Pelvic Floor Workout After Birth With Kegel Balls: How To Find The Right Ones

In this guide, as a midwife and pelvic health therapist, I will give you tips on how to use Kegel balls as part of postnatal recovery, to help prevent pelvic floor weakness, or as a tool for Kegel exercises.
Among the huge number of Kegel balls available, only very few are truly suitable for this purpose, even though sex toy manufacturers claim otherwise. They too have discovered postnatal recovery and pelvic floor workouts as a major additional market: they constantly launch new products with attractive designs and seductive colours that promise not only erotic sensations but also effectiveness for postnatal pelvic floor recovery after pregnancy.
However, the quality differences between Kegel balls are enormous, both in terms of materials and the intensity of the vibrations generated inside – which unfortunately cannot be seen.
The few Kegel balls that are genuinely suitable are available not only in sets but also individually. Medically certified Kegel balls with proven effectiveness come at a price, but they are worth it.
In this guide, I explain in detail which characteristics Kegel balls must have to be suitable for postnatal recovery.
If you are not looking for information but simply for medical Kegel balls, you can find them here:

Contents:

The Function of the Female Pelvic Floor

Pregnancy and childbirth are natural events for the female body because it is naturally designed for them. Nevertheless, the strain placed on the body during pregnancy and birth is a major factor in weakening the pelvic floor. As a pelvic health therapist, I therefore advise every pregnant woman to begin targeted postnatal recovery of the pelvic floor after giving birth. Kegel balls can be extremely helpful for this purpose, but by no means all of them – we will return to that later.

After pregnancy and childbirth, a woman's pelvic floor has achieved something remarkable: over a long period, it has carried substantial additional weight, alongside its other functions such as supporting and stabilising the pelvic organs, maintaining an upright posture, and ensuring the closure functions of the urethra and bowel. This additional weight consists not only of the baby but also of amniotic fluid, the growing uterus and the placenta.

And it does so under challenging conditions, because structures such as tendons and ligaments, as well as the entire pelvic floor, become softer under the influence of pregnancy hormones. To allow the baby to pass through during birth, the pelvic floor requires not only strength and support but also elasticity and flexibility, just like any other muscle group. Psychologically, a healthy pelvic floor gives you a sense of inner stability.

A healthy pelvic floor is also extremely important for a woman and her partner during sexual intercourse: when functioning well, it can receive, hold and stimulate the penis. A caesarean section has a negative impact on the pelvic floor because it is connected to the abdominal wall muscles, which have been surgically divided. This initially makes training more difficult, and even after healing, this important connection remains weakened for some time.

Symptoms of a Weakened Pelvic Floor

A weakened pelvic floor may cause a variety of symptoms, either individually or in combination:

Urine Leakage or Incontinence

The most common consequence is urine leakage or incontinence.

During pregnancy, occasional urine leakage is relatively normal, especially from the seventh month onwards. After birth, it may also occur during the first few weeks when coughing, sneezing or exerting yourself. Special treatment is generally not necessary at this stage. More on this can be found below under “When Should You Start Postnatal Recovery?”

It is understandable that affected women may feel uncomfortable and insecure. The much less common problem of faecal incontinence has an even greater impact on quality of life. In such cases, sports involving high-impact loading should be avoided, particularly activities where both feet leave the ground and the body lands abruptly again, such as running, ball sports or trampolining, as they place additional strain on a weakened pelvic floor.

A Weakened Pelvic Floor – A Weakened Posture

A weakened pelvic floor is often associated with poor posture. A weakened pelvic floor frequently goes hand in hand with what might be described as a “slumped posture”.

Not only affected women, but people of all genders – especially those carrying excess body weight – often lack sufficient stability to maintain an upright posture. As a result, chronic back pain and discomfort in the lumbar spine are common.

Genital or Urogenital Prolapse

There may also be a descent of the pelvic organs through the vagina (urogenital prolapse) to varying degrees, for example vaginal prolapse, bowel prolapse, cystocele (prolapsed bladder) or even complete bladder prolapse. More information can be found in our guide Cystocele (Prolapsed Bladder): Symptoms and Treatment Options.

