Pelvic floor exercises in pregnancy to help birth outcomes and reduce urinary leakage

The Effect of Pelvic Floor Exercises During Pregnancy on Obstetric Outcomes and Urinary Incontinence: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial

This trial will test whether doing pelvic floor exercises during pregnancy helps first-time mothers have better delivery outcomes and less urinary leakage.

Quick facts

• Phase: NA
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 151 (estimated)
• Ages: 18 Years to 45 Years
• Sex: Female
• Sponsor: Selcuk University (other)
• Locations: 1 site (Konya)
• Trial ID: NCT07268014 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This is a randomized controlled trial at Konya City Hospital enrolling 151 primiparous women between 28 and 30 weeks of gestation from December 2025 to June 2026. Participants will be randomized to a pelvic floor exercise program (n=75) or to usual care with no prescribed pelvic floor exercises (n=76). Data will be collected before and after labor using personal and follow-up forms and the Michigan Incontinence Severity Index to track urinary incontinence and obstetric outcomes. The intervention is delivered alongside the hospital prenatal school training and outcomes will compare incidence and severity of postpartum incontinence and delivery-related measures.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Primiparous pregnant women aged 18–35 with a singleton, low-risk pregnancy at 28–30 weeks who are enrolled in the hospital prenatal school and can read and speak Turkish.

Not a fit: Women with multiparity, multiple pregnancy, assisted conception, serious obstetric or medical complications, obesity, chronic cough or constipation, recurrent urinary infections, or psychiatric conditions are unlikely to benefit or be eligible for this protocol.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, the exercise program could reduce postpartum urinary incontinence and improve some birth-related outcomes for first-time mothers.

How similar studies have performed: Previous randomized trials and meta-analyses show pelvic floor muscle training often reduces postpartum urinary incontinence, though evidence for improving labor and delivery outcomes is mixed.

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

* Registered in the hospital's prenatal school and actively participating in the 3-day training sessions,
* Aged between 18 and 35 years,
* Between 28 and 30 weeks of gestation,
* Having a singleton and low-risk pregnancy,
* Primiparous (expecting their first birth),
* Voluntarily agreeing to participate by signing the written informed consent form,
* Able to read, understand, and communicate in Turkish.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Those who have previously given birth vaginally or by cesarean section (multiparous women),
* Those with multiple pregnancies,
* Those who conceived through assisted reproductive techniques,
* Those diagnosed with serious obstetric or medical complications during pregnancy (e.g., preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, risk of preterm birth),
* Those with chronic constipation or cough,
* Those who are overweight or obese,
* Those with chronic or recurrent urinary tract infections,
* Those with a history of psychiatric diagnosis or currently receiving psychiatric treatment,
* Those with a diagnosis of or treatment for urinary incontinence,
* Those unable to regularly attend the education sessions or who discontinue the program,

Where this trial is running

Konya

• Seyhan Çankaya — Konya, Turkey (Türkiye) (RECRUITING)

Study contacts

• Study coordinator: Seyhan Çankaya, PhD

Conditions: Maternal-Fetal Relations, Birth, First, Incontinence, Urinary, Pelvic Floor Disorders, Pelvic Floor Exercise, Obstetric Outcomes, Urinary Incontinence