by way of the fascia of the obturator internus). So when the hip moves “inward” it pulls on the pelvic floor muscles. This happens when we lay on our side without the top leg supported. If you are a side sleeper, I recommend putting one to two pillows between your knees and feet to support your top leg in neutral.

kegels, kegel exercises, sleeping position, women's health,  pelvic floor, pregnancy, postpartum

(I promise I don’t sleep on tile floors)

Second, I will address our sitting position. I don’t care who you are–you sit a lot. If you sit in bad positions like this

kegels, kegel exercises, pelvic floor, women's health, pregnancy, postpartum

or this

kegels, kegel exercises, pelvic floor, women's health, pregnancy, postpartum

or this

kegels, kegel exercises, pelvic floor, women's health, pregnancy, postpartum

..let me just go ahead and buy you some of these.

Okay, bad joke.

Again, if our legs assume an “inward” position, our Kegel muscles are pulled taut, therefore stretched. You know how little kids look when they have to pee? They pull their knees in. That’s because that pulls the muscles taut. Over time, that position stretches the muscles, making them harder to contract. It is best to sit in a neutral position. I encourage you to modify your desk set up to make sure you are treating your Kegels well when at work!

kegels, kegel muscles, pelvic floor muscles, physical therapy, postpartum, pregnancy

Lastly, our standing position can impact our Kegel muscles. Standing with your hip hiked and legs crossed puts your muscles in an asymmetrical position (ahem MOMS who let a kid sit on one hip all the time). Not only will it lead to back pain, hip and back muscle asymmetries, but can weaken the pelvic floor over time.

Another bad position for your pelvic floor muscles in standing your “tail” curled under too much. Yoga and pilates classes stress tucking your tail bone (which can be a good cue to get those abs and gluts to contract) BUT this places the pelvic floor directly under the torso nice and flat so that ALL the pressure from your internal organs rests on it, weakening it over time when it’s a habit. (yes, I know you don’t FEEL heavy pressure just standing there…but there is a such thing as gravity, folks)

So don’t stand like this

kegels, kegel muscles, sway back, postpartum, pregnancy, pelvic floor, physical therapy

or this

kegels, kegel muscles, pelvic floor muscles, physical therapy, postpartum, pregnancy

or this

kegels, kegel muscles, pelvic floor muscles, physical therapy, postpartum, pregnancy

or this

kegels, kegel muscles, pelvic floor muscles, physical therapy, postpartum, pregnancy

Stand in a neutral position like this:

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This may seem like nit-picky advice and may even seem unreasonable to do (especially ALL THE TIME), but try to start incorporating good posture and movements into your daily routine to take care of your body.

(Feel free to leave a comment below (you can leave one anonymously!) or send an email to kayleemayblog at gmail dot com with any questions. If I get enough questions throughout this series, I will post a Q&A post to conclude it)

***The content of http://www.kayleemay.com is for informational purposes only. The information presented is not to be taken as professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you are having pain, or seeking medical advice, talk to your health care provider. Do not delay in seeking treatment because of information you have read on http://www.kayleemay.com. Taking recommendations presented on http://www.kayleemay.com is solely at your own risk***

The lowdown on Kegel muscles

I first heard about Kegel muscles in college. My roommate with a deep southern accented read us an article about Kegel muscles out loud from a magazine. Due to her strong accent, we all thought she was saying “giggle” muscles. Based on what she was reading, that seemed like an appropriate name for those particular muscles. 😉

kegels, kegel muscles, pelvic floor, pregnancy, postpartum, women's health

Fast forward about four years to physical therapy school, and I ended up learning a lot more about Kegel muscles than what could be read in a magazine. For example, did you know…

Kegel muscles are the pelvic floor muscles, or the base/foundation of our torsos that support our uterus, rectum, small intestine, and bladder.

Kegel muscles are relaxed when we urinate or defecate and are contracted when we are not urinating or defecating.

