Clair Jones and Ruth Hawkes describe how nurses can identify and support women who may be affected and outline best practice guidelines when teaching pelvic floor muscle exercises

Many women experience pelvic floor dysfunction at some time in their lives. Most commonly, it manifests as urinary incontinence but women can also be affected by anal incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse and/or sexual dysfunction. A woman is more likely to have one or more of these conditions after pregnancy and childbirth. The aim of this article is to focus on the potential problems related to pelvic floor muscle dysfunction that women may encounter after pregnancy and childbirth. The authors will explain what is considered to be good practice when teaching pelvic floor muscle exercises and provide information, which the healthcare professional can access as an additional resource to offer women seeking help and advice.