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Active living: keeping active during and after pregnancy

Contents:What types of physical activity?
Getting started
Pelvic floor exercises
Being safe
After your baby is here
Action stations: ideas to try
Moving on: ideas, inspiration and information
Keeping active during pregnancy

Pelvic floor exercises

One particular activity that you can start immediately is pelvic floor exercises. There is good evidence that these can reduce the risk of future urinary incontinence.

The muscles supporting your pelvic organs — which include your uterus — need regular strengthening. As well as helping you to push your baby out during the birth, regular pelvic floor exercises help to:

  • avoid stress incontinence (release of urine when coughing, sneezing, laughing or running)
  • avoid prolapse of the uterus — when the uterus 'drops' a little way into the vagina.

Ask your midwife for referral to an obstetric physiotherapist for expert teaching of these exercises, or contact one yourself (details from http://www.womensphysio.com ).

You can do them sitting or standing. Here's what to do:

  1. Take a breath in, and as you breathe out, imagine that you are trying to stop yourself from passing wind. This will lift and tighten the muscles around your back passage.
  2. At the same time, lift and tighten your vaginal muscles, as if you were trying to stop yourself passing urine.
  3. Pull your muscles up tighter and higher.
  4. Hold for 5-10 seconds and then slowly release — you continue to breathe throughout.

Repeat this sequence several times, several times a day.



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