Pregnancy Fitness

Kegel Exercises: The Kegel exercises are named after Dr. Arnold Kegel, the doctor who developed them. They are designed to restore or improve pelvic floor muscle tone and to increase control over those muscles. With exercise, you can achieve voluntary control of the pelvic floor, which will enable you to release the area consciously during birth. Relaxation of the pelvic floor will allow your baby an easier passage during expulsion and perhaps reduce the need for an episiotomy. During birth, the pelvic floor muscles are stretched, and Kegel exercises can help eliminate the problems that often result from this stretching – Prolapsed (sagging) uterus, prolapsed bladder, and urinary stress incontinence (uncontrolled leaking of urine caused by sudden movements such as sneezing and coughing). If done shortly after birth, contracting the muscles of the pelvic floor shortens the muscle fibers that were stretched during birth and thus aids their restoration. An added bonus of Kegel’s is increased sensitivity in the vagina during sexual intercourse. Thus the benefits of the Kegels are not limited to the period of birth, but extend into the immediate postpartum period and can continue throughout life.

Recognizing Pelvic Floor Muscles:
1. To exercise the pelvic floor muscles, your first step should be to locate the muscles. Do this by contracting the muscles around the urethra as if you were trying to hold back urine. Next, try urinating at a time when your bladder is not full, stopping and starting the flow of urine several times. Stopping the flow tightens the pelvic floor while releasing the flow relaxes it.
2. Another way to check for pelvic floor tension and relaxation is to tighten your vaginal muscles around your partner’s penis during sexual intercourse. Your partner can give you feedback on the effectiveness of this exercise./font>

Exercising: 1. Super Kegel: Once you recognize your pelvic floor muscles, you should discontinue practicing the exercise during urination. Instead, practice after urinating, contracting the pelvic floor by lifting and tightening the muscles and holding for a count of 20 seconds. Try to maintain the contraction. If you feel the muscles relaxing, tighten them again. Do 1 rep of this exercise ten times a day. This particular Kegel exercise has been labeled super Kegel by Penny Simkin, a well-known childbirth educator and author. It increases the awareness of and the strength of the pelvic floor muscles.
2. Elevator Exercise: Another Kegel exercise that will help prepare you for birth is the elevator exercise. This exercise is done by imagining the pelvic floor to be an elevator. Contract the muscles upward, from the first floor to the fifth floor, stopping at each floor and getting tighter as you go higher. Then, relax downward, releasing tension at each floor, from the fifth to the first. Continue to release the muscles completely, to a basement level, by giving them a slight push. This is the degree of relaxation you will need to achieve while pushing the baby down the birth canal. Always return to the second level to maintain a constant degree of tension in the pelvic floor. With continued practice, you should develop enough control to lift the elevator ten floors. Make sure that you do not hold your breath. This Kegel exercise helps you to achieve deeper muscle control in preparation for pushing. Practice this exercise, with your bladder empty, at least twice a day.

You should practice super Kegels for the rest of your life, not just while you are pregnant. Super Kegels will help you maintain optimum muscular condition of the pelvic floor.