Gymnastics for childbirth: strengthens the perineum

Before getting pregnant, I didn't even know what it was, yet all over world they teach courses and write articles about it, while in country there is little talk about it and only in specialized books that not all read. I'm talking about the pelvic floor, also called the perineum or pelvic diaphragm, a muscle located in the deepest part of the pelvis.

Not that after reading the name I understood what it was ... so I started reading various information around and I discovered that it is that set of muscles and ligaments located at the base of the abdomen, between the pubis and the coccyx, which forms a support surface for the internal organs: bladder and urethra, uterus and intestines.

Thus I understood that the pelvic floor supports all the internal organs of the abdomen and during the 9 months of gestation it contains pregnancy, as well as hosting the muscles responsible for opening and closing the urethra (the channel that carries urine from the bladder). outwards) and the anal sphincter. During delivery, the pelvic floor relaxes, orients the baby's head in the vaginal canal and opens to allow for birth.

Obviously, during pregnancy these muscles are put to the test by the enlargement of the uterus. At the moment of labor, then, the baby's head presses against the perineum, compromising its tone and elasticity, especially if the baby is large and the expulsive period is prolonged. For this reason, having a good control of the muscles facilitates the descent of the unborn child along the birth canal: if the future mother is able to relax her at the right time, she will be able more easily to "open" and let the baby be born.

But I found that, in addition to helping during childbirth, strengthening the muscles of the perineum is also useful in preventing vaginal and bladder prolapse problems. In the books I've read about 9 months of waiting, there are some exercises to do every day. I have been very bad and I have not done them, but I plan to practice at least these last 2 months.

My first attempt was unsuccessful because it was easier for me to contract my buttocks and inner thighs. So I followed the advice read here and there that suggest the "pee-stop" exercise to precisely identify the muscles of the perineum.

Sit on the toilet and start emptying your bladder. When you feel that the jet is at its maximum, contract the perineum for a few seconds to block the flow of pee. Here, those are the affected muscles. At this point release them and end what you interrupted!

Once you understand which part to work, the exercises to do daily are:

1 - Close your knees

Lie down, preferably on a soft mat, with your legs bent and slightly apart and your feet flat on the ground. Inhale and bring your knees and thighs together, contracting your pelvic muscles, then relax them, exhaling. Repeat this exercise at least 10 times.

2 - Contract the muscles of the perineum

Still in the same position, try to imagine that the vaginal canal is an elevator, which from the ground floor must go up three or four floors, each time increasing the contraction of the perinea muscles and making a stop at each level, during which you will maintain the position and then begins to "go down", gradually loosening the muscles. Repeat it as many times as you can.

3 - The bridge

Always lying down and with your legs bent, inhale deeply and raise your pelvis slightly, contracting both the buttocks and the perineal muscles. Stay like this for a few seconds, then, exhaling, return with your pelvis to the ground. Do at least 5 repetitions, being careful not to also contract the abdominal muscles so as not to annoy the baby.

4 - Exercise with the ball

Another useful exercise for training the perineum involves the use of a ball that is not too rigid. Get it, sit on the ground with your feet well supported and place it between your knees: inhaling, bring your knees together, while exhaling releases your grip. It is a useful exercise for working the inner thigh muscles, which are connected to the perineal ones. Repeat at least 10 times.

The position of the cat

Finally, get on all fours, with your weight well balanced between your arms and legs. Exhale and arch your back, with your head down and your gaze turned towards the floor, and contract the muscles of the perineum; inhaling, bring the belly to the ground and relax the perineum. Do 5 repetitions.