Effects of Pelvic Floor Rehab Protocol on Urinary Incontinence

The International Continence Society defines urinary incontinence as the 'unintentional or involuntary leakage of urine'. Urinary incontinence is a serious health issue that deeply affects a person's daily life and overall well-being. It can be physically exhausting and emotionally overwhelming, often leading to embarrassment, loss of confidence, and feelings of helplessness. Many people dealing with it also struggle with anxiety and depression, as it limits their freedom and makes even simple daily tasks feel challenging. Urinary incontinence (UI) is common during pregnancy with prevalence rates of 31% in nulliparous women and 42% in parous women. The global prevalence of UI is between 5 to 69% during a woman's lifetime, with higher prevalence in older age groups. . Urinary incontinence during pregnancy affects women's physical comfort, emotional well-being, and quality of life, yet it remains under-identified and undertreated in standard antenatal care. Although pelvic floor exercises are widely recommended, most existing programs are not adapted to the unique demands of pregnancy. A structured, pregnancy-specific pelvic floor rehabilitation protocol can address these needs more effectively by offering trimester-based guidance, functional training, and education. . This pregnancy-specific pelvic floor rehabilitation protocol follows a progressive 4-week plan focused on pelvic floor muscle training, core activation, and functional strengthening. Exercises such as Kegels, abdominal drawing-in, bridging, and clamshells are performed in various positions with controlled breathing. Each 30-minute session, conducted twice weekly, includes a structured warm-up, weekly targeted exercises (Week 1-4), and a cool-down phase for relaxation, flexibility, and bladder/postural education. Participants will be randomly assigned through convenient sampling method to each groups. Ethical considerations will be completely taken and data will be analyzed through SPSS version 26. This study aims to evaluate the impact of such a protocol and provide evidence to support its integration into routine prenatal care, potentially improving maternal outcomes and long-term recovery.

Inclusion criteria

• Pregnant women aged 18-35 yrs.
• Score ≥1 on stress or urge subscale of the Questionnaire for Incontinence Diagnosis
• No participation in a structured pelvic floor rehabilitation program within the last six months.

Exclusion criteria

• • Patients with High-risk pregnancy.

• Known neurological disorders.
• History of pelvic surgery.
• ACOG Contraindications for Exercise