What is Pelvic Floor and Why it's so important ...

What is my pelvic floor? 
Your pelvic floor is a broad sling of muscles, ligaments and sheet-like tissues. It stretches from your pubic bone at the front of your body to the base of your spine at the back. 

  
 The pelvic floor is sometimes compared to a trampoline, as it can stretch in response to weight and bounce up again! 

Unlike a trampoline, however, if it bears weight for a long time (as it does during pregnancy), the muscles or tissues can become over-stretched and weak. 

Why is my pelvic floor so important? 

   Your pelvic floor supports your bladder, bowel and uterus (womb). So your pelvic floor gives you control over when you empty your bladder and your bowels. 

Having a weak pelvic floor makes it harder for you to squeeze the muscles (sphincters) at the bottom of your bladder to stop urine escaping. You may find you accidentally leak a little wee when you cough, sneeze or exercise. This is called stress incontinence. You may find this continues after you've had your baby. Postnatal stress incontinence affects up to a third of all new mums. 

   Your pelvic floor affects your vaginal muscles too. You may find sex less satisfying if you have weak pelvic floor. 

It's not just during pregnancy and childbirth that your pelvic floor is important. You'll need to keep it strong for the rest of your life to guard against problems later, especially after the menopause. 

   Later in life, if your vaginal muscles are weak, it's possible for your uterus to sag down and push against the walls of your vagina. This is called prolapse. It's thought that four out of 10 women over the age of 50 have some degree of prolapse. 

   If all this sounds alarming, the good news is that you can do something about it. If you do your pelvic floor exercises every day, you'll be guarding against problems later.