Exercising your pelvic floor
Your pelvic floor muscles form a funnel that supports your uterus, bowel, and bladder, and closes the entrances to your vagina, rectum, and urethra.
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The pelvic floor muscles lie in two main groups, making a figure of eight around your urethra, vagina, and anus. Muscle fibres come from back and front, high up on your lower back and pubic bones. The layers of muscle overlap so are thickest at the perineum.
When you're pregnant, the extra progesterone in your body softens and relaxes your muscles, and pressure from your enlarging uterus can stretch and weaken your pelvic floor. Half of all women who've had babies find they have a weakness in their pelvic floor. As a result they may feel uncomfortable or suffer so-called “stress” incontinence - leaking a little urine when laughing, coughing, or sneezing.
To counter this, physiotherapists have developed exercises you can do to keep your pelvic floor toned.
- Pull in and tense the muscles around your vagina and anus. Hold as long as you can without straining. Relax. Repeat 25 times or more each day.
Do this exercise during pregnancy and start again as soon as you can after your baby's born. Early exercise will tone up your vagina for sex, too. Try to make the exercise part of your daily routine.
Posted 30.06.2010
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