What and where is a pelvic floor?

We have all heard about pelvic floor but few of us really know what the hell it is or why we need to exercise it.

It can not be stressed how important the pelvic floor muscles are and how important it is to do pelvic floor exercises not just during pregnancy but through out your life. Many woman have ignored this advice and lived to regret it as it is much harder to build from nothing than it is to keep an already strong muscle strong, as a result many women have weak bladders and have to use tenna lady or some other brand of incontinence pads just to go out.

What are they babbling on about? You may be asking, well the pelvic floor is formed of layers of muscle deep inside the body there job is to support the uterus, bowel and bladder. Pregnancy and childbirth put pressure on these muscles, and you may find that you leak wee when you sneeze or cough this is known as 'stress incontinence'.

Sounds scary doesn't it? No one ever says anything about it but don’t despair you can tone these muscles so they maintain their strength and regain it quicker after the birth by doing regular simple exercises.

Pelvic floor exercise
All you do is pull in and tense your pelvic floor muscles, as if stopping the flow of wee, hold for five seconds, then relax. Aim to do ten sets of five exercises each day. Don't tighten your stomach buttocks or thigh muscle of hold your breath when you do the exercise.
They may feel hard at the beginning but they are worth doing, you will see the benefit after the birth and you can save yourself from ever having to use incontinence pads.

4 Great exercises when you are pregnant

Always check with your G.P. to make sure that you are ok to exercise while you are pregnant.

The first exercise to consider is free and can be done at any time day or night interested? well you may not be as its Walking, many young people see it as something the older generation do when they retire but it is great exercise and if you take a friend its a great excuse for some girly chat without the guilt of what else you should be doing, try it you might be amazed.

The second thing to consider maybe swimming, exercising in water is normally safe and enjoyable during pregnancy, you may find it helpful with the back pain in the later stages of your pregnancy. The water supports your whole body, and you can be as energetic or relaxed as you want. You can choose to go alone and have a swim or you can join a class specifically for pregnant woman, many public and private pools offer antenatal classes, often run by trained midwives or physiotherapists, its best to check out the qualification of the instructor before you take the class just to make certain they know what they are doing.

The third thing to consider is cycling, we don’t mean on the roads it might not be safe for you we mean on an exercise bike. Many of us have an old exercise bike in the garage that was bought when we told our selves that it was time to get fit and then got board after a week, now is the time to fish it out. Or if you are confident on a push bike use it, what is that they say you never forget but if it’s been a long time maybe when you’re pregnant is not the time to test the old adage. As your pregnancy progresses it may be safe to use an exercise bike as there is much less chance of you taking a tumble.

The fourth is exercise classes, if you were already attending an exercise class before your pregnancy, it is important that you tell your instructor that you're pregnant. They should be able to advise you on any parts of the class that are now unsuitable, not all instructors have a full knowledge of what is appropriate in pregnancy so if you feel in anyway concerned about their advice then run it past your G.P or midwife before taking it. There are also exercise classes held specifically for pregnant woman where you know they know what they are talking about it is a good idea to ask your midwife if she knows of any and which she would recommend.
Tip : what ever form of exercise you choose make sure you have a good fitting sports bra to protect your breasts and remember to drink plenty of water throughout you work out.

Exercise to avoid while pregnant
There are many obvious things you should avoid doing when pregnant, the baby is well padded but things can go wrong so it is not worth taking the risk, below are just some of the thing to avoid there are many others just use you common sense if you are not sure ask for medical advice before you do it is always better to ere on the side of caution.

- Contact sports
- Dangerous sports
- Scuba Diving
- high impact aerobics
- jogging or running

6 reasons to exercise while pregnant

We all know all to well that exercise is essential, but many of us tend to do silly diets to keep our weight under control instead of getting hot and sweaty and working on our general fitness, we do exercise videos for a few weeks and then get bored, we know its wrong but we still do it.

When you become pregnant is not the time to embark on a rigorous new fitness drive that is best done before you conceive so that you are as fit as you can be for the pregnancy, if you haven’t managed it and lets be honest most of us won't, its not too late. Exercise no matter how little is important during pregnancy you need to keep you body mobile and as healthy as possible.

If you are not convinced we thought we would give you some of the reason why it’s good for you and then leave the decision as to what you do to you.

Exercise can help you:

1. Get a glow - look better, it increases the blood flow to your skin, giving you a healthy glow
2. Ease back pain - relieve backaches, and improve your posture by strengthening and toning muscles in your back, bottom, and thighs.
3. Go to loo - reduce constipation, by accelerating movement in your intestine
   
4. Have more energy - boost energy level, during pregnancy you may feel tired but exercise as mad as it sound helps as it makes your body release endorphins
   
5. Sleep better - get a better nights sleep, by relieving the stress and anxiety
   prepare you and your body for birth, Strong muscles and a fit heart can greatly ease labour and delivery.
   
