What is the pelvic floor?
It consists of layers of muscles that stretch like a supportive hammock from your pubic bone to the end of your backbone.
Why is it important?
Your pelvic floor muscles are at risk of weakening during your pregnancy, due to the added weight bearing down on them from your baby bump. Plus, a vaginal birth can add additional trauma as the muscles stretch, and in some cases tear. This weakness can mean that you leak urine when you sneeze, cough or even laugh too hard – this is known as stress incontinence, and is a common problem for women in pregnancy and postnatally.
Exercising your pelvic floor in pregnancy and once you have had your baby will help strengthen your muscles and help you to reduce, or even avoid getting, stress incontinence.
How to get it right
Watch this really helpful video to understand how to get the exercises right! Learn:
- Why pelvic floor exercises are important
- How to do your pelvic floor exercises
- How to create a regular pelvic floor regime (for life)
- The difference between quick and slow pelvic floor exercises (and why you should do both)
Content Disclaimer
The information contained above is provided for information purposes only. The contents of this article are not intended to amount to advice, and you should not rely on any of the contents of this article. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this article. New Life Classes disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this article.
