Pelvic floor muscle training - to reduce the risk of pelvic floor dysfunction
For all women:
- encourage women of all ages to do pelvic floor muscle training *, and explain that it helps to prevent symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction
- encourage women to continue pelvic floor muscle training throughout their life, because long-term training continues to help prevent symptoms
* exercise to improve pelvic floor muscle strength, endurance, power, relaxation, or a combination of these
During and after pregnancy:
- encourage women who are pregnant or who have recently given birth to do pelvic floor muscle training, and explain that it helps prevent symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction
Consider a 3-month programme of supervised pelvic floor training:
- from week 20 of pregnancy, for pregnant women who have a first-degree relative with pelvic floor dysfunction
- during postnatal care, for women who have experienced any of the following risk factors during birth:
- assisted vaginal birth (forceps or vacuum)
- a vaginal birth when the baby is lying face up (occipito-posterior)
- injury to the anal sphincter.
Before discharging women from maternity services, and during routine postnatal care, encourage them to do pelvic floor muscle training.
Supervising pelvic floor muscle training
Pelvic floor muscle training programmes should be supervised by a physiotherapist or other healthcare professional with the appropriate expertise in pelvic floor muscle training.
Supervision should involve:
- assessing the woman's ability to perform a pelvic floor contraction and relaxation
- tailoring the pelvic floor muscle training programme to the woman's ability to perform a pelvic floor contraction and relaxation, any discomfort felt, and her individual needs and training goals
- encouraging the woman to complete the course, because this will help to prevent and manage symptoms
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