6. Get your body back - regain your pre- pregnancy body more quickly, if you exercise you will put on less weight during your pregnancy, remember weight gain is normal and essential but it can be controlled by exercise and healthy eating. Pregnancy is not a time to try to loose weight the aim is to maintain a health increase and to retain a good level of fitness.
   

If you are convinced then the first thing to do when you are pregnant and considering what exercises that you can and cant do is get advice from your G.P. or midwife. There are many reasons why a doctor would suggest that you do not take on a rigorous exercise but on the whole with their approval gentle exercise is OK, for some woman given their medical history it is not a good idea that they exercise so it is really important that you talk it over before you undertake an exercise program.

Health during pregnancy

Your health is now an important issue, you will probably be bombarded with advice from everyone your doctor, family members, friends, co-workers, and even complete strangers everyone has an opinion as to how pregnant woman should behave. Looking after you health and that of your child is up to you so its import that you arm yourself with the right information and do what you feel is right for you.

Once you have visited your doctor or midwife they will be able to tell you exactly what is right for you given your medical history so it is important that you attend you antenatal appointment on a regular basis to ensure that everything is on track for a happy healthy baby.

Nutrition
Now that you are eating for two is not a time to worry about diets or staying thin in fact you will need to eat slightly more but don't think this is the chance to eat as much as you like it is not try to bear in mind that if you balloon due to over eating you will find it harder in the later stages of the pregnancy and you will have even more weight to loose if you want to get back your pre-pregnancy figure. Eating for two is a load of nonsense and an excuse that many woman use to stop dieting and eat all the things they have deprived themselves of for years. Healthy eating through a well balanced diet is as always the key, but especially when you're pregnant. Your mid wife can give you an eating plan if you are unsure what to eat but on a basic level your diet should be made up of:

• lean meats
• Fruits
• Fish
• vegetables
• whole-grain breads
• low-fat dairy product

By eating a healthy, balanced diet you and your baby are more likely to get the nutrients you both need. During pregnancy you may need to take on extra essential nutrients in the form of a supplement, Your midwife or G.P. may prescribe prenatal vitamins to be sure both you and your growing baby are getting enough.

These may include:

Calcium
During pregnancy you need around 1200 milligrams of calcium a day from natural food sources and supplements, many multi-vitiamins do not contain enough calcium so always check the label.

Natural sources of calcium include:

• low-fat dairy products including milk, cheese, and yogurt
• calcium-fortified products, including orange juice, soy milk, and cereals
• dark green vegetables including spinach, kale, and broccoli
  dried beans
  

Iron
Pregnant women need around 30 mg of iron every day. Iron is needed to make haemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying component of red blood cells. Red blood cells circulate throughout the body to deliver oxygen to all its cells.

Some examples of iron-rich foods include:

• red meat
• dark poultry
• salmon
• eggs
• tofu
• enriched grains
• dried beans and peas
• dried fruits
• leafy green vegetables
• iron-fortified breakfast cereals
  

Fluids
It’s also important to drink plenty of fluids, especially water, during pregnancy. A woman's blood volume increases dramatically during pregnancy, and drinking enough water each day can help prevent common problems such as dehydration and constipation.

Planning the birth of your baby

Seems obvious for most women but it is important to plan where the baby will be born, this is an important decision and it is one that should be discussed between you, your partner and a qualified medical professional.

Most new mothers are advised to have their first child in a hospital or birthing centre this is purely precautionary in case there are any complications, all mothers with high risk pregnancies will be strongly advised to give birth in hospital many of which will have a caesarean.

It is a good idea to go to the maternity hospital and see what they offer, they can vary enormously so it is worth taking the tour of several before deciding where you want to give birth.

Some woman with their second or third child choose to have a home delivery this is fine if done with medical agreement and with the help of a qualified midwife, some choose to have a communal birth so that their friends and family can be present at the birth and can share in the experience, this isn't for everyone, most woman want the minimum of people around them when the are in labour, but every one is different.

It may also be the case that you have been advised or chosen to have a caesarean, in this case the date and time will be known and it is easier to plan for. If you choose to have your baby at home the midwives will be on stand by as the due date approaches, it will be a case of getting someone to contact them when you go into labour, speed dial comes in handy here.

If you are having your baby in hospital then obviously you need to plan the route, it is worth driving it a few times with your partner just so they are sure where you will have to go and where you will park, it will help reduce the panic on the day. If you are going to use a taxi to get to hospital put the number on speed dial and try to call them as soon as the contractions start it may take time to get them to you, if all else fails call an ambulance.

It may happen that you get to carry out this trip more than once as some woman suffer from Braxton Hicks contractions, this is where the body is preparing for labour and the contraction feel real but the woman is not in full blown labour, it is always better to be checked out by a medical professional so it is worth treating this as if it were the real thing.