Coughing and Kegeling

I'm finally out of quarantine - yeah - but still coughing - boo!


Apparently even after the main bug (Bordella Pertussis) has died the little neuron-toxins that it has released stay hooked in your trachea and continue to irritate for some weeks. I'm taking demulcent herbs and all things smooth and slippery to help unhook the little nasties.


Meanwhile the coughing has given me a great opportunity to check how effective my Kegeling efforts have been since last winter.


I am one of the 1 in 3 women who experience urinary stress incontinence post child birth.
Urinary what?

Urinary stress incontinence
incontinence = not being able to contain or hold on to
urinary = pee
stress = well you know what stress is .. not the psychological kind but the physical kind e.g. pressure

Coughing does a great job of putting stress on the bladder.
And for us one in three that results, as often as not, in an annoying and potentially embarrassing 'loss'.


Which is where the Kegels come into it.
In the 1940's, gynecologist Arnold Kegel discovered that stronger pelvic floor muscles (PC or Pubococcygeus muscle) meant better bladder control for women.


He recommended exercising these muscles, hence contractions of the PC muscle are often called Kegels. One of the great side effects that women who did these exercises regularly discovered was an increase in pleasure during intercourse and for some their first orgasm.



Bonus!



I've been kegeling on and off for eight years since my son was born and it certainly takes more stress than it used to for me to lose control of my bladder. This latest bout of coughing has been fairly pee-free although I have had to resort to wearing my lovely planet friendly cloth pads on a few occasions.


Mmm. I can also report that my sexual pleasure has been steadily on the up although I haven't particularly thought until now to attribute that to my Kegeling efforts.


Recently I discovered a whole new take on Kegels ... but I'm afraid that is going to have to wait until another blog/day.


For more info see (among other places) http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/treatmentsuiwomen/

Also my new song Do The Kegel