Kegel muscles can be stressed if we are obese, pregnant, coughing, sneezing, or move in faulty patterns that overstretch the muscles.

Kegel muscles are associated with incontinence, or leaking urine or fecal matter.

Kegel muscles are muscles that EVERY PERSON has, men and women. (i.e. men can leak urine as well! They just don’t talk about it as much)

Kegel muscles can be strengthened to prevent problems with incontinence…or even help achieve orgasm.

Kegel muscles work with synergistically with abdominal muscles.

Since these small muscles hold up our organs, function as the base and foundation of our bodies, and are so closely associated with frustrating medical conditions like incontinence, I thought it would be a good idea to do a series on the Kegel muscles.

Stay tuned to learn if you need to strengthen your Kegel muscles and how to go about doing that!

(Feel free to leave a comment below (you can leave one anonymously if you want!) or send an email to kayleemayblog at gmail dot com with any questions. If I get enough questions throughout this series, I will post a Q&A post to conclude it)

***The content of http://www.kayleemay.com is for informational purposes only. The information presented is not to be taken as professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you are having pain, or seeking medical advice, talk to your health care provider. Do not delay in seeking treatment because of information you have read on http://www.kayleemay.com. Taking recommendations presented on http://www.kayleemay.com is solely at your own risk***

Friday Favorites | Miscellany

I am kind of loving these swim suits, but am a little worried of looking too momish. Thoughts?

Kindle tells me I am 68% of the way through this book, and I don’t hate it. May be my favorite summer read so far.

Baby rompers (like this one) are the cutest things to ever exist. I can’t get over the way Seton’s skinny legs and diaper bottom look in her rompers!

I’m a loyal Pinch of Yum fan and having been loving their sweet treats this summer! Still my favorite food blog!!

Current favorite lip color goes to this guy.

I can relate the most to this birth story which I wish I read BEFORE Seton’s birth so that the possibility of a failed epidural was known to me.

…and that’s all for this Friday! Happy inter netting!

Friday Favorites | Baby Gear

When Davey and I went to Babies ‘R Us to set up a baby registry, I was hormonal and overwhelmed. We left as soon as I saw the carseat department and realized I AM ALREADY A TERRIBLE MOM BECAUSE I NEVER RESEARCHED WHICH CARSEAT IS THE BEST, AND I AM ALSO CRAVING A TACO RIGHT NOW. I felt like it would never be possible to research the best stroller, the best car seat, the best crib…you get the point. Davey still laughs about it.

I ended up completing the full registry online while snacking on Taco Bell. I allowed myself to look at ONE PAGE of options. Babies ‘R Us has 4 pages of carseats with 24 seats to a page! WAAAAAY too many choices.

Here’s where I share with you our favorite baby gear we have used over the past year.

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The stroller || They see me strollin’…they hatin’… Davey came home with this stroller from clearance at Babies ‘R Us when I was about 6 months pregnant. It was about 75% off–awesome deal–but I was worried because everyone told me I would want to fit my carseat right to the stroller. I wasn’t able to find a good adapter for our Chicco car seat we had already gotten. But, guess what? It never mattered. We live in a walkable town, so we rarely drive somewhere to walk. We just head out our front door. I have never really been in a situation where I wanted to transfer her from the car seat straight to the stroller. All in all, I am so happy with the stroller. It runs well, walks well, and even hikes well on uneven ground.

The car seat || Our little peanut still fits in this car seat. We have never had any issues. The base snaps easily into the car seat buckles in both our cars (we each have a base so either one can pick her up from day care).

The crib || If you know Davey, you know he likes a good deal. We found the best deal by ordering our crib from Walmart.com. It included a mattress and free shipping right to our doorstep. I wanted something fairly light (some cribs are so bulky), simple, and easily converted to a toddler bed. I was worried about the mattress, but so far so good. Seton isn’t complaining. 😉

The Baby Carrier || One of my coworkers gave me a hand-me-down Moby wrap that has worked quite nicely. I also used the K’tan which I really liked until Seton was around 8 weeks old, and it got too small for her. It’s a fixed amount of fabric (The Moby has loose ends you tie), so as Seton grew and the fabric stayed the same size, it no longer worked. If we have another baby, I might try the Ergo because I have heard good things. I imagine I will use a carrier more with the second since I will need my hands free for Seton.

