kegels/pelvic floor exercises to prepare for birth « Back to Group Discussions

[oikophile]

Questions for those of you with birth experience:

My partner and I are in a Bradley birth class, and I have "homework" of 200 Kegels a day! This will be my first birth, and although I'm excited about it and not really scared of birth in general, I am a little scared and freaked out by all the talk of vaginal stretching and  tearing (which, I know, I'll have to get over one way or another). 

Has anyone used one of those Kegel exercisers either during pregnancy or postpartum? Do you think they're more effective than Kegels without any kind of device? And if you did some kind of pelvic floor exercise during pregnancy, how do you feel it actually helped with your birth experience? I'm just wondering how regimented I really want to be with all of this.

Thanks!

[abouttobe5]

I'm an all-natural kinda gal.  I use my pee stream to help with kegels and leg me know if I'm doing them well enough.  If I can stop the flow for a few seconds, good for me.  :)  So, no, I've never purchased any device to help - I don't think it's necessary.  Ultimately, you will have some weakening of some of the musculature over time (especially if having more than one!).  I can't do double unders at the gym (skipping - have the rope go around your body twice but with one jump) without laughing at myself (along with the other moms there) without having a little leakage here and there.  I chalk it up as a rite of passage!

[Sheri R]

I tried so hard to do my kegels faithfully during my first pregnancy and I was horrible at it.  Never tried an actual exerciser though.  I don't know that it made much difference during birth....I tore, despite massaging the perineum for weeks prior etc. etc.  I think it might just be more genetics..

This time around my midwife had me try a kegel while doing an exam and I had a hard time focusing on just those muscles, I tighten my butt too etc. etc.  So she is having me do 10 (yes, only 10!!) cat/cow poses where in the cat pose you pull your navel toward your backbone without tightening your butt.  She said these can be just as effective as kegels.....  this just works way better for me:)

[katelove]

I've stopped doing them altogether after reading the articles about squats/cat-cow being better. Now I try to squat as often as possible and I really must start doing cat-cow as well, I've been a bit slack with that.

[CindyCindy]

I once spoke with a physical therapist who said the opposite side of that coin is to learn how to relax your pelvic floor and not just do the kegels.  She said a lot of women have difficulty relaxing in labor to open because all they have done is practice tightening.  I am not an expert, but it might be something to do some more research on.  I also agree with previous poster that doing squats is even better!!

[taurustheta]

I, too, read fairly recently that squats are much better than kegels (and that kegels can actually weaken the pelvic floor, or something like that). Wish I could remember where I read it-- I'll try to find the article. 

Edited: OK, this is what I read:

http://mamasweat.blogspot.com/2010/05/pelvic-floor-party-kegels-are-not.html

And a follow-up post (which I hadn't previously read):

http://mamasweat.blogspot.com/2010/05/pelvic-floor-encore.html

Edited by taurustheta - 5/25/12 at 12:46pm

[CindyCindy]

Originally Posted by taurustheta 

I, too, read fairly recently that squats are much better than kegels (and that kegels can actually weaken the pelvic floor, or something like that). Wish I could remember where I read it-- I'll try to find the article. 

Edited: OK, this is what I read:

http://mamasweat.blogspot.com/2010/05/pelvic-floor-party-kegels-are-not.html

And a follow-up post (which I hadn't previously read):

http://mamasweat.blogspot.com/2010/05/pelvic-floor-encore.html

Thank you SO much for finding this!!  The follow up post was exactly what I was trying to say, but have no words since I don't know what I am talking about.  Super interesting stuff!!!

[abouttobe5]

AWESOME!!!  I was doing lots of squats this morning so I'm feeling the benefits besides working on getting my butt back in the shape it was pre-first trimester.  :)

[oikophile]

Thank you, everyone, for all the info! It seems like my Bradley workbook is really pushing the Kegels hard, in addition to pelvic rocking (which is similar to the cat/cow exercises some of you described). I just don't know if I can really keep up. It's nice to know there are some alternatives, and I'll definitely look at those links!

[Thyme Mama]

Originally Posted by abouttobe5 

I'm an all-natural kinda gal.  I use my pee stream to help with kegels and leg me know if I'm doing them well enough.  If I can stop the flow for a few seconds, good for me.  :) 

That's what I do too!

Originally Posted by Sheri R  So she is having me do 10 (yes, only 10!!) cat/cow poses where in the cat pose you pull your navel toward your backbone without tightening your butt.  She said these can be just as effective as kegels.....  this just works way better for me:)

I am going to try that! I can't purposely do Kegels anymore because I always feel like I am getting a bladder infection. I did do Kegels for about 15 years before I stopped though.

Originally Posted by katelove 

I've stopped doing them altogether after reading the articles about squats/cat-cow being better. Now I try to squat as often as possible and I really must start doing cat-cow as well, I've been a bit slack with that.

I have also read that doing Kegels while pregnant, much like doing ab exercises while pregnant, trains your muscles to stay how they were when you were pregnant, if that makes sense. So basically it kinda does more harm than good anyway. I don't know how true that is or where I read that, but I can see how it could work that way.

Originally Posted by CindyCindy 

I once spoke with a physical therapist who said the opposite side of that coin is to learn how to relax your pelvic floor and not just do the kegels.  She said a lot of women have difficulty relaxing in labor to open because all they have done is practice tightening.  I am not an expert, but it might be something to do some more research on.  I also agree with previous poster that doing squats is even better!!

That makes a lot of sense!

Originally Posted by taurustheta 

I, too, read fairly recently that squats are much better than kegels (and that kegels can actually weaken the pelvic floor, or something like that). Wish I could remember where I read it-- I'll try to find the article. 

Edited: OK, this is what I read:

http://mamasweat.blogspot.com/2010/05/pelvic-floor-party-kegels-are-not.html

And a follow-up post (which I hadn't previously read):

http://mamasweat.blogspot.com/2010/05/pelvic-floor-encore.html

I am going to read those articles, thanks!