Kegel exercises while pregnant and after the birth of a baby, allow you to experience a harmonious pregnancy. Kegel exercise helps you exercise when you are pregnant. It strengthens the perineum which supports the bladder, uterus, small intestine and rectum. Kegel exercise helps the perineum to relax during childbirth and prevents incontinence. For your health, seek advice from your midwife or gynecologist. They alone are able to provide you with medical advice appropriate to the stage of your pregnancy and your situation.

Dr. Arnold Kegel, gynecologist, studied for the first time in 1, the muscles of the pelvic floor also called “Kegel muscles”. He invents the kegel exercise to promote relaxation of the perineum and avoid surgery.

Pregnant women often have incontinence problems around the time of childbirth, and after. They get worse with age. Kegel exercises avoid these problems, and allow you to learn to use your perineum in awareness for a harmonious childbirth, and a quick return to shape after childbirth.

The role of the perineum: the importance of strengthening it during pregnancy

There are other reasons to do Kegel exercises to strengthen your perineum and learn how to relax it. This is because they increase blood circulation in the vagina and rectum. For pregnant women, Kegel exercise speeds up healing from the episiotomy, and prevents hemorrhoids.

Pregnant women who perform Kegel exercises experience an easier childbirth. Strengthening the muscles of the perineum during pregnancy helps you to use them optimally (contraction / relaxation) during labor, and will prevent tearing.

How to locate your perineum correctly to practice Kegel exercises?

Before practicing Kegel exercises, it is important to locate the muscles of the pelvic floor called “the perineum”. To feel your perineum contract, imagine trying to stop urinating. It is the “stop pee”, to be done exceptionally, just to become aware of it. Indeed, stopping the urinary stream too often could weaken your pelvic muscles, with the risk of incontinence and urinary tract infection.

It is best to cross-legged to feel your perineum before doing Kegel exercises. Thus you will not contract the gluteal muscles which prevent a good contraction of the pelvic muscles.

Imagine that you have the urge to urinate and have a bowel movement, without squeezing your stomach. You will feel a sensation of closing the vagina, with the anus tightening, and a sensation of “lifting”. When you release, you feel that the closure is less important, with a feeling of “sinking”.

Important note: It is important not to do Kegel exercises too often in the first few weeks after birth, it could become painful. Each day, 3 sets of 10 repetitions are sufficient.

Important: Before you start, go to the bathroom and empty your bladder well. Doing the full bladder Kegel exercise can create pain and leakage of urine.

Tips for properly practicing the Kegel exercise

• Contract only the pelvic floor muscles;
• avoid contracting buttocks, stomach or thighs;
• breathe well during the exercise for more concentration and efficiency: do not block the breathing.

Tip: Place one hand on your stomach to make sure you don’t contract your abs.

Kegel exercise 1

Make yourself comfortable in a seated, chair or cross-legged position.

Contract your perineum for 5 seconds, then release it for 10 seconds. That’s enough. Do not contract for long to begin with, as this will prevent a strain.

Take a 10 second break then start again. Practice 10 times. 3-4 times a day would be ideal.

Notes:

• If 5 seconds is too much for you, contract 2 or 3 seconds.
• The contraction time of the perineum should correspond to half of the relaxation time.
• If you have back pain or stomach pain after exercising, the exercise is poorly done. You contracted back and abdominals instead of the perineum. In this case, start over with a cushion under your lower back if you are lying down, or press your back against a wall or a backrest if you are sitting.

This exercise is a variation of the first.

• Lie down on the back. Naturally release your back to the ground;
• the arms along the body;
• feet flat on the floor, legs bent;
• knees up tight together;
• The head remains on the ground.

This time contract your perineum for 10 seconds, then relax for 10 seconds.

For further:

• lie on your back
• knees bent, feet resting on the ground
• inhale deeply;
• breathe slowly while contracting your perineum;
• stay in apnea, breathing blocked by blocking the nose;
• lift the air in your belly to your chest by opening the ribs. Imagine trying to breathe in with a stuffy nose;
• your belly hollows out and your chest swells: allows the muscles of the perineum to contract more;

You will find this exercise explained in more detail in the book “Perineum let’s stop the massacre” * by Dr. Bernadette De Gasquet.

This exercise is excellent for release the tensions physical and nervous, and chase away stress.

Take the half-bridge pose:

• lying on her back, back relaxed to the ground;
• inhale then while breathing, slowly contract the perineum;
• contract the buttocks to tilt the pelvis, pubis upwards;
• and lift the buttocks always by blowing for 10 seconds;
• resting on the shoulder blades and feet;
• inhale then come back down slowly, unrolling the column well. Drop each vertebra one after the other on the ground;
• loosen up your muscles and relax.

To be practiced 10 times in a row.

With the proper pregnancy kegel exercise and safe cardiovascular exercises, you will have a healthy and relaxed pregnancy allowing baby to develop well.