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Hi everyone, I'm wondering when I should start doing pelvic floor exercises. Are they safe to do during pregnancy? I have no idea how to do them!! :confused: How do you do them and make sure you are exercising the right place?! I've heard some stories of losing their continence because of this issue and just want to check I'm doign the right thing or I still have a chance to do the right thing. I'm 25 weeks. Thanks!
Hey Jan,
Ive read that they are definately safe and recommended to do throughout pregnancy and can help avoid tearing etc.
They are sometimes called Kegels (american I think!) and its basically tightening your muscles as if you are stopping a wee midstream! You use the same muscles and tighten for as long as you can and then slowly release. Different books say different things - mine suggests working up to 8-10 seconds and doing 2-3 sets of 20 during the day. Have to say i forget most of the time and do them once a day. You can do them anywhere really too - you dont have to lie down etc. Some people suggest you get into a habit like when you get in the car, while watching tv etc.
Hope this helps!
Yup, it's a good idea to start now and get into the habit - after the baby is born it'll be drummed into you to do them all the time! Like Tan said, you want to squeeze the muscles you would use to stop the flow of wee - though I was told not to do them while you are actually weeing because its possible to retain some urine and get an infection.
I find I can only do about 10 before I get tired, so I do sets of 5-10 whenever I think of it. Something that was suggested to me was to do them whenever you do something you'd do frequently, like whenever you open the fridge door...
Hi sweetpeajan
this is a couple of posts I made about this subject about 2 weeks ago
First get to know what it feels like and how to do it.
When you go to the toilet (for a wee) try to stop the urine mid stream, and hold it for a few seconds. Try to do this 2 or 3 times each time you go to the toilet. After you have mastered this the next step is to not only stop the flow of urine but to pull the urine out of the toilet and back into your bladder (not for real). You can imagine how hard your muscles would have to pull up to do this and that is what you should aim for.
When you know what it feels like and how to do it. You should do the same thing throughout the day. A good idea would be to use a prompt to encourage and remind you to exercise. For example, exercise every time you sit down and before you get up again. After a few weeks you will be exercising without even thinking about it.
And another way:-
Sit on a dining room type chair.
Spread your knees apart.
Lean forward so that you can feel your vulva touching the chair seat.
Now imagine that you have got diarrhoea and are not near a toilet.
Pull up your muscles in you bottom.
Hold your mules in that position.
Next try to lift your vulva of the chair seat by just using your pelvic floor muscles.
Hold that for 10 seconds.
Repeat this about 10 times.
You need to do this about 8 times a day.
Damn -i really have to remember to do mine more frequently. So lazy!!!!!
Many thanks for the tips Alan. I will definitely give this a go. This has been a very confusing topic for me! It seems weird to be exercising in that region especially while pregnant but I will give it a go.
If you do them now as often as you can you will be happy that you did in 20 or 30 years time
If you dont do them now then in another 20 or 30 years you will take a pee every time you cough/sneeze/laugh.