The pelvic floor is a group of muscles attached to the pelvis. These muscles form a sling which supports all the pelvic organs including the bladder, uterus and bowels. Equally important are the muscle sphincters which surround the passages to the urethra (the tube to the bladder), vagina and anus. These muscles are always under pressure but the weight of a growing uterus during pregnancy causes extra strain. This strain can lead to bladder urgency and loss of control, hemorrhoids from increased blood congestion and poor vaginal tone. Exercising the pelvic floor muscles can prevent these problems and help to speed healing after childbirth.

The Basics
In any positions, try to draw up the pelvic floor, concentrating on the front portion of the pelvis. It is important to use both the short and long fibers of your pelvic floor muscles by alternating a quick hold and release pattern with holding the contractions for a count of 10 seconds. Build up the number of short and long contractions over the week until you are doing 50 short and 50 long a day. Build this exercise into your daily routine by doing pelvic floor exercises every time you brush your teeth or stop at a red light when you drive.

The Faucets Test
In order to test if you are exercising your pelvic floor muscles correctly, try to stop the flow of urine in mid-stream while you pass urine . If you can slow or stop the flow then you are doing the exercise correctly. If you cannot, talk to your doctor/nurse.

The Wave
This exercise can be done in any position but begin by sitting forward on a hand chair. Try to tighten all the sphincter muscles back to front-anal, vaginal, and urethral in succession. When all 3 are tightened, hold the position for 3 seconds then release the muscles in a wave- like motion from front to back- urethral, vaginal, and anal.
Do these exercise 10 times a day.

The Elevator
Again, this exercise can be done in any position. Imagine you are in elevator going from the first to the tenth floor of a building. Contract your pelvic muscles a little at a time, tightening then at each floor until you reach the tenth floor at the count of ten.

Descend and then gradually release your muscles, loosening them at each floor. By the time you reach the ground floor, and not before, you should be back to normal muscle tension. Try to release the muscles again until you are back up to the ground floor. Do these exercise 10 times a day.

For more information, please call Royale Hayat’s Women & Family Health Advisor at 25360587.