What is already known about this topic
• The most common type of urinary incontinence in
pregnant women is stress urinary incontinence wherein
the prevalence rates have been found to vary from 12%
to 49%.
• Pregnancy-related physiological changes together with
pregnancy-related hormonal changes may lead to
reduced strength as the supportive and sphincteric
function of the pelvic floor muscles are inhibited.
• Pelvic floor muscle exercise is generally accepted as the
first-line of treatment for stress urinary incontinence
during pregnancy that can help to increase the strength
of pelvic floor muscles.
What this paper adds
• Pelvic floor muscle exercise is not only effective for the
treatment and prevention of stress urinary incontinence
during pregnancy, but can also relieve stress urinary
incontinence symptoms.
• A 6-week pelvic floor muscle exercise programme is
effective at relieving stress urinary incontinence
symptoms among incontinent pregnant women.
• The record of daily pelvic floor muscle exercise is able to
help pregnant women observe positive changes on their
own and this led to motivation and adherence to
exercise.
Implications for practice and/or policy
• Managers should emphasize and encourage nurses to be
trained about education and expertise in stress urinary
incontinence in pregnant women during pregnancy.
• Nurses should assess stress urinary incontinence
symptoms and apply pelvic floor muscle exercise to the
nursing care for pregnant women to reduce the severity
of stress urinary incontinence symptoms.
• Nurses should provide knowledge about urinary
incontinence and pelvic floor muscle exercise for
pregnant women by verbal instruction combined with
handbooks that should be distributed for reviewing at
home.