Do kegals help? What else

[theprincessthepea]

I try to do my kegals a few times a day when I remember. Due to pelvic pain I’ve not been that active during this pregnancy and a part of me wonders how this will affect childbirth and recovery.

Do kegals really help with labour and reducing the likelihood of tearing? I’m also thinking of opting in for a waterbirth as I heard that eases labour and the likelihood of tearing (it might have been on MN so I don’t know if it’s true). Is there anything else I can try to get my body ready? I’m 25 weeks.

Every woman should be doing PFE daily, pregnant or not!
Download the NHS squeezy app, it will remind you to do them 4 x a day.

Starting them after you start suffering from bladder leaking/prolapse is like shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted!

You need to make sure you are doing them correctly too, not just squeezing vaginally, you need to squeeze your anus too as if stopping a fart escaping.

Google gusset grippers. She’s a PF physio who has lots of information on PFE.

Yes, kegels help in recovery, but not labour. For labour you need to learn to relax your pelvic floor.

There's plenty of exercises for both online.

Depending on your current level of fitness I would highly recommend weight training; with machines is the best way to really isolate the muscles and make sure you aren't putting strain where you shouldn't while pregnant. Obviously don't attempt this without coaching from an experienced fitness professional/personal trainer. Being strong is the best thing you can do for your body in all life circumstances and it's very hard for women to bulk up so don't be worried about that. Otherwise any kind of low impact exercise: swimming, walking, yoga, plates etc. Make sure to listen to your body, nothing should cause pain. Soreness is normal.

Yes to PFE and general core strength.

Also yes to perineal massage from 34 weeks.

I believe waterbirth does help reduce tearing/ need for episiotomy, but if you're not allowed, the midwife can hold a warm compress to your bits to give the same effect. I had an episiotomy with my first but no issues with my second and I do think this was due to the vigilance of the midwife.

The fitter you are, the easier labour will be. What exercise are you able to do, if any? I used to think swimming and yoga were the best things to go for, but I'm loving cycling in this pregnancy as well.

@Thankyouthankyoujellybean I currently do stretches only. There is a local Pilates class that I will join.

I tried jogging when I reached the second trimester but my body ached from the pelvic girdle pain and I’m waiting for physio so stopped. I can walk about 20 minutes at a time and that seems to be the only exercise I’m getting in.

@TwentyThreeFifteen thanks for that! I will download the app and will need to remember to squeeze the back aswell!

I tried to do them as and when I remembered, I was also hoping for a waterbirth or a wet compress against the perineum but I was induced on the drip and they didn't believe I was ready to push when I did so I'd already started pushing and her head out before the midwife came back so no time for a compress and I was pretty much on my back as well I asked if I could move but was told it's too late, having said that I had no tears only internal grazes which were stitched but very easy recovery but I think I was just lucky. I did a lot of swimming and walking, maybe there's lots of factors involved

Definitely pregnancy yoga. Lots of walking too. I’d also read Ina May’s guide to Childbirth. I found it so positive, it gave me the sense that my body was made to give birth, and along with hypno-birthing, really increased my confidence around giving birth.

@Bunny2006 I’m happy to hear the labour went well. sometimes it is hard to plan

@HappyDaze23 I will have a read of the book.

I think the confidence part is important. I tore after my first but the labour was so quick and on my back. I was much younger, recovered alright but I think some of that is playing on my mind. So finding a few books and mentally knowing more options should help.

I got a pelvic floor exerciser after three vaginal births. It fixed stress incontinence for me.
I got this one.... https://tenscare.co.uk/products/itouch-sure-pelvic-floor-exerciser

I got a poster have a random nasty rant at me when I posted about doing this previously but my grandmother, mother and my sisters have always done the start stop start when having a wee and we all have/had excellent bladder control and no issues with pelvic floor.

@theprincessthepea Sorry, meant to reply before and forgot. I found pilates really tough in pregnancy, but yoga was fine. If you have the same experience don't lose hope, you'll find something!

@ChateauDuMont I'm just being nosy, but what was their issue?! Risk of UTI or something?