Why are kegels important during pregnancy

Before you begin, you'll want to make sure you're engaging the right muscles. Just try not to hold your breath, and avoid clenching your thighs, stomach or butt muscles at the same time. Still having trouble? Quality is much more important than doing a bunch of Kegels incorrectly.

And remember, these are muscles like any other in your body. With time and consistent, mindful work, they can only get stronger. How long should you keep doing Kegels? If you want to keep your pelvic muscles in shape, many healthcare practitioners recommend making them a regular, lifelong habit.

A number of options send you daily reminders, track your exercise habits and even provide musical routines for your pelvic floor workouts. What to Expect follows strict reporting guidelines and uses only credible sources, such as peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions and highly respected health organizations.

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But once you get the hang of things, you can do them anytime, anywhere. To make these excises a part of your regular routine, it can be helpful to try to remember to do these while engaging in other regular habits throughout your day, like while brushing your teeth or washing your hands.

Consistency with Kegels leads to the best results! Reviewed by Dr. Mayo Clinic Staff. Retrieved July 18 Ovia Pregnancy Journey. What are the benefits? Other benefits include: Toned and strengthened pelvic floor muscles help reduce the risk of a prolapse Proper bladder and bowel movements, relief from constipation and minimal possibilities of hemorrhoids Lessens instances of urinary incontinence or leakage common during all trimesters of pregnancy when laughing, sneezing, coughing or carrying something heavy Helps support the increasing weight of the growing baby Proves beneficial in the ninth month as it relaxes the pelvic floor, shortening the second phase of labor as you are attempting to push the baby out, also minimizing the chances of requiring an episiotomy Kegel exercises are also recommended after pregnancy to promote perineal healing, regain bladder control, and strengthen pelvic floor muscles.

How to do Kegel Exercises There a few ways to locate your Kegel muscles. You can insert a finger into the vagina, and try to squeeze the muscles surrounding it. Or you can practice stopping the flow of urine when urinating. Once you have located your pelvic floor muscles, contract these muscles for seconds, then relax, repeating times. Make sure to empty your bladder before doing your Kegels!

While exercising your pelvic floor, avoid pulling your stomach in, pausing your breath, moving your legs, or squeezing your buttock and abdominal muscles. The only area you should be working is the pelvic muscle. Do not attempt it while urinating as it might make the muscles weak putting you at the risk of urinary infection. Now that my son Shay is 7 months old, I do my Kegels while nursing.

Find a way to incorporate your Kegels so that doing them is not an arduous task! Without getting into a whole anatomy lesson, the muscles that we focus on when practicing Kegels are part of the superficial layer of the pelvic floor, which resembles a figure eight.

The bulbospongious muscle is the front loop of the figure eight, which runs from the clitoris to the central tendon the perineum , and the anal sphincter is the back loop of the figure eight. Here is a link to a picture of the superficial pelvic floor muscles. Now that you are a little bit more familiar with the workings of your pelvic floor, Kegels will not be such a mystery. Happy Kegeling! Tags Birth Pregnancy Postpartum.

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