CAN KEGEL EXERCISES DURING PREGNANCY PREVENT INCONTINENCE?
Kegel exercises, fully described in chapter 9, help to strengthen the muscles in the pelvis. Exercising these muscles during pregnancy has been shown to decrease incontinence during pregnancy and right after delivery. A recent study evaluated two groups of women for incontinence 10 months after delivery. One group had pelvic floor muscle training using a combination of Kegel exercises taught by biofeedback and mild electrical stimulation to contract the pelvic muscles (see chapter x) twice a week for 6 weeks. The other group had no such training. Twenty percent of the women who had pelvic floor training showed a decrease in incontinence 10 months later compared to only 2% of women who did not have the training. However, we still do not know if theses exercises will prevent the development of incontinence for the many years that follow. CAN CHILDBIRTH LEAD TO ANAL INCONTINENCE? The muscles that lie directly below the vagina and encircle the rectum are the muscles that control bowel move
