During birth, you stretch your pelvic floor muscles, Kegal exercises can eliminate some of the problems that come with stretching such as a prolapsed or sagging uterus, a prolapsed or sagging bladder and urinary stress incontinence, this is due to the pressure/weight of pregnancy. By contracting the pelvic floor muscles soon after you have given birth, you can help to shorten the stretched muscle. If you had an episiotomy, doing this exercise will increase blood flow, reduce swelling and speed up healing. In pregnancy recovery, the pelvic floor muscles should receive top priority. The strength of the pelvic floor is important in maintaining the strength of the inside passages and the position of the organs they support. Exercise throughout your pregnancy and afterwards.

There are many influences on the pelvic floor, such as maternal age, medical condition, weight, parity, use of forceps, length of the pushing phase of birth, birth weight and genetic predisposition.

When giving birth it is prudent to push slowly as your body tells you, watch your weight gain and exercise, including pelvic floor exercises. It is always best to seek advice from a doctor or midwife.

Common problems associated with pelvic floor weakness:

• You may have difficulty retaining a tampon
• Involuntary loss of urine when you laugh, cough, sneeze, run or lift
• You or your partner may feel nothing during intercourse
• Prolapse of uterus. Over a period of time the uterus can begin to herniate through the vaginal opening

We explained how to perform Kegel exercises in the section 'How do I do Kegel Exercises?' below are some more ideas which may help in performing these exercises.

Contract and release the pelvic floor muscles quickly and firmly, start with 10 per session, five times a day, increasing gradually to 10 sessions per day.

Contract the muscles upwards from the bottom of the pelvic floor to the top of the pelvic floor, stopping as you move upwards and getting tighter as you go higher. Then release downward, releasing the tension as you move downwards.

Get further control by pushing the pelvic muscles downwards with your bladder empty.

Develop elasticity of your pelvic floor muscles by sitting on a chair with your knees apart. Lean forward and rest your elbows on your knees. Tense the muscles around the urethra, then move up towards the vagina and finally backwards to the rectum. Then release in the opposite direction.

Click here to read about the CLEO's Computerised Pelvic Floor Exerciser