Many women use Ben Wa balls while performing their Kegel exercises because it increases the effectiveness of those exercises. Ben Wa balls are devices that you insert into your vagina and the squeezing action of the Kegel exercises helps keep the balls inside of you.

Similarly to using free weights when you’re at the gym building up your arm muscles, Ben Wa balls produce better results much more quickly, allowing you to enjoy the benefits of tighter vaginal muscles.

Women also use Ben Wa balls at various stages of their lives and many younger women wonder if using Ben Wa balls is a good idea when they’re pregnant.

After all, pregnancy is filled with a lot of safety concerns and although all pregnant women should check with their doctors before using Ben Wa balls, most studies have shown that this is a perfectly safe procedure during pregnancy as long as it is done correctly.

Can You Use Ben Wa Balls During Pregnancy?

If you’re pregnant, you should check with your doctor before performing Kegel exercises using Ben Wa balls, especially if you are in your first trimester.

Even if your doctor does give you the go-ahead, it is recommended that you only use the “manual” Ben Wa balls and not the ones that are electronic or battery-operated.

Once you’ve received the okay from your doctor, remember to start out slowly, especially if you’ve never before practiced Kegel exercises.

Make sure that you use Ben Wa balls that are small and lightweight and start out by performing only five repetitions per day.

This may seem as if you’re moving too slowly but it’s always better to be safe than sorry when you’re pregnant.

The bottom line? Once you’ve received an okay from your doctor, you can go ahead and perform your Kegel exercises using your Ben Wa balls as long as you go slowly. You can work your way up to a decent number of Kegels once you’re ready for that but you must start out slowly in the beginning.

In addition, if you feel any type of discomfort or pain while performing your Kegel exercises, stop immediately and consult your doctor for further instructions.

Why Are Kegels Important During Pregnancy?

Much the same as when you’re not pregnant, Kegel exercises serve numerous purposes when you’re pregnant.

The pelvic floor muscles are the muscles that hold in certain internal organs, including the uterus, bladder, and the intestines.

When these muscles become weak, as they often do with age or even if you are out of shape, they can cause all sorts of problems from incontinence to the inability to achieve an orgasm.

Strengthening those muscles can ease or even eliminate these problems and performing Kegel exercises is one of the simplest ways to accomplish this.

If you build up your pelvic floor muscles while you’re pregnant, there are many benefits in the end, including:

• It is much easier to accommodate the weight of your growing baby throughout the pregnancy.
• It reduces the risk of organ prolapse, which can sometimes occur during pregnancy.
• It helps you have better bowel and bladder movements, which lessens the likelihood of getting hemorrhoids and even constipation.
• In the third trimester, it can relax the right muscles so that childbirth is easier, even reducing the likelihood that you’ll need an episiotomy.
• It lessens the chances of urinary incontinence when you sneeze, laugh, or cough.

As you can see, strengthening the pelvic floor muscles during pregnancy is a great idea for many reasons so the sooner you get started, the better shape you’ll be in when it’s time for you to give birth.

How to Do Kegels Exercises While Pregnant

One of the most important beginning tips when you’re interested in performing Kegel exercises while you’re pregnant is to make sure that the correct muscles are located before going any further.

After all, you don’t want to be doing your exercises the wrong way the entire pregnancy. To do this, you can do one of two things.

First, as you sit on the toilet urinating, stop the urination mid-stream. Or, you can stop passing wind when you’re in the process of having gas.

These are two good ways to determine which muscles are the correct ones; of course, you don’t want to make a habit of stopping your urine in mid-stream because it can cause the bladder to be unable to empty completely, which can lead to infections including UTIs.

You can also try a third method that involves inserting two of your fingers into your vagina and squeezing it together. However, this method is not recommended if you are experiencing any bleeding or your doctor has advised you not to have sex while you are pregnant.

Once you know that you have found the correct muscles, you can begin your Kegel exercises. To do this, simply squeeze your pelvic floor muscles together using a squeeze-and-release motion.

