Most women don’t think about their pelvic floor until after they’ve had a baby and are having trouble with urine leaking. But waiting until after your baby is born isn’t the best time to start focusing on your pelvic floor health.
Here’s a complete guide to understanding pelvic health, potential symptoms, and the role of Kegel exercises in strengthening the pelvic floor during and after pregnancy.
What Is the Pelvic Floor?
Your pelvic floor is a group of muscles that stretches across the base of your abdomen, from your tailbone to your pubic bone. These muscles support your pelvic organs, which include your uterus, bladder, and bowel. The pelvic floor muscles also help stabilize your spine.
Your pelvic floor includes your sphincters, which are the muscles that surround your urethra and anus. These are the muscles you use to stop yourself from urinating, pooing, or passing gas when you don’t want to, such as when you exercise or sneeze. Your vaginal muscles are also an important part of your pelvic floor. These muscles are used during intercourse and giving birth vaginally.
How Pregnancy Affects Pelvic Health?
As the baby grows during pregnancy, it adds weight and extra pressure on the pelvic floor muscles. This can make it harder for the pelvic floor muscles to do their job. As a result, many women experience symptoms related to weak pelvic health during pregnancy and the postpartum phase.
Common ones include:
- Urinary incontinence (loss of bladder control, often leading to involuntary leakage of urine)
- Pelvic pain
- Low-back pain
- Pelvic organ prolapse (pelvic organs drop from their normal position after giving birth due to the weakening of the pelvic floor muscles)
- Pelvic Girdle Pain (pain occurring in the pelvic joints)
- Lumbopelvic pain (low back pain along with pelvic girdle pain)
What to Do if You Have Pelvic Floor Symptoms?
If you experience pelvic floor symptoms, it’s important to seek help. A pelvic floor therapist or physical therapist can provide the right treatment and guidance. These professionals are trained to help with pelvic health issues and can offer personalized advice.
In addition to professional help, regular pelvic floor exercises can also make a big difference. For example, Kegel exercises can strengthen the pelvic floor and improve motor control. Thus, healthy women who are active before pregnancy are advised to include high-low aerobic training along with pelvic floor exercises as a prenatal exercise regime.
Here’s how to do the Kegel exercise correctly.
Find the right muscles
To locate your pelvic floor muscles, try stopping your urine flow midstream. Once you’ve identified these muscles, you can perform the exercises in any position, though you may find it easiest to start while lying down.
Perfect your technique
To perform Kegels, lie down and imagine you are sitting on a marble and tighten your pelvic muscles as if you’re trying to lift it with your pelvis. Hold for 3 seconds at a time, then relax for 3 seconds. Repeat 2-3 times a day. Aim for at least 3 sets of 10-15 repetitions every day.
Maintain your focus
Focus on tightening only your pelvic floor muscles for better results. Avoid flexing your abdominal muscles, thighs, or buttocks. Avoid holding your breath. Instead, breathe freely during the exercises.
Note: Don’t make a habit of using Kegel to start and stop your urine stream. Performing Kegel exercises while urinating can lead to incomplete bladder emptying, which increases the risk of urinary tract infections.
Should You Do Pelvic Floor Exercises if You Are Not Pregnant Yet?
Yes – when it comes to strengthening your pelvic floor, it’s always a good idea to start early. Taking care of your pelvic floor is just as important in your 20s as it is in your 30s, 40s, or 50s.
So, it’s never too early to start exercising these muscles. Maintaining a strong pelvic floor may help you prevent issues in the future.
Conclusion
Taking care of pelvic health before, during, and after pregnancy is vital for a woman’s overall well-being. Seek advice from a pelvic floor therapist or physical therapist who can provide you with the support and knowledge you need.
Regular pelvic floor exercises can help strengthen these muscles and improve your symptoms. Don’t hesitate to ask for help when it comes to pelvic floor exercises. By focusing on your pelvic health now, you can enjoy a healthier, more comfortable pregnancy and a smoother postpartum recovery.
Interested in learning more about pregnancy and postpartum?
Enroll now in our Pregnancy and Postpartum Nutrition and Fitness workshop!
References
Lawson, S. and Sacks, A. (2018) ‘Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy and Women’s Health Promotion’, Journal of Midwifery and Women’s Health, 63(4), pp. 410–417. doi: 10.1111/jmwh.12736.
Benjamin, D. R. et al. (2019) ‘Relationship between diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscle (DRAM) and musculoskeletal dysfunctions, pain and quality of life: a systematic review’, Physiotherapy (United Kingdom), 105(1), pp. 24–34. doi: 10.1016/j.physio.2018.07.002.
MH, Davenport et al. (2019) ‘Exercise for the prevention and treatment of low back, pelvic girdle and lumbopelvic pain during pregnancy: a systematic review and meta-analysis’, British journal of sports medicine, 53(2), pp. 90–98. doi: 10.1136/BJSPORTS-2018-099400.
Shiri, R., Coggon, D. and Falah-Hassani, K. (2018) ‘Exercise for the prevention of low back and pelvic girdle pain in pregnancy: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials’, European Journal of Pain (United Kingdom), 22(1), pp. 19–27. doi: 10.1002/EJP.1096.
Szumilewicz, A. et al. (2019) ‘High-Low Impact Exercise Program Including Pelvic Floor Muscle Exercises Improves Pelvic Floor Muscle Function in Healthy Pregnant Women – A Randomized Control Trial’, Frontiers in Physiology, 0(JAN), p. 1867. doi: 10.3389/FPHYS.2018.01867.
