pelvic floors - when to start them and can they help prevent tearing?

[sallycinamon]

Hi everyone
Would be grateful for some info on this.

When should you start doing pelvic floor exercises?

Can they help prevent tearing?

Is it best to do them on a gym ball?

Thanks

As soon as possible.

I don't think so (though am willing to be corrected), but they will enable you to sneeze without wetting yourself.

I don't think it matters. Best to do them whenever and wherever you think of it, really.

Yes! Do them from as soon as you can, before and after birth, whenever you think of it. (I get loads done on the school runs )

I'm not aware that they'll help avoid tears but may help with controlling the birth, so possibly so?

OTOH perineal massage really can help prepare the area for birth!

Hi sally -was thinking about this last night and what I've picked up fromvarious sources is
pelvic floors don't make a deal of difference while you're pregnant.If you do them, make sure you don't forget to do the relax bit as well-you'll need it for delivery. Anecdotally, women with very good core strength and tough pelvic floors, like dancers and horse riders are more likely to have a non stretchy perineum and tear( just picked this up from debates on M/W sites)
I also read something which has served me well, saying that if you clench your facial muscles, then your pelvic floor tenses, so learn to relax your face as well, letting your jaw relax and your lips to be soft and not pulled tight- the memory aid for this is 'smiley smiley,floppy fanny' just don't chant it out loud or they'll think you've lost it!
you can test this out by clenching your teeth and feeling what is happening downstairs, then relax and feel the difference!
(I can see you !!!)

jamila, that's interesting! I rode horses for years and haven't torn or needed an episiotomy. 3 births and counting

I think what helped me most was what you said about loose lips above = the same below! In birth, this and visualisation/relaxation and positioning have all helped, I'm sure. Calm rather than cheerleading at the crucial moment.

TBH, I haven't gone for perineal massage myself but know several women who swear by it.

while we're discussing all things pelvic -how long are you meant to do your perinenal massage? Have read various things - some say daily for a few minutes (while you get effect of the stretch) -others say up to ten. Now I'm quite prepared to give it a go but not sure I want to spend 10 minutes a day with my hands up my fanjo ....any other viewS?

re op query on pelvic floor - think the relaxation bit is key part. Was told by my pilates instructor that issue on tearing for those with tough pelvic floors comes as they're not so so used to relaxing so jamila has a good point. Trouble is trying to relax pelvic floor late in pregnnacy can be a leaky business

Interesting.....I have a tight pelvic floor, had 3rd degree tear with DD and was asked by the midwife if I was a horse rider...so not sure that having a well toned pelvic floor does stop tears but does stop you weeing yourself when you sneeze!

I did perineum massage and that didn't prevent tearing either

ooh, this is all food for thought! Didn't know about the relaxed face, slack fanny thing! V. interesting.

I'm not sure whther I'll bother with any pelvic floors now and instead do them religiously after the birth. I think I've got quite a strong pelvic floor so from the posts it might be better to leave well alone!

I might try some perineal massage though.

I did pelvic floors while preg with dd on a gym ball and perineal massage (not on a gym ball though!!)but ended up with a emerg c-section so both were a waste of time. I was really good about doing them after though, and some other holding in tummy type exercises the physio showed me on the post natal ward. I reckon they helped flatten my tunmmy and strengthen my pelvic floor.

Yes, poppy, I was wondering when to start perineal massage and just how long to do it for.

I have never heard anybody say before not to bother doing pelvic floor exercises while pregnant! Quite the opposite. Leave well alone is not the approach to take - I have always been advised that you have to do them as much as possible. Don't know how far along you are but best to start early. You may feel great about your pelvic floor now, but in later pg it could be a different story. As for perineal massage I thought you mustn't start this before 36 or 37 weeks.

I neglected my pelvic floor for the first two trimesters last time. Bad idea! It was really scary trying to lift up the weight of the pregnancy and failing completely.
I would echo jamila - it's important when you do the exercises that you concentrate on the "release" phase, as well as the tighten, so that you can recreate that feeling during the delivery.