Pregnancy can put a lot of pressure on your organs and lead to various issues including incontinence. This article explains how pelvic floor exercises can help and some of the best exercises that you can try.
Pregnancy triggers numerous changes throughout your body. Your body isn’t always prepared for these changes and it can cause adverse impacts. Many pregnant women do suffer from issues including changes to their appetite as well as incontinence and a lack of control over their bodily functions. As well as being embarrassing, a lot of these issues can make a pregnancy far more stressful. That’s why it’s important to explore pelvic floor exercises.
By completing these exercises the right way at various stages throughout the pregnancy it is possible to reduce the issues that you might experience. Pelvic floor exercises can take some time to get used to but once you get started you’ll immediately see the benefits. Here are some of the possibilities.
Long Hold
The first exercise you can try is a slow hold for ten seconds. You might want to try a visual cue for this exercise. For instance, you can think about imagining sucking up something like a blueberry with your vagina. When you contract your muscles, you should again hold this for ten seconds. When you feel fatigued and you’re not able to hold it any longer, you can release slowly.
Be aware that the position that you should complete this exercise in will differ depending on what stage you are at in your pregnancy. If you are in your first trimester, then you might want to sit on an exercise ball. In your second trimester, it can be useful to crouch on all fours. By your third trimester, your belly will be quite large so you could be most comfortable doing this lying down on your side.
Slow Squeeze
Another exercise that you can complete is the slow squeeze. This is going to help provide support for your organs as well as your baby. It’s worth noting that you won’t be able to hold this squeeze for long when you first get started. However, if you keep practicing you should see steady improvements. You just need to make sure that you are releasing slowly.
To do this, you need to slowly tighten the pelvic floor. The muscles need to be lifted upwards and inwards. You should try and hold this for about four seconds before releasing it. If you are struggling holding it for this long, you can hold it for less time and then build up to 4 seconds. Remember, you should always be trying to increase the length of your hold.
Quick Squeeze
It’s not uncommon for women who are pregnant to struggle to maintain control of their bladder. This is due to the fact that there is pressure pushing on your different vital organs. That’s why you might want to try an exercise that can help you maintain control.
To do this, you can try tightening and lifting your pelvic floor. You should attempt this in one quick contraction. After you have a pause, release slowly and then fully release your muscles at the end of the exercise. You should attempt to complete this exercise at the same speed each time. Don’t forget, it’s important to ensure that you are breathing normally when you are completing an exercise like this.
Should I Do Pelvic Floor Exercises When Pregnant?
It’s important to be aware that during your pregnancy, your pelvic floor muscles will become looser. This is due to the hormonal changes that will occur throughout your pregnancy. Due to this, when you are pregnant the baby pressing on your bladder can cause you to leak urine. These leaks could occur when you cough, exercise, sneeze, or laugh. It’s important to note that these problems can continue even after your pregnancy.
It can be an embarrassing issue and pelvic floor exercises are going to be the best way to prevent these problems. Using this method, you can strengthen the muscles and this will help you control any issues. It can also ensure that it’s easier to push your baby out during childbirth. Women who complete pelvic floor exercises often find that labor is easier and doesn’t cause as much pain or tension. There is also evidence that pelvic floor exercises will help you recover more rapidly from the changes that your body experiences during pregnancy. As such, it is recommended that you do complete these exercises throughout the course of your pregnancy.
