The Importance of Kegel Exercises When Trying to Conceive (TTC)
If you are trying to conceive (TTC), you are probably already focusing hard on all aspects of your fertility, ovulation tracking, and making healthy lifestyle choices. But one often overlooked aspect of pre-pregnancy health is your pelvic floor strength. The pelvic floor muscles play a critical role during pregnancy, labour, and postpartum recovery. Strengthening these muscles with Kegel exercises can offer significant benefits during your TTC journey and beyond.
Kegel exercises have a highly strengthening effect on the pelvic floor muscles, which support the bladder, uterus, and bowels. These muscles play a vital role in controlling urination and supporting your pelvic organs, and they become especially important during pregnancy and childbirth.
Kegels involve contracting and relaxing the pelvic floor muscles—just like how you’d stop the flow of urine midstream. The goal is to build strength and endurance in these muscles to help with the physical demands of pregnancy and labour.
While Kegel exercises no not directly increase fertility, pelvic floor health plays a significant role in overall reproductive health. Strong, well-functioning pelvic muscles can:
Pelvic Floor Health, Conception & Pregnancy
- Support better blood flow to the pelvic area, helping prepare the body for conception
- Promote optimal pelvic alignment, which supports a healthier pregnancy
- Help manage stress and anxiety, since pelvic floor exercises can also promote relaxation and mindfulness, both so important when TTC
Building pelvic floor strength when trying to conceive lays the foundation for a healthier pregnancy and smoother delivery. Once you conceive, your pelvic floor muscles will undergo tremendous strain as your baby grows and puts increased pressure on your pelvis. Pelvic floor health becomes even more important during pregnancy, as it can help you manage several common discomforts and complications, including:
- Urinary incontinence – with the weight of your unborn baby pressing on your bladder, having good pelvic floor strength can help reduce the chances of accidental leaks when sneezing or laughing
- Reduced back pain – with a stronger pelvic floor helping to distribute the weight of your baby more evenly during pregnancy, you are likely to experience less strain on your back and core muscles
- Avoiding hemorrhoids/’piles’ – a common nuisance during pregnancy, piles are caused by increased pressure on the pelvic veins that causes them to swell. Kegel exercises and a toned pelvic floor helps to improve circulation in the pelvis and rectum, helping to reduce the risk of developing piles, or their severity if they do occur
Kegel Exercises & childbirth
One of the biggest benefits of practicing Kegel exercises during TTC and pregnancy is their potential impact on labour and delivery. Here’s how:
- Stronger pushing power: During the second stage of labour (pushing), strong pelvic floor muscles can make it easier for you to contract your muscles effectively. This can lead to a shorter, less strenuous labour
- Prevention of perianal tearing: Good pelvic floor tone helps to increase muscle control and elasticity, which may reduce the risk of perineal tearing during delivery
- Better awareness of pelvic muscles: By doing Kegels regularly, you’ll develop better control over your pelvic floor, helping you know how to relax and engage those muscles during labor, which can make the process feel much more intuitive
Postpartum Recovery and Kegels
After giving birth, it is common for your pelvic floor muscles to feel stretched and weakened. This is where your pre-pregnancy Kegel routine really pays off. Regular Kegel exercises during pregnancy can set you up for a faster and smoother postpartum recovery:
- Many women experience urinary incontinence after childbirth, but Kegel exercises can help restore strength to the pelvic floor muscles and prevent or reduce leakage.
- By improving blood flow to the pelvic area, Kegels can promote faster healing of the muscles and tissues after delivery.
- Weakened pelvic muscles can sometimes lead to pelvic organ prolapse (where the bladder, uterus, or rectum descend from their normal position), but Kegels can help reduce this risk by keeping the muscles strong and supportive.
Kegel Exercises and C-Section Births: Are They Still Beneficial?
