An audit of NICE guidelines on antenatal pelvic floor exercises.

Introduction and hypothesis: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommends antenatal pelvic floor exercises during first pregnancy to reduce postpartum stress incontinence. The aim of this audit was to assess patient awareness and compliance with this guideline.

Methods: An anonymous self-constructed questionnaire was given to patients after their first delivery.

Results: A total of 223 questionnaires were returned over a 6-month period. Although 95% of patients were aware of the importance of pelvic floor exercises, only a limited proportion of them had the right information and a minority practised them. Printed material seemed to be very influential in getting the message across. The importance of giving information early in pregnancy and national awareness was shown in the suggestions for improvement.

Conclusions: Patient awareness and actual practise of antenatal pelvic floor exercises did not meet NICE guidelines, calling for strategies to improve awareness and adherence.