Running with Kegels?

I went for a run today (my first in a LONG time) and I had to stop to pee in a bush because of all the drippety droppety leaking that was going on.  I didn’t even have a full bladder.  It’s hard enough staying in shape–now more Kegels too?!   #Isthereanappforthat?  #Outofshapevagina  #AndIdidn’twantac-section?

Just how fit is your vagina?

I’ve spent a lot of time on this blog writing about some of the not-so-fun things about sex after kids.  So I thought I’d switch it up for a bit and talk about why sex after kids can ROCK.  I mean, c’mon, you’ve been with your partner forever, and the upside of that is he/she knows every inch and crevasse of you like you’re their own Mount Everest and you benefit from the comfort, trust, and knowledge that comes with being lovers for a long time, having babies together, growing together.  One way of growing together in your sexual life is to encourage each other in keeping your goodies in tip-top shape.  If you’re picturing a penis lifting a miniature barbell you’re not the only one, but I digress…

Getting back to the title of this post.  At my three-month post-baby check up (see how sneaky and utterly unready for sex I was?  I pushed the six-week checkup to three months) my midwife deftly inserted her finger in my vagina, told me to <squeeze>, removed that finger, and said that on a scale of 1-10 of vaginal fitness,  I wasn’t even hitting a 5.  Now, I thought that the fact that I had only weeks before pushed an almost 9 pound baby out of there was enough reason to warrant a little less than optimal vaginal fitness.  But, I guess it wasn’t.  My fabulous midwife (she truly was) told me to practice my Kegels every time I brushed my teeth and to make my pelvic floor muscles a priority in getting back into pre-baby shape.

I am now at almost two years post-last-baby and while my body is nowhere near pre-baby shape, I can proudly say that my vagina is.  I have diligently squeezed my way to fitness while brushing my teeth, peeing, and any other time I can think of.  I think my midwife would be pleased.  There isn’t really a BMI scale for vaginal fitness that I can use at home to evaluate my own, so in lieu of my midwife’s finger (I wonder what she’d say if I asked for an appointment just so she could give me that evaluation), let’s just say that sexual pleasure has become a barometer for my own vaginal fitness.

I can’t think of any other way to put it better than this: the more I squeeze, the better it is.  And I’m not the only one who feels this way.  There are countless books and even equipment you can buy to help you get that vagina back in shape (I am aware that the pelvic floor is not technically the vagina, but writing ‘fit vagina’ is much more entertaining than ‘fit pelvic floor’).  I watched for free this fascinating documentary online called The Female Orgasm, where an Austrian doctor has invented a device called the Come that women use to strengthen their vaginas.  He was able to measure the increased strength after using the Come over time, and it seems that women with strong pelvic floors not only enjoy sex more, but can become multi-orgasmic (in case that word isn’t self explanatory, it means–can orgasm multiple times during sex).

So, this is my challenge to myself, to strengthen my pelvic floor.  It’s something I have control over/don’t need a partner for, it makes masturbation and sex more pleasurable, and comes with the added bonus that I can do it with my clothes on!  Will you take the challenge?

And added note: As a little girl I remember my grandma telling to stop mid-stream several times every time I peed.  I don’t remember getting much information as to why this was important to do, just that it was good for me.  Was this my darling grandma’s sly way of keeping me fit and toned down there for future benefit?  Hmmm………