2. Basic Pelvic Floor Exercises

The next two exercises are designed to help you strengthen and control your pelvic floor muscles. Your pelvic floor is made up of the layer of muscles that is attached to your pubic bone in the front and your tailbone in the back.

During pregnancy you need strong pelvic floor muscles to support your uterus. During childbirth you need to be able to control these muscles, so you can relax them during the birth of your baby.

These exercises are often referred to as "hidden exercises" or "Kegel exercises". You can do these exercises anytime - when you brush your teeth, while watching TV, or standing in line at the grocery store. In fact, you can do these exercises anytime, anywhere, in any position - lying, sitting, or standing.

This is how the basic pelvic floor exercise is done.

This is how the elevator exercise is done.