There are many things for pregnant women to think about and many decisions to make. Thinking about your baby can be so overwhelming that it's easy for you to forget to take care of yourself. However, it's very important that you think of your own health during this time as well. Try these pelvic floor exercises, and practice them as much as possible.
Identification
Pelvic floor exercises are commonly referred to as Kegel exercises. Pelvic floor muscles support your vagina, rectum and urethra, and Kegels are used to tone and strengthen these muscles. When you stop the flow of urine midstream, your pelvic floor muscles are the your feel flexing. This is helpful in identifying which muscles to tighten, but you should not try to work out these muscles by stopping urination, as this can cause your bladder not to empty completely and lead to urinary tract infections. Kegels are performed by simply concentrating on tightening the right muscles and keeping the muscles squeezed for a set amount of time, usually a few seconds.
Significance
These exercises are important for many reasons. In serious cases of lax pelvic floor muscles, the pelvic organs can descend and bulge into the vaginal area. This is called pelvic organ prolapse, and the symptoms can be anything from mild pressure in the pelvis to urinary or bowel incontinence, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Benefits
The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists reports that performing pelvic floor exercises after childbirth can help your perineum, which is the area between your vagina and rectum, heal more quickly. These exercises can also assist in tightening your vagina after it is stretched by the birth process. Practicing pelvic floor during pregnancy also helps you push during delivery, helps prevent urinary incontinence later on and can possibly improve your sex life and orgasms after birth.
Time Frame
The earlier during your pregnancy you begin practicing pelvic floor exercises, the more prepared you will be, although it is never to late to begin working on them. Begin doing Kegel exercises again as soon as you feel up to it after giving birth.
Considerations
To make sure you are tightening the right muscles, either stop your flow of urine or put your finger inside your vagina and squeeze. If you feel pressure on your finger, the right muscles are being tightened. Womenshealth.org recommends tightening these muscles for a count of three, then relaxing for three, and then repeating this process 10 to 15 times, a few times a day. Although Kegels can be performed sitting, lying down or standing, it's easiest to try doing them while lying down at first.
