Pelvic Floor Muscles Pregnancy

These muscles support the uterus bowel and bladder as well as enveloping the urethra rectum and vagina.

Pelvic floor muscles pregnancy.

The exercises will lower your chance of experiencing incontinence after having your baby. Pregnancy pelvic floor exercises are also commonly called kegel exercises. Pregnancy and pelvic floor exercises. Pregnancy and childbirth can cause the pelvic floor muscles to weaken and so can other factors like age obesity heavy lifting and chronic coughing.

When you re pregnant the payoffs for developing strong abdominal and pelvic floor muscles are plentiful. Basic pelvic floor exercises maintain muscle tone in the pelvis and promote recovery after pregnancy and delivery. Waiting in line at the shops. Find out more in exercise in pregnancy.

Practicing these exercises will help you feel connected to what happens inside your body as well as increase your strength and resistance to prevent problems related to this area. Weak pelvic floor muscles can cause. An easy way to describe a woman s pelvic floor muscles is as a supportive muscular sling. Why pelvic floor exercises are important.

Once you know how to do kegel exercises you can do them anytime and anywhere. During your pregnancy your pelvic floor muscles will loosen due to hormonal changes in your body. Doing pelvic floor muscle exercises kegels from early pregnancy onwards can stop those accidental wees in late pregnancy and within six months of childbirth. What are my pelvic floor muscles.

Your pelvic floor muscles may be compensating for joints and muscles that aren t working properly in your pelvis. Hay smith et al 2008. Pelvic floor exercises can also prevent prolapse which is where the pelvic organs drop down into the vagina hay smith and dumoulin 2006. Pelaez et al 2013.

Pregnancy pelvic floor exercises. Having tight or strong pelvic floor muscles is unlikely to affect your ability to have a vaginal birth bø et al 2013 but it may lead to pelvic girdle pain pelvic partnership 2017. They are exercises that you can do to make the muscles of your pelvic floor stronger. If you re pregnant or planning to get pregnant you can start doing pelvic floor exercises immediately.