Pelvic floor exercises

Before you start doing sit-ups, hitting the gym and all the rest, it's absolutely essential that you start doing pelvic floor exercises.
What is the pelvic floor?
It's a diamond-shaped group of muscles, ligaments and extremely solid membranes that form a floor which supports the vagina, bladder and rectum.

During childbirth the pelvic floor takes a battering: the tissues are stretched, or even torn, by the baby's passage. If you don't do anything, you could risk urinary incontinence or, worse still, prolapse (slipping down of the organs).
 

How can it be repaired?
All women who have delivered their babies vaginally should do pelvic floor exercises (also known as Kegel exercises). They're designed to restore tonicity to the pelvic floor muscles. Only when you've regained enough muscle tone can you resume exercise, so even if it's the last thing you feel like doing, start the exercises as soon as possible. Check out our guide to pelvic floor exercises.
 

A different method
Electrical stimulation: this technique involves placing an electronic probe in the vagina which delivers varying intensities of electric current, causing the pelvic floor muscles to contract. Don't panic: the currents are weak and painless!


For more information, take a look at our article on pelvic floor muscles.

Article Plan Restoring your pre-pregnancy shape ▼

Physical changes    Changes to your body after childbirth

Pelvic floor exercises    The importance of the pelvic floor muscles

Breastfeeding and weight loss    How breastfeeding can help you to lose weight

Post-breastfeeding diet    Losing weight after breastfeeding

Eating well post childbirth    Meal suggestions after childbirth

Restoring your pre-pregnancy body    Looking after your body post childbirth