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From the featured blog, The Life of Blights

Some say “Kay-gl” others say “Key-gl” but no matter how you say it, just please know that you and Kegel= best friends foreva! (Or at least for the immediate and near future.)

I was doing pre-natal yoga during my pregnancy and my Yogi told us that we needed to be doing our Kegels like they were going out of style. (For those who may not know what Kegels are, just think about when you have to pee and you want to stop in the middle. Squeezing, those muscles, is what constitutes a Kegel exercise). I had heard of them but didn’t realize how important they were in the process of childbirth and thereafter. Immediately after giving birth to my baby I added the “Kegel” to my “What people should really tell you but kinda forget to about giving birth” list.

So listen up all you pregnant mamas, you should be doing the Kegel 100 times a day. “Why are they so important” you may ask? Kegels will strengthen the “pelvic floor”. Well I don’t know about you, but I didn’t even know my pelvis had a floor. But it does, I assure you. I discovered my pelvic floor a couple days after giving birth. I was standing in the kitchen, talking to my mom, when all of a sudden I realized that I was peeing in my pants right then and there! I was horrified. Thankfully I was wearing one of those ginormous pads they give you at the hospital (Tip: Stock up on those pads! Very useful). My mom gave me this sympathetic gaze and said something to the effect of “Oh yeah hunny that happens.” What happens? I pee on myself without even seeing it coming? I quickly realized that those Kegels I had heard about were, in fact, no laughing matter. The pelvic floor that I had finally discovered had now collapsed and was nowhere to be found (I must’ve left it at the hospital).

I faithfully did my Kegels from that day on and within a few days, my pelvic floor was back. Not to its old, strong and hardy self, but back nonetheless. And I sure was happy.

Until…four weeks later, I thought that I was finally off “that” continent, you know the one, the “In continent.” Ahem. My hubby and I decided to go on a brisk 3 mile walk at our favorite trail. I stopped to get a swig of water and hubby continued on, happily walking, pushing our Little One in the stroller. I decided that I had better catch up, so I broke into a slow jog. Oh my “In continent”!!!! I was an accident waiting to happen and guess what? I happened! Quickly I realized what was going on and slowed to a walk immediately so as not to do any more damage to my britches than I had already done.

The moral to this story: DO YOUR KEGELS! Write reminder notes if you have to. I did. I drew a picture of a bagel (kinda rhymes with Kegel) and left them everywhere! It may take some time to recover your pelvic floor but treat Kegels like your BFF. Spend lots of time with them. They will show you their gratitude as you’re jogging out to catch the mailman or sneezing or just plain ole belly laughing. It’s been seven months and I’m not sure if/when my pelvic floor will be 100% back but I remain hopeful that it will turn up somewhere…in the meantime, my new best friend: “Depends.”