The best possible way of teaching post natal exercise is the demonstration/return demonstration method. However, the mother may only passively return the demonstration since they are just recovering from the stress of labour.
Processes of Teaching Post Natal Exercise
Objectives:
At the end of the health education, the participant will be able to:
- Define post natal exercise.
- List at least two post natal exercise.
- Enumerate at least two importance of post natal exercise.
- Describe/demonstrate post natal exercise.
- Identify the advantages of demonstration method over other methods.
- List at least two other methods of teaching.
Content of Health Education is as follow:
- Definition of post natal exercise.
- Some examples of post natal exercise.
- Importance of post natal exercise.
- Demonstration of post natal exercise.
- Advantages of demonstration/return demonstration over other methods.
- Some methods of teaching other than demonstration method.
Read Also: How To Detect Postpartum Haemorrhage After Delivery
Teach them the following:
Post natal exercises are exercises which mothers are encouraged to perform immediately after delivery to aid involution of uterus and other parts of the body.
Examples of post natal exercises are;
- Deep breathing exercise.
- Foot and leg exercise.
- Pelvic tilting or rocking
Importance of post natal Exercises:
- Prevent prolapse of the pelvic organ e.g uterus and bladder.
- Help mother regain her figure.
- Help the mother to recover gradually from the tiredness of pregnancy and labour.
Demonstration of Post Natal Exercise:
Pelvic tilting or rocking;
- This is done by half lying position, well supported with pillow, knees bent and feet flat.
- Place one hand under the small back and the outer of the abdomen.
- Tighten the abdominals and buttocks.
- Press the small of the back down onto the underneath hand.
- Breathe normally and hold for up to ten seconds then relax.
- Repeat up to ten times.
- Pelvic tilting can also be performed sitting, standing or kneeling.
- Encourage one of them to perform it after you have demonstrated it, and others watch.
The advantages of demonstration/return demonstration over other methods:
- It makes learning easy as people learn better when they participate.
- There is long lasting impact of what they have learnt.
Other teaching methods include:
- Lecture methods.
- Group discussion
- Role play.
- Play lets
- Use of audio-visual aid.
Evaluation
This helps to assess their level of understanding of health education;
- Ask if anyone has question and answer them appropriately.
- Ask one of them to demonstrate what you have taught and demonstrated.
- Ask one of them to define post natal exercise.
- Ask them to state the importance of post natal exercise.
- Ask them to list other two methods of teaching.
- Ask them to state the advantages of demonstration/return demonstration over other methods.
- Thank them for listening.
Health Education of a Patient on Post Natal Exercise
- greet mother and introduce self.
- tell her that you are going to health educate her on postnatal exercise.
- Ensure she is comfortable lying or sitting.
- asses her level of knowledge on post natal exercise.
- introduce the topic by mentioning the following;
Post natal exercises are activities or exercises encouraged to be done by the mother after delivery to help muscles of reproductive organs that took part during pregnancy to recoil and regain their tone.
- Mention the different types of post natal exercise such as;
-
- Deep breathing exercise; involves taking a deep breath and holding it for some time before breathing out.
- Foot and leg exercise; sit or half-lie with legs supported. Bend and stretch the ankles at least 12 times. Circle both feet at ankle at least twenty times in each direction. Brace both knees, hold for a count of four then relax. Repeat twelve times.
- Pelvic floor exercises.
- Pelvic floor tilting or rocking.
- Tell her the advantages as follow;
-
- Improve and strengthen the tone of pelvic floor muscles.
- Firm abdominal muscle.
- Improve circulation of blood throughout the whole body.
- Help effectively in lochia drainage and involution of the uterus.
- Prevent the development of thrombosis that can block major vessels and lead to death.
- Help the post natal mother to recover gradually from the tiredness of pregnancy.
- Help mother regain her figure.
- Prevent the prolapse of pelvic organs e.g uterus and bladder.
- Summarize what you have taught by recounting the advantages of post natal exercise and clearing doubts where necessary.
- Allow her ask questions and answer them properly.
- ask her to explain any of the exercises and to mention two benefits of post natal exercise.
- Thank her for listening attentively.
What are The Four Principles of Adult Teaching
1. It should fill an immediate need
the teacher should be directed to solve a problem or meet an important need of the learner.
2. It should be Participatory
when teaching and learning, involve the participation of the learners, it makes learning easier and to last long in their memory.
3. it should be from known to unknown
teaching should start from simple to complex. That is from the ones the learner is conversant with to the ones he doesn’t know, hence enhancing his learning ability.
4. environment
the environment where learning is taking place should be conducive for learning and teaching for teaching to be effective. There should not be noise or extreme cold.
5. Re-enforcement and repetition
if you repeat what you have taught, it would sink into their memory and enables them to remember what has taught.
6. Respect
When you see the learners as humans as you are, they will learn better but if reverse is the case they shy away from the teaching.
We hope this information was helpful. Feel free to ask your questions in the comment section below.