Problems During Sexual Intercourse

A weakened pelvic floor and the symptoms described above can make sexual intercourse more difficult. Possible consequences include reduced sensation during penetration, the feeling of a vagina that is too loose, or the so-called “lost penis syndrome”. You can find more information here: Viball®: Kegel Balls and Medical Device for Couples.

What Does Postnatal Recovery of the Pelvic Floor Consist Of?

I generally distinguish between two types of postnatal recovery of the pelvic floor:

• Active Kegel Exercises: for example in postnatal recovery classes or through exercises at home. Active training can be supported by tools such as Kegel balls with different weights or vaginal cones.
• Passive Pelvic Floor Training through (including erotic) stimulation in daily life. Well-known tools include Yoni eggs, vibrating or app-supported devices and various sex toys. More information can be found in the guide: Pelvic Floor Exercisers: Overview and Comparison. In this article, I focus on the effects of Kegel balls.
• Holistic Recovery
  From a holistic perspective (physical, psychological and mental), the pelvic floor is also the body's foundation and a central element of inner balance.
  An individual and qualified recovery programme should therefore also take psychological and emotional aspects into account – for women as well as men. Targeted support or counselling can help improve self-awareness and strengthen personal development through work with the pelvic floor.

When Should You Start Postnatal Recovery?

Approximately six to eight weeks after a vaginal birth and eight to twelve weeks after a caesarean section, you can begin postnatal recovery. The exact timing depends on the type of birth and your individual situation. Speak to your midwife about this.

Kegel Balls – During Pregnancy?

Some women wonder whether they can use Kegel balls during pregnancy to gently strengthen the pelvic floor. My assessment as a former midwife: during pregnancy, you should avoid using them – among other reasons because of the stimulation occurring in close proximity to the baby.

As already mentioned, targeted training after birth is crucial. Ideally, you should attend a postnatal recovery class with a midwife. In addition, exercises at home significantly increase the effect. I have developed special exercises with Viball® based on my many years of experience as a midwife and pelvic health therapist.

These Kegel exercises help you train the muscles of your pelvic floor as well as your entire body musculature. You should also examine whether your movements and posture in daily life and family life are pelvic-floor-friendly or not, become regularly aware of them and adjust them if necessary. I will provide specific guidance on this below.

How Long Does Postnatal Recovery Take?

The duration of postnatal recovery depends greatly on your genetic predisposition and the type of recovery programme you follow. It can take anywhere from a few weeks to a year and varies from woman to woman, because every woman is unique – including you. Be proud of that!

Tools that are inserted vaginally can effectively support the strengthening of the pelvic floor muscles. Vaginal cones – cone-shaped weights – are among the best-known and oldest options.

However, in my experience from postnatal recovery classes, most women cannot keep them in place throughout an entire class because they are too small and slip out too easily.

The optimal tool for strengthening the pelvic floor is a ball because its shape makes it easier to retain inside the body. More specifically: medical Kegel balls. And for many more reasons – which I will explain next.

My Assessment of Kegel Balls Suitable for Postnatal Recovery

Kegel balls consist of a hollow outer ball containing a solid inner ball that moves and generates vibrations, stimulating the pelvic floor. However, only very few models are actually suitable for strengthening the pelvic floor muscles. Here is my assessment of the characteristics an ideal Kegel ball for postnatal recovery should have:

• Sufficient Vibration Intensity

Only the highest possible vibration intensity ensures optimal stimulation of the pelvic floor muscles.

Only then can even small movements effectively stimulate the sphincter muscles. Optimal effectiveness depends on two decisive factors:

A) the weight of the material – Kegel balls made of metal or silicone?

B) an optimal size ratio between the inner ball and the outer ball.

Attractive colours and eye-catching designs play no role whatsoever…

The fact is: the vibrations generated by most Kegel balls are very weak because of the materials used and their lightweight, soft coverings. This is why manufacturers rarely provide specific information about vibration intensity. Do not rely on typical advertising claims – what matters is what the product can actually do.

• Different Sizes and Weights

Ideally, there should be as wide a selection of sizes and weights as possible so that you can adapt them both for active and passive use as well as to your individual anatomy. Unfortunately, most manufacturers offer only three sizes at most – far too few. Active exercises alone require different sizes than optimal support during passive use in daily life. In addition, there are considerable individual differences.

NOTE: If your pelvic floor muscles are already very well trained, you can even perform intensive training with Theros® Massive Balls.

