Doing Kegel exercises during pregnancy can be very beneficial. It helps pregnant women develop the ability to control the vaginal muscles during labor and delivery, which may result in an easier labor. It also helps reduce common pregnancy problems like bladder leakage and hemorrhoids. Doing Kegel exercises after pregnancy may help women regain bladder control, heal faster and strengthen pelvic floor muscles. Some women also report an increase of pleasure during sexual intercourse as well.
Function
Kegel exercises are done by contracting the muscles of the pelvic floor, and are also sometimes referred to as pelvic floor exercises. Doing Kegel exercises helps to strengthen vaginal muscles and the muscles that support the bladder, bowels and uterus.
Process
Doing Kegels is simple, but finding the right muscles to exercise can be tricky at first. The easiest way to do this is for the woman to stop the flow of urine mid-way through urination or imagine that she is trying to keep from passing gas. The same muscles a pregnant woman uses to do these things are the same muscles she will work during Kegel exercises. Women should feel a "squeeze and lift" sensation when they tightens these muscles, explains the medical advisory board at BabyCenter.com
If doing this still doesn't convince a pregnant woman that she has found the right muscles, BabyCenter.com recommends that she insert a finger into her vagina and then try to tighten those muscles again. If she feels pressure around her finger, she has located the right muscles. If she does not, she should continue trying to tighten different muscles until she does. If this still does not help, she should not feel embarrassed asking her obstetrician or midwife for help or feedback.
Once she knows which muscles to tighten, she is ready to begin. She should purposefully contract these muscles for 10 seconds and then relax them. As she is contracting the muscles, she should breathe normally and try not to move her legs, buttocks or abdominal muscles. The American Pregnancy Association recommends 10 to 20 repetitions of exercise at least three times a day.
Considerations
Since Kegel activities are done without others being aware of it, it is easy to do these exercises anywhere. Many women do Kegel exercises while waiting at a stoplight while driving, in line at the grocery store, watching television or sitting at their desks at work. The more often the exercises are done, the stronger the muscles may get.
Misconceptions
Many pregnant women think they should notice a change immediately, but some of the benefits from Kegel exercises may take up to six to 12 weeks of daily exercise, warns the American Academy of Family Physicians. Just as it takes time to build muscles in the arms and legs, it takes time to build the muscles of the pelvic floor as well. Therefore, pregnant women wanting to make childbirth easier should plan to begin Kegel exercises early on in their pregnancy.
Warning
Although stopping the flow of urine may help pregnant women identify which muscles to tighten for Kegel exercises, they shouldn't make a habit of doing this. The Mayo Clinic warns that doing Kegel exercises while emptying the bladder or with a full bladder can backfire and actually weaken those muscles. It also may increase the likelihood of a urinary tract infection.
