During pregnancy, childbirth and after childbirth, you hear a lot about the perineum, sometimes without really knowing what that term really stands for. Zoom on the perineum.

The perineum is a muscle area surrounded by bony walls (pubis in the front, sacrum and tailbone behind) located in the small pelvis. This muscle base supports the organs of the small pelvis: the bladder, uterus and rectum. It closes the lower part of the pelvis.

The muscle layers of the perineum are attached to the pelvis by two ligaments: the larger one controls the sphincters of the urethra and the vagina and the smaller the anal sphincter.

The perineum is divided into 3 muscular planes: the perineum superficially, the middle perineum and the deep perineum. The perineum is strained during pregnancy and childbirth.

During pregnancy, the perineum supports the uterus, keeps the pelvis securely in place, and allows it to expand by gradually stretching.

The weight of the baby, the amniotic fluid, the placenta weigh on the perineum. In addition, hormonal impregnation facilitates muscle relaxation. At the end of pregnancy, the perineum is therefore already distended. And he will still be very busy during childbirth!

During childbirth, the perineum is stretched: as the fetus progresses through the vagina, muscle fibers are stretched to open the lower opening of the pelvis and the vulva.

The muscle trauma is all the greater if the baby was large, the expulsion was rapid. The episiotomy is an additional trauma.

The perineum has lost its tone. It can be stretched.

The relaxation of the perineum can result in involuntary loss of urine or gas, spontaneous or on exertion. The aim of the perineal rehabilitation sessions is to re-tone the perineum and allow it to resist abdominal pressure during exercise.

This muscle recovers its function more or less well after childbirth. 

During pregnancy and after, you can exercise several times a day to tone your perineum. Sitting, lying down or standing, inhale and inflate your belly. When you have taken all the air, block with full lungs and contract your perineum (pretend you are holding back very hard from having a bowel movement or urinating). Exhale fully, emptying all the air and keeping the perineum contacted until the end of the exhalation.

After childbirth, the perineal rehabilitation sessions aim to learn how to contract the perineum in order to strengthen it.