Your pelvic floor is a group of muscles that help hold up your bladder, uterus, and bowel. These muscles are stretched during pregnancy and birth – which can
sometimes lead to weakness or dysfunction after birth.
Making your pelvic floor muscles will help with:
better control when you go to the bathroom
avoid problems like organs moving down in your pelvis
help keep your hip and back joints steady.
There are 2 ways to squeeze your pelvic floor exercises:
Long squeezes
Take a breath in and then out.
When you breathe out, squeeze and lift your pelvic floor muscles. Hold it for 8-10 seconds, then relax.
Let the muscles relax before the next breath.
Do your long squeezes again. Rest between each one until your muscles feel tired.
Do this 8 – 10 times, twice a day.
Try to hold for 10 seconds, and repeat 10 times.
Short squeezes
Squeeze and lift your pelvic floor muscles fast and strong. Then relax and lower them right away.
Do this 8 times, twice a day.
If 8 times is too hard, start with 4 or 6 times.
If you had a tube (called a catheter) to help you wee, start these exercises after it’s taken out.
Try to do them three times a day. It might take up to three months for your muscles to get strong again.
Download the NHS Squeezy app to help you with an exercise guide and to set reminders
