Strengthening Pelvic Floor Muscles

Content provided by the Faculty of the Harvard Medical School

Strengthening Pelvic Floor Muscles

Question:

I'm a 20-year-old female. Since having my son one year ago, whenever my boyfriend and I have sex, it feels as if air is getting trapped in my vagina. While we are having sex, a weird noise comes from my vagina and when we finish having sex, little bursts of air keep coming out of my vagina. It's very embarrassing. What causes this and what can I do about it?

Answer:

Having a child can stretch and weaken the muscles of the pelvic floor. These muscles normally keep air from entering the vaginal cavity. You can strength these muscles by performing Kegel exercises, which are named after the doctor that first described them.

To perform Kegel exercises you must be able to find your pelvic floor muscle. The muscle that you squeeze to stop the flow of urine is the correct muscle. Do the exercise a few times while on the toilet so you can learn where the muscle is located. Later you can practice the exercise anytime.

Using weighted devices that are made to be placed in the vagina and held by a squeeze of the muscle is another way to locate the pelvic floor muscle. Ask your doctor where to get these weights.

Once you locate the muscle, squeeze it and hold it for 10 seconds. Do this 10 times the first day. Gradually increase the sets of 10 as your muscles get stronger. It may take up to three months to develop your strength, so be patient.

Sometimes the ligaments and connective tissues that support the pelvic floor are damaged by childbirth. In this case, exercise may not solve the problem. Surgery can repair damage to the pelvic floor. If possible, delay having surgery until you are finished having children. This will prevent the need to repeat surgery after another delivery.

A rare cause of air in the vagina is a fistula, or abnormal connection that forms between the rectum and the vagina. Women with a fistula may also have leakage of stool from the vagina. A pelvic examination can diagnose this problem and surgery is needed to fix it.

Joan Bengtson, M.D., is assistant professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive biology at Harvard Medical School and a member of the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproduction at Brigham and Women's Hospital.

Last updated:	August 05, 2009