Your pelvic floor carries you – in everyday life and during birth.
Noticing rather than training
- Breathe deeply and consciously into your belly, gently lifting on the exhale.
- When lifting (shopping, laundry basket), breathe out briefly.
- Break up long periods of sitting with small islands of movement.
Gentle helpers
- Look for an antenatal class with a pelvic-floor focus.
- Use a midwife visit to have exercises shown to you.
- After birth: start postnatal recovery exercises calmly, once your midwife gives the green light.
If you feel pressure, pain or involuntary leaks of urine, talk to your midwife or gynaecologist – this is common and well worth getting support for.