Pelvic floor exercises

Pelvic floor exercises help strengthen the muscles of the pelvis, which are under additional strain during pregnancy and childbirth. Adopting these exercises regularly will reduce the likelihood of you experiencing pregnancy and postnatal related incontinence and help your body to recover after birth. It can also reduce the risk of urinary and faecal incontinence in the future, as well as reducing any symptoms of pelvic organ prolapse. You should start the exercises as soon as you are pregnant and continue them during your pregnancy and continue the exercises during the postnatal period.

How to do your pelvic floor exercises

Lay or sit down comfortably and begin by imagining you are trying to stop yourself from passing wind/urine by squeezing the muscles around the back passage continuing the contraction towards the vagina. Don’t do this whilst on the toilet, and don’t hold your urine as this can lead to problems with bladder function. You should work ths muscles in two ways:

• Hold the squeeze for a few seconds and then relax. Repeat this up to 10 times, gradually holding the squeeze for longer (up to 10 secs).
• Squeeze and release straight away. Repeat this 10 times.

If you are experiencing any problems with control of your urine, wind, bowel movements or having any symptoms of vaginal heaviness, you should discuss this with your midwife, and they may recommend a referral to a women’s health physiotherapist. Use the NHS recommended Squeezy app to support you to keep up with regular pelvic floor exercises through pregnancy and beyond.