• Material 100% Free From Harmful Substances

Is the material safe even during prolonged use? The term “medical silicone” is frequently used, but it is not a legally defined category and therefore says nothing about the absence of harmful substances. Germany's independent consumer testing organisation Stiftung Warentest tested numerous silicone sex toys, including many Kegel balls – some of them expensive premium products – and classified several as potentially harmful to health when used over longer periods: https://www.test.de/Sextoys-im-Test-Nur-3-von-18-Sexspielzeugen-ganz-ohne-Schadstoffe-5428416-0/

• CE Certification – Or Better: A Medical Device?

Only Kegel balls certified as medical devices are required to demonstrate that they are free from harmful substances and that their effectiveness for postnatal recovery has been clinically proven. Everything else is ultimately just a sex toy.

The erotic “side effects” of a truly effective medical device are, of course, just as intense.

Kegel Balls: How Do They Work for the Pelvic Floor?

• When you wear a ball during daily life, the vibrations created by movement constantly draw your attention to your pelvic floor. You instinctively adjust your movements and become more aware of your body – especially when carrying or lifting loads.
• Through biofeedback, the vibrations in the vaginal area trigger involuntary contractions of the pelvic floor muscles. In particular, the so-called FT fibres (fast twitch fibres) are stimulated, which can often improve urine leakage or incontinence quite quickly.
• In daily life, these impulses also act as a reminder to consciously contract the pelvic floor muscles at any time.
• The erotic stimulation itself also causes contractions that accelerate postnatal recovery and strengthen the pelvic floor.
• The balls can also be used as weights during Pelvic Floor Exercises With Kegel Balls for Women and Men to increase the training effect, as they are easier to retain than vaginal cones.

Most importantly: choose the right size (for wearing during daily life without the ball slipping out) or the right weight (when using it during exercises).

Why Viball®?

Until now, there have been no genuine medical Kegel balls that combine all the important characteristics required for effective postnatal recovery.

That is why, based on my experience and together with experts, I developed my own product range: Viball®.

Viball® is a certified medical device with proven effectiveness.

Do not compromise when it comes to such an important part of your body.

 

Viball® Kegel balls can help you particularly quickly. Here is why:

• Medical Device With Clinically Proven Effectiveness

Approval as a medical device requires proof of effectiveness – particularly regarding material compatibility and application safety. Viball® therefore meets the highest standards – both as a therapeutic tool for your health and as a premium Kegel ball.

• Six Sizes for the Perfect Fit

For active recovery or passive use in daily life, you need the right size or the right weight. For optimal adaptation to your body, Viball® is available in six sizes – for young women, women during menopause and women who have given birth several times. Here you can learn how to determine the optimal size.

• Maximum Vibration Intensity – Optimal Stimulation

The relationship between the outer ball and the inner ball is crucial: if the inner ball is too large, it can barely move. If it is too small, it lacks the weight required for strong vibration. In most products, this ratio is not optimal, which is why their effectiveness remains limited.

With Viball®, the size ratios are calculated precisely. As a result, each of the six sizes achieves maximum vibration intensity, which is further enhanced by the material properties.

• Implant-Grade Steel: Anti-Allergenic and Hygienic

Implant-grade steel is biocompatible, body-friendly and hygienic. Its smooth surface makes insertion significantly easier.

• Additional Stimulation Through Movement Inside the Body

Conventional Kegel balls often consist of connected balls and are therefore less mobile. Viball® can move freely and thereby provides additional stimulation.

NOTE: Further details can be found in the instructions for use, in the FAQ, and for special situations we offer application sleeves.

• Discreet in Daily Life

Viball® remains completely inside the body and is invisible from the outside. You can use it anywhere – in daily life or for targeted postnatal recovery.

• Quality and Safety

As a medical device, Viball® meets the highest standards for materials and safety.

• Warranty

Our commitment: uncompromising quality and safety.

You May Also Be Interested In:

• Kegel Balls: How They Work, Safe Materials and How to Choose the Right Ones
• Sex After Childbirth: How to Can Find Your Way Back to Pleasure Together Again
• Cystocele (Prolapsed Bladder): Symptoms and Treatment Options
• Yoni Steaming: Benefits, Application and Suitable Herbs