• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Pregnancy Logo 2018

Pregnancy Magazine

Pregnancy and infancy news, tips, and reviews

“Great
  • Pregnancy
  • Labor & Delivery
  • Baby
  • Breastfeeding
  • Buyer’s Guide
  • mom

What you really need to know about your post-baby body

by Pregnancy Contributor Leave a Comment

post-baby body

Ladies, I have figured out the real reason that French women are so darn confident.

Four years ago, I gave birth to my first child in France and became privy to a fascinating secret: pelvic floor and vaginal health are incredibly important to the French.

The reason I know that now is because I took part in a program that every woman who gives birth in France participates in called, “la rééducation périnéale”, which translates to, “perineal re-education.”

You’re probably thinking, how much education does my perineum really need? Well, if you don’t want to be leaking a little (or a lot) every time you sneeze or laugh a bit too hard, it’s time to look into getting your masters in mommy-essential exercises.

Here’s how it worked when I was in France: four weeks after giving birth, I was brought into my health care provider’s office and given a little device called a “sonde,” a small device that I inserted into my vagina. This device was connected to a monitor with a cord. My midwife flipped on the screen and then things got really interesting—I realized I was expected to play a video game using my pelvic floor muscles to control all the action.

Vagina videogames.

Nuts, right? But get this, as soon as the game started, it was on. I was hooked, and all I cared about was getting a really high score so I could brag to my husband when I got home that evening.

Why pelvic floor health is vital

It wasn’t until I returned to the United States and learned more about pelvic floor health that I realized that doing your Kegels—or exercising your pelvic floor muscles—is a vital fitness need that we all should be talking about.

Here’s why: the pelvic floor is a basket of muscles that sits in your pelvis, connects to your lower back and core muscles, and is responsible for supporting your bladder, uterus, small intestine, and rectum. Over 60 percent of women will have weakened pelvic floors, especially after pregnancy and childbirth (yes, even C-sections). Even though symptoms may not show up until years later, weakened pelvic floors can lead to serious issues such as stress incontinence, lower back issues, and pelvic organ prolapse (when those pelvic organs can fall out of the body due to lack of support).

The fact that so many women will struggle during their lifetimes with weakened pelvic floors—and that this issue is somehow seen as taboo—is just mind-boggling.

buy champix online buy champix online no prescription

With one in nine women expected to face surgery for pelvic floor dysfunction, training those vital muscles has never been more essential. And it’s an important way to get your post-baby body in shape.

So guess what? It’s time to do those Kegels. Peeing when you laugh, cough, or sneeze is not normal. Having your uterus fall out is not normal (in fact, that one’s downright scary). It’s just becoming accepted as normal instead of being addressed, spoken about, and dealt with properly. Ready to regain control of your pelvic floor post-baby?

How to train your pelvic floor muscles

Find the right muscles

First, let’s find those Kegel muscles. Sit in a chair with a slight curve to your lower back, and imagine stopping the flow of urine. If it’s a little tricky for you, try actually stopping your flow of urine the next time you visit the bathroom. Just don’t make a habit of doing this because you can cause dysfunction!

Breathe

Once you have identified the correct muscles, breathe in and relax everything. Let your vagina relax and open and let your belly hang out (don’t worry, no one’s looking).

Flex

As you breathe out, pull those Kegel muscles together like you did to stop peeing.

Focus 

Keeping that contraction, imagine pulling those muscles up towards the ribs.

Relax 

Now breathe in again, and relax everything. Remember, doing the full range of the exercise and making sure the muscles relax is just as important as squeezing them.

Need more help? Watch this step-by-step video.

Here’s a helpful tip: if you are already suffering from a little incontinence (most of us are!), try and think of activating those muscles right before coughing or sneezing. You’ll save yourself a trip to the underwear drawer.

As you practice this movement it will get easier and eventually become second nature. You will find yourself doing Kegels at every red light, as you chat with a friend, and even as you watch your favorite show while nursing your little loved one.

online pharmacy https://www.premiercosmeticsurgeryde.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/female-cialis.html no prescription pharmacy

And anyway, why should we let those French ladies have all the fun?

online pharmacy purchase cialis-super-active online generic

post-baby body

— Julia Rose is a mother of two rambunctious little boys and the Founder and CEO of VaGenie, a modern biofeedback Kegel trainer helping women exercise their inner strength. The VaGenie was inspired by her experience giving birth in France and launched in the fall of 2016. Please sign up on the website to learn more. 

Filed Under: Pregnancy

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe

Peaceful Discipline by Sarah Moore

More to See

parent coaching

Parent Coaching: 3 Ways to Create a More Joyful Home

By Sarah Moore

The perfect workout for pregnant women (sponsored)

By Isa Herrera, MSPT CSCS

3 unique ways to care for your health as a mom

By Sammi DeRosia

What to Do When You’re Expecting And Still Need to Support Your Family

By Sammi DeRosia

Footer

Copyright 2025 Pregnancy Magazine Group

Emails powered by Wishpond: PregnancyWishpond

Dedicated WordPress hosting: PregnancyFlywheel

WordPress Theme: PregnancyTheme

This website provides information of a general nature and is designed for educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for an examination by your healthcare provider. If you have any concerns about your own health or the health of your child, you should always consult with a physician or other healthcare professional. Please review the Terms of Use before using this site. Your use of the site indicates your agreement to be bound by the Terms of Use.

 

Recent

  • 10 Postpartum Recovery Kits to Consider Before Baby Comes
  • 3 unique ways to care for your health as a mom
  • What to Do When You’re Expecting And Still Need to Support Your Family
  • Why Early Childhood Development Matters: A Guide for Expectant Parents
  • Everything you need to know about surrogate pregnancy

Search

© Copyright 2025 Pregnancy Magazine Group · All Rights Reserved

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are as essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
SAVE & ACCEPT