Pelvic Floor Health
The pelvic floor is the hammock of muscles and tissue that lie across your pelvis and support your bladder. Pelvic floor dysfunction can have a big impact on health and wellbeing.
1 in 3
Women will experience urinary incontinence
1 in 10
Women will experience faecal incontinence
1 in 12
Women will experience pelvic organ prolapse
1 in 5
Women will experience pain during intercourse
46% of Women
Pelvic floor dysfunction reaches ‘epidemic proportions’ in later life
How you can reduce the risk of pelvic floor dysfunction
Exercise for a strong pelvic floor! Daily pelvic floor strengthening exercises make a difference and can also prevent future problems. Download the guide →
Step 1 – Squeeze and lift the muscles around the urethra and vagina as if trying to stop the flow of urine.
Step 2 – Squeeze and lift in the muscles around the anus as if trying to stop passing wind.
Step 3 – Try to keep the muscles of the thighs, buttocks and stomach relaxed.
Step 4 – Hold for 10 seconds, rest for 10 seconds.
Step 5 – Repeat 10 times.
Step 6 – Do this every day! 3 times a day if possible.
If you’re finding this difficult or, experiencing symptoms that haven’t improved, there is help and treatment. Ask your GP or a pelvic physio for help.
New Zealand Women Would Benefit from Pelvic Floor Muscle Training
New Zealand’s obstetricians and gynaecologists are increasingly concerned about pelvic floor disorders and injuries and want to see a marked reduction in the number of Kiwi women affected by these problems.
More information about Pelvic Health
Information for Clinicians
About our campaign
At a time when our health systems are facing lots of challenges there are areas where small things can make a big difference… and this is one of them! We wanted to focus on prevention in an area that would make a difference to a large number of women. This campaign is primarily targeted at Aotearoa New Zealand, but the general information is also applicable in Australia.
Advocating for pelvic floor information and assessment during pregnancy in Aotearoa
As well as doing our bit to spread the word about pelvic floor health we want to see pelvic floor health built into pre and post natal pregnancy care.
- Both pregnancy and childbirth are key risk factors for pelvic floor dysfunction
- Structured pelvic floor muscle training in early pregnancy can bring about a 62% reduction in urinary incontinence in late pregnancy and a 29% reduction at 3-6 months postpartum
- Pelvic floor muscle training is not routinely included in antenatal care in New Zealand
A plan to significantly reduce pelvic floor dysfunction in Aotearoa New Zealand
- All women have antenatal education on pelvic floor health and muscle training during pregnancy.
- All women are screened for risk of pelvic floor disorders in the second trimester and after birth.
- All symptomatic women and those at increased risk of pelvic floor dysfunction receive funded treatment from a pelvic health physiotherapist or continence nurse specialist.
A detailed proposal has been developed by APHERM (Advocating Pelvic Health Empowerment and Rehabilitation for Mothers) – a multidisciplinary group of consumers and health professionals including personal trainers, gynaecologists, physiotherapists, midwives, psychologists, academics and general practitioners.