Common Post Pregnancy Health Problems
a) Urinary Incontinence:
During pregnancy and labor the muscles and nerves controlling bladder are sometimes damaged. Pregnancy causes a pressure in the pelvic muscles this makes it week. This controls the bladder movements. This can lead urinary incontinence. This problem can cause occasional leakage of urine.
The pelvic muscles will need some time to recovery. Even after 6 weeks from delivery if the problem continue, proper treatment for urinary incontinence is required. In some woman, this problem is noted in their 40’s and the problem can be usually be traced back to pregnancy trauma.
Prevention methods are relatively easy. It is found that pelvic floor muscle exercises if done during pregnancy are off great effect to prevent bladder control problems It improve sexual function, and painful sex and vaginal dryness. This exercise is also called as Kegel exercise.
b) Pelvic organ prolapse:
Pelvic organ prolapse is a condition when pelvic organ like bladder drops below the proper position in the lower part of belly and this makes it to push against the walls of your vagina. This can happen when the muscles that hold your pelvic organs in place get weak or stretched from childbirth or surgery. This can be painful.
The muscle and tissue in the lower belly support the bladder and other pelvic organs, during pregnancy this gets week and is no longer able to support these organs perfectly.
Symptoms include:
• Feeling pressure against vagina.
• Feeling like something falling through vagina.
• Pain in lower back.
• Urinating incontinently.
• Pain in vagina during sex.
• Constipation.
Kegels exercise is found to be highly usefull. Pessary is a device used to help with pain and pressure caused by this condition and can be a good treatment option. Surgery that include hysterectomy, closing the vaginal opening and repairing the tissue supporting prolapsed organ can be an option but not a reliable one since it is been found that pelvic organ prolapse can reoccur after surgery. Doing kegel exercise will help strengthen the pelvic muscles and tissues and has been found to be effective more than surgery in many cases.
c) Painful sex In most of the new mothers after pregnancy:
Injury in the vagina caused due to child birth makes sexual intercourse painful. It is also known that the desire towards sex decreases after child birth either by C-section or vaginal delivery. Any damage to perineal area can cause pain during sex.
Doctors recommend no sex for atleast 6 weeks after delivery. This time will help in the closure of the cervix, stop bleeding and heal the tear caused due to child delivery. Vaginal dryness is another reason to make sexual intercourse uncomfortable. This is caused due to changes in hormonal level.