You might wonder if Kegel exercises are necessary or beneficial if you are planning to give birth via Caesarian/C-section. Even though improved muscle control for vaginal delivery and pushing might seem less relevant, pelvic floor tone is still important, and here are six reasons why:
- Avoiding pregnancy incontinence – whilst a C-section bypasses the vaginal delivery process, pregnancy itself places a significant strain on pelvic floor muscles. The extra weight of the growing baby, the shifting of organs, and hormonal changes all put strain on the pelvic floor. Kegels help maintain pelvic floor strength and bladder/bowel control, both during and after pregnancy
- Preventing Postpartum Incontinence – a surprisingly high proportion of women experience urinary incontinence after a C-section. This is because the bladder and pelvic floor muscles have been stretched and stressed during pregnancy, regardless of delivery method. Kegels can help prevent or reduce postpartum urinary incontinence by keeping the pelvic floor muscles strong and responsive
- Improve Blood Flow & Healing – one of the key benefits of Kegels is that they improve circulation to the pelvic area, which can speed up recovery after childbirth. Even if you didn’t have a vaginal delivery, Kegel exercises prior to your C section help the pelvic region heal by increasing blood flow, aiding in tissue repair, and reducing the risk of complications like infections or delayed healing.
- Support Core Strength & Stability – Your pelvic floor is an important part of your core muscle group. A strong pelvic floor provides stability to your core, which is especially crucial after a C-section. Since your abdominal muscles will need time to heal from the incision, having a strong pelvic floor can help compensate for reduced abdominal strength and support your posture and stability.
- Helping Prevent Pelvic Organ Prolapse – whilst a C-section may reduce the risk of some complications associated with vaginal delivery, it does not reduce the risk of pelvic organ prolapse after giving birth. Pregnancy alone can weaken the pelvic muscles to the point where organs like the bladder or uterus may shift. Kegel exercises can help strengthen the pelvic floor and reduce the risk of prolapse even after a C-section.
- Postpartum Bowel Health: Whether you’ve had a vaginal delivery or a C-section, constipation and difficulty with bowel movements can be common postpartum challenges. Kegels can help improve bowel control and prevent issues like fecal incontinence, which some women experience after childbirth. Strengthening your pelvic floor muscles can help regulate bowel movements and improve bowel health after delivery.
When to Start Doing Kegels
It is never too early to start! Whether you’re just beginning your TTC journey or you’re already pregnant, incorporating Kegel exercises into your daily routine can offer lasting benefits. Here are a few tips to get started:
Find the right muscles: If you’re new to Kegels, you can locate your pelvic floor muscles by trying to stop the flow of urine while using the bathroom. These are the muscles you’ll want to engage during Kegel exercises (but don’t make a habit of stopping urine flow).
Practice consistently: Aim to do Kegel exercises several times a day. Start with short holds (2-3 seconds) and gradually increase the duration as your muscles strengthen.
Incorporate it into your routine: Kegels can be done anytime, anywhere. Whether you’re sitting at your desk, standing in line, or lying in bed, try to squeeze in a few sets throughout the day.
Get automated: For many women,Kegels are easiest when you don’t have to think about them, and there are a huge range of affordable EMS devices on the market now that will enable you to do your daily Kegels without thinking about it – whilst you watch TV, read a book or work from home. Click here for Pelvic Pulse’s product review page to see if an EMS device might be right for you.
Final Thoughts
Kegel exercises are an easy and effective way to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles, which will help support your body through the different stages of pregnancy, from TTC to postpartum recovery. While Kegels may not directly boost fertility, they are a valuable tool in preparing your body for the physical demands of pregnancy, childbirth, and recovery.
If you have just had your baby – congratulations! Whether you had a vaginal delivery or C-section, you may be wondering when it is safe to resume your Kegel exercises. Typically you can restart (building up gently over a few weeks) as soon as you feel comfortable – but always consult your midwife or healthcare provider before resuming Kegels, EMS or any other exercise routine. Gradually increasing the intensity of your Kegels will help you rebuild pelvic strength without straining your body during recovery.
If you are on your TTC journey, now is the perfect time to start incorporating Kegels into your routine. Your pelvic floor will thank you — before, during, and after pregnancy.