The Swing || I am a huge advocate of not putting your baby in a “container” all the time (exersaucers, swings, jumpers, etc) but I am also a HUGE advocate of Happiest Baby on the Block (best thing EVER we will swear by it to everyone we know) where I learned that the swinging motion is calming and natural for babies. I used a swing similar to this one from 0-3 months (the ‘4th trimester’) to soothe Seton. I only let her in there for short periods and never let her sleep in it all night. It was a sanity life saver.

The pack ‘n play || This is our exact pack ‘n play that we have LOVED. The first few weeks of life, Seton slept next to our bed in the “newborn napper,” then transitioned to the “bassinet” around week 5, then to the crib (above) by week 8. With each transition, I would worry that she wouldn’t sleep well. She did fine! It also packs up easily for travel. Every baby is different though; this is just what ended up working for us.

The swaddle || One reason she transitioned so well was because swaddling was a sleep cue for her the first 3 months. We used this swaddle and followed the guidelines from Happiest Baby on the Block….and she was the happiest little baby on the block. We stopped swaddling at 3 months.

The diapers || Have I mentioned my husband loves good deals? He has compared the prices of Costco, diapers.com, Walmart, Target…and the cheapest diapers are….drum roll, please…Babies R Us brand diapers. Shocking, I know. I would have never thought. It’s not really “baby gear”, but just thought I would share.

What’s your favorite baby gear? Anything I am missing or should know about?

The worst city to live in if you love Craigslist is….

Davey searches far and wide for the best deal when it comes to making a new purchase. It’s one of those things that drives me completely insane…but also something I completely love.

Much to his dismay, we moved to a city that is TERRIBLE at Craigslisting. Everyone in Minneapolis thinks their used goods are worth way more than…well…used goods.

We are in the market for some inexpensive porch furniture, and this is what we have to work with…

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I mean, come on! Your outdated, used patio furniture that your pet peed on is not a gift sent from God. Stop putting it on Craigslist to make a fortune just to end up giving it away to your neighbor’s college aged son because no one bought it.

Don’t even get me started on your couches and rocking chairs, Minneapolis.

Friday Favorites | Summer Styles

When it’s wintertime, summer styles seem sooooo faaaar awaaaaay. Sometimes in the winter, I just imagine what it would be like to wear sandals, and it seems like it will never be possible again. All the drama in Minnesota, guys.

I thought I would share some of my favorite summer styles!

Thank God wedges came back in style because they are dressy casual and relatively easy to walk in! How awesome are these?

For the past couple years, I glanced at rompers on the rack, but never dared to try one on because I felt like they would be a nightmare for those lacking length in the leg department. I also have a long torso, so I was anticipating a wedgie situation (high school gym class swim suits were terrible. It looked like I was trying, and failing, to be Pamela Anderson with the very high leg holes. But I just had a wedgie)

pamela-anderson

I tried one on (like this) and I LOVE IT. I bought it in a bigger size to compensate for the long torso situation, and I just pull the drawstring across the belly tighter. It’s perfect as a cover up, and I have even dressed it up with a cardigan and wedges! My, how versatile. I love functional fashion. I also love wearing clothes 1,435,602 times over again, so it’s nice when they can be worn to multiple events.

I rarely paint my nails because I get strange comments from elderly patients of mine, (“are you a rebel? do you practice witch craft?”) but if I did paint them, I would choose this color. Reminds me of the color of the ocean on our honeymoon!

One of the great things about summer is that I can leave the house with wet hair, and it won’t turn to icicles in 43 seconds. I use this hair gel in my soaking wet hair, comb it through, and let it air dry for soft summer waves.

What are your favorite summer trends and beauty secrets?