Despite some concerns, the pelvic-muscle exercises many women do during pregnancy do not seem to raise the likelihood of complications during labor and delivery, a new study finds.

Prenatal exercises for the muscles of the pelvic floor, also known as Kegel exercises, have long been advocated for preventing incontinence during and after pregnancy.

However, some doctors have expressed concern that the muscle training may make the pelvic floor too strong and less elastic, making labor and delivery more difficult.

To look into this, Norwegian researchers surveyed nearly 19,000 women who gave birth between 2000 and 2005. The investigators report in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology that women who frequently performed Kegel exercises were no more likely to suffer tears during delivery, or to need an unplanned Cesarean section or instrument-assisted delivery.

It's important for women to know that prenatal pelvic-floor exercises can lower the risk of urinary incontinence, lead researcher Dr. Kari Bo, of the Norwegian School of Sports Sciences in Oslo, told Reuters Health.

These latest findings, she said, should reassure them that the exercises also do nothing to interfere with childbirth. Continue article at original source

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