Use Vaginal Weigths and Make Labor Easier

Strengthen your pelvic floor muscles and have a faster, easier and safer delivery.

Prevent complications during and after childbirth 

Becoming a mother is a very big decision, probably the biggest a woman takes in her life. Most of your thoughts revolve around the little treasure growing inside you, but it’s very important that you also take care of your own health. You need to know that it’s crucial that labor is fast and uncomplicated. The importance of your pelvic floor muscles still isn’t stressed enough in antenatal classes. These muscles support the internal organs, including the womb and the fetus, and keep them in the right position. During pregnancy the pelvic floor muscles became loose and stretched and the extra body weight and large fetus can stress them even further. During labor soft tissues are subjected to severe stretching, including your pelvic floor muscles, so at least minimal damage is unavoidable. You can prevent or alleviate further injury by learning how to use these muscles and taking care of their strength and flexibility. By controlling and working these muscles you can improve and shorten your labor and preventcomplications later on. These complications are for instance urine and feces leakage, passing gas, pelvic organ prolapse, widened vagina and so on.  

What are vaginal or pelvic weights?

Therapists recommend that you learn how to distinguish between contracting your abdominal and pelvic floor muscles and how to contract your abdominal muscles while keeping your pelvic floor muscles relaxed. Using them the right way will help you actively participate during labor. To help you learn to control them, there’s an exercise accessory available – pelvic or vaginal weights. The most common form is a set of five weights, which resemble tampons and are the same shape and size but different weight, escalating form the easiest (20 grams) to the heaviest (70 g) weight. They’re color coded or marked with numbers to help tell them apart and covered in medical plastic for hygiene reasons. Though many satisfied users are living proof that they’re quite safe, you should still consult your Ob-gyn if using them during pregnancy.

What’s the work-out like?

Working out with vaginal weights is very simple. While standing, you insert the easiest vaginal weight into your vagina and gravity and weight will make it slip downwards. Contract your pelvic floor muscles and prevent it from slipping out. You’ll probably do it intuitively so the motion is sure to be correct and effective. Then proceed by doing Kegel exercises, or pelvic floor exercises, made up of short and long contractions. Daily use will eventually strengthen your muscles and you will be able to choose a heavier weight and repeat the process. The visible progress will encourage you to keep at it and use heavier weights. Besides strength you’ll also improve your ability to control the functioning of these muscles. Another important skill that will help you in labor is to correctly contract the abdominal muscles while relaxing the pelvic floor muscles. You can practice this by lying on your back and trying to push the vaginal weight out by using your abdominal muscles. All of these pelvic floor exercises are described in detail in the instruction leaflet so there’s no need to worry.

Have a pleasant pregnancy, an easy labor and lots of delightful moments with your newborn baby!