Kegel exercises do not hinder labor and delivery

	Tweet

Despite some concerns, the pelvic-muscle exercises many women do during pregnancy do not seem to raise the likelihood of complications during labor and delivery, a new study finds.

Prenatal exercises for the muscles of the pelvic floor, also known as Kegel exercises, have long been advocated for preventing incontinence during and after pregnancy.

However, some doctors have expressed concern that the muscle training may make the pelvic floor too strong and less elastic, making labor and delivery more difficult. 

To look into this, Norwegian researchers surveyed nearly 19,000 women who gave birth between 2000 and 2005. The investigators report in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology that women who frequently performed Kegel exercises were no more likely to suffer tears during delivery, or to need an unplanned Cesarean section or instrument-assisted delivery.

It’s important for women to know that prenatal pelvic-floor exercises can lower the risk of urinary incontinence, lead researcher Dr. Kari Bo, of the Norwegian School of Sports Sciences in Oslo, told Reuters Health.

These latest findings, she said, should reassure them that the exercises also do nothing to interfere with childbirth.

Of the women in the study, 28 percent started performing Kegel exercises at least three times per week by the 30th week of pregnancy. Another 43 percent did them less than once a week or not at all.

Overall, the study found, roughly 7 percent of women who infrequently or never performed Kegel exercises suffered severe tearing during childbirth, compared with 6 percent of those who frequently performed the exercises.

Rates of delivery requiring forceps or a vacuum were 16 percent and 15 percent, respectively, while unplanned C-section rates were 9.5 percent and 7.5 percent.

Women should feel reassured that pelvic-floor training will not negatively affect childbirth, even though many health professionals seem to believe this is a possibility, according to Bo.

“That is a myth,” she said.

SOURCE: Obstetrics & Gynecology, June 2009.

RELATED STORIES:
Pill Among Least Effective Birth Control Methods   70 percent of women use contraceptives during their first sexual encounter   Long-term contraception more effective than pills   Gay couples and women over 40 to get free IVF treatment on NHS   Health secretary urges contraception compromise   Contraceptive ring, patch carry blood clot risks   Reminder Stamp Boosts HPV Vaccination   Study adds to evidence on clot risks of non-oral contraceptives   HPV vaccine completion rate among girls is poor, getting worse   Some ob-gyns cite religious conflicts over care   After IVF, some couples get pregnant without help   Web Tool Offers Map to Menopause   Early Menopause Could Also Mean Early Death   Does soy help cool hot flashes after all?   Caffeine not tied to worsening urinary incontinence

Comments

[ + Post Your Own ]

Now you're in the public comment zone. What follows is not Armenian Medical Network's stuff; it comes from other people and we don't vouch for it. A reminder: By using this Web site you agree to accept our Terms of Service. Click here to read the Rules of Engagement.

There are no comments for this entry yet. [ + Comment here + ]