Do's and Don'ts

Exercise, But with Caution

Kegel exercises are exercises to improve the tone of your vaginal floor, and will be important during delivery. You can practice these exercises any time anywhere, optimally 100 times per day. By stopping the flow of urine mid-stream you will be squeezing these muscles that if toned, can prevent loss of urine when sneezing or coughing, and will help you when your baby puts pressure on your bladder. A strong pelvic floor is important during pregnancy.

The first step in doing Kegel exercises is to identify the proper muscles. One way to do this is to start and stop your urine stream. Another way is to tighten your rectal muscles as if to hold back gas or a bowel movement. While these do not directly surround your bladder, the rectal muscles will always work with them. It is important to isolate the right muscles and not use your stomach, buttock, or leg muscles.

Once the muscles are identified, Kegel exercises involve slowly and quickly tightening and relaxing them. For a slow Kegel, tighten your muscles for 3-10 seconds and then relax them for 3-10 seconds. For a quick Kegel, tighten and relax your muscles rapidly. Completing a set of 10 Kegels four times a day is very helpful in strengthening the pelvic floor muscles. Each week, the number of tightenings and relaxations increase, as does the length of time that tightenings are held. As you can see, Kegel exercises can be done anywhere at any time and no one else is even aware. But persistence is key.

Basic stretches can also be helpful during pregnancy. Pelvic tilts which stretch the back (picture an angry cat with its fur raised) or pulling your knees to your chest while crossing your ankles and lying on your back can help with back aches common during pregnancy. Shoulder rotations and head rolls can also help back and neck strain. Often there are pregnancy exercise classes available, so check with your local gym or fitness club.