Pelvic Floor Exercises During Pregnancy

Basic pelvic floor exercises maintain muscle tone in the pelvis and promote recovery after pregnancy and delivery.

Pelvic floor exercises during pregnancy. Pelaez et al 2013. 8 great pelvic floor stretches to do during pregnancy. Pelvic floor stretches will also help you have an easier delivery and decrease your risk of urinary incontinence later on. Constipation another common problem during pregnancy also leads to a further loss of tone.

During pregnancy and after childbirth your pelvic floor muscles are lengthened and weakened. Kegel exercises are pelvic floor exercises. Exercise should make you feel good gently increase your fitness and be fun. If you strengthen your pelvic floor then you will be helping to prevent or reduce the severity of incontinence.

Pelvic floor exercises can also prevent prolapse which is where the pelvic organs drop down into the vagina hay smith and dumoulin 2006. Hay smith et al 2008. These pregnancy pelvic floor exercises and abdominal exercises designed by former fit pregnancy fitness editor teri hanson and based on the tupler technique will also teach you how to work the. To avoid becoming constipated drink lots of water exercise and remember to boost the fibre content of your diet.

This can cause incontinence. Continue doing your kegels all the way into your t hird trimester. Stretching and strengthening your pelvic floor muscles during pregnancy can help relieve your aches and pains and alleviate stress and tension too. Benefits of doing pelvic floor exercises.

Prolonged bouncing as this can overstretch the pelvic floor muscles. During your pregnancy your pelvic floor muscles will loosen due to hormonal changes in your body. A pelvic floor exercise programme will help to maintain your pelvic floor tone. Doing pelvic floor muscle exercises kegels from early pregnancy onwards can stop those accidental wees in late pregnancy and within six months of childbirth.

This loosening along with your growing baby pressing on your bladder may cause you to leak urine when you cough laugh sneeze or exercise. More tips for exercise during pregnancy.