Pelvic floor muscle training in pregnancy facilitates labour: BMJ

Washington, Aug 15 (ANI)

Norwegian researchers in this week's British Medical Journal (BMJ) have revealed that pelvic floor muscle training during pregnancy facilitates labour.

The study challenges a myth that prevails among birth attendants, that strong pelvic floor muscles like horse riding obstructs smooth labour.

The researchers identified 301 healthy pregnant women who had not given birth before. Half the women took part in an intensive pelvic floor muscle-training programme between the 20th and 36th week of pregnancy and the other half acted as a control group.

The duration of the second stage of labour and number of prolonged deliveries were also recorded.

The results showed that women in the training group had a lower rate of prolonged second stage labour than women in the control group, with 24 per cent undelivered after 60 minutes of active pushing compared to 38 per cent in the control group.

The results, therefore, confirmed that intensive training of the pelvic floor muscles during pregnancy results in improved muscle control and strong flexible muscles and seems to facilitate rather than obstruct labour.