Kegels

Kegels are, quite simply, exercises of the pelvic floor that help to strengthen it, not only for pregnancy and childbirth, but for life. The exercise is named after Arnold Kegel, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at UCLA, who first prescribed the exercise as an alternative to non-pregnant women with urinary incontinence.

To find out why pelvic floor muscles are important, you need to first know what they do! The pelvic floor muscles:

Support the pelvic organs and their contents (bladder, uterus & bowel)

Withstand all the increases in pressure that occur in the abdominal and pelvic cavity (caused by laughter, sneezing, coughing, straining, pushing a baby out, and of course, pregnancy)

To provide sphincter control of the perineal openings. (To prevent incontinence, and to assist with relaxing the pelvic floor during the birth of a baby).

Kegel exercises help prevent hemorrhoids, leakage of urine, episiotomy, tearing during birth, and uterine prolapse. A fringe benefit is that it can also intensify sexual responsiveness.

Ideally, girls should be taught at a young age to do Kegels, and the exercise should be continued throughout life. However, it’s always "better late than never"! Start now, and not only will your birth be more comfortable, but you will experience a much speedier recovery!

Tighten the pelvic floor muscles as if you were stopping the flow of urine. Hold for a few seconds and release. It’s as easy as that! Do this 5 times in a row, about 30 to 50 times each day. That may sound like a lot, but it’s the frequency of the contractions that tones the pelvic floor, not the length of the contraction. Also, as Elizabeth Noble points out in her book Essential Exercises for the Childbearing Year, "This way you don’t get bored, or risk muscle fatigue by prolonged holding or frequent repetition without resting." The real beauty of Kegels is that they can be done anywhere, and no one will notice! Make notes to yourself that say ‘Kegels’, so you don’t forget!

Note: I am not practicing midwifery at this time, as I feel that the Lord would have me to stay home and focus my attention on my family for this season. However, I believe that homebirth is the best option for most birthing women and their families, and it is in support of this cause that I have included this article on my website. I am glad to offer ideas, suggestions or information to couples who are planning a homebirth. Please email me if you have any questions.