Squeeze the muscles for four to five seconds, then release and relax for four to five seconds. If you’re a beginner, again, start out with only five repetitions at a time and then build up from there.

Eventually, you’ll want to do three sets of 10 exercises each every day. The exercises work best when you perform them every single day; in fact, you should be able to quickly include them in your daily activities.

After all, once your pelvic floor muscles are nice and tight, you’ll want to keep them that way and regular Kegel exercises are the best way to accomplish that.

If you’re interested in including Ben Wa balls into your routine, it is a good idea to look for special weights that are specifically designed for pregnant women.

Ben Wa balls come in a variety of sizes and weights and if you purchase the type that is made for pregnancy, you’ll be certain to get a set that is appropriate and safe. If you are unable to find these, simply start with smaller and lighter Ben Wa balls.

Finally, if you are unsure or have additional questions, always consult with your doctor so that you can rest a lot easier with your decision.

Tips for Pregnant Women Doing Kegels

Before you just jump right in and start doing your Kegel exercises, there are a few things that you should keep in mind if you want to make the most out of them. These include the following tips.

• Before you get started, always make sure that your bladder is completely empty. This will make the exercises less strenuous and more productive in the end.
• In case you’re interested in doing your Kegel exercises while you’re on the toilet urinating -- don’t! This can actually make your pelvic floor muscles weaker and it can even lead to various types of infections.
• When you’re performing your Kegel exercises, remember not to squeeze any of the surrounding muscles, including your abdomen, stomach, and buttock muscles. In other words, remember to work the pelvic region and nothing else. Don’t even use your leg muscles when doing Kegels.
• If you find that you’re already leaking when you sneeze or cough, you can try doing your Kegel exercises as you’re sneezing or coughing. In fact, you can perform these exercises whenever you want, including when you’re dining out or shopping in the mall. That is, as long as you’re comfortable doing them and a little on the experienced side.
• As with other types of exercises, make sure that you don’t overdo it. This is especially important when you’re pregnant. Just the same as building up other muscles, your pelvic floor muscles can become overused and even sore so the slower you go, the better off you’ll be.

These are not difficult tips to live by but they are important ones. When you go to the gym, you always start by warming up before doing anything else and Kegel exercises are no different. The more you warm up and the more prepared you are, the more successful your Kegel exercises will be. These tips are simple but effective and they will help your Kegels be much more productive in the end.

Guide to Using Ben Wa Balls During Pregnancy

Your pelvic floor contains muscles, ligaments, and tissues that stretch from the rear end of the spine to the pubic bone. Over time, they can get weak.

Weak pelvic floor muscles can wreak havoc both in and out of the bedroom so the sooner you get those muscles stronger, the better your life will be.

Using Ben Wa balls while performing your Kegels helps strengthen those muscles sooner than you think and it is safe to do this in most cases.

Throughout most of your pregnancy, your cervix will be closed and as long as it is closed, it is safe for you to use Ben Wa balls. The cervix and uterus prevent the Ben Wa balls from getting “lost” in your vagina so as long as your cervix hasn’t started to dilate, you should be able to use them safely.

Once you get to the end of your pregnancy, you need to check with your doctor and make sure that it is all right for you to continue using the Ben Wa balls. Let the experts make the decision for you!

Of course, there are still a few things that will make using Ben Wa balls even safer and more effective.

First, make sure that you clean the balls with a mild soap and warm water both before and after each use because this reduces the chance of getting dirt or bacteria on them.

Second, air-dry them after each wash and make sure that you place them back in their original container. The last thing you want to do is place them in your nightstand without a case, where they can roam around among your other nightstand items and pick up nasty germs and debris.

Third, although most Ben Wa balls are made out of a very sturdy metal or even silicone, if you ever notice any cracks, dents, or chips in them, it is best to throw them away and purchase another set. Finally, keep in mind that these balls are made for vaginal use only so they should not be used in the anus at any time.