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Objective: To assess the inter-rater reliability of two raters for the mean and single maximal value of three vaginal maximum voluntary contractions (MVCs) using the Peritron™ perineometer for study participants in the first and second trimesters of pregnancy., Participants: Thirty-six low-risk pregnant women., Methods: The assessments were done by two different examiners with an interval of 2 to 7 days. For statistical analysis, the concordance correlation coefficient (CCC) and Bland-Altman limits of agreement were used., Results: For the overall sample, good reliability of 0.80 was found analyzing the mean of three MVCs and for the single maximal value (CCC = 0.79). Good reliability was found for the mean of three MVCs (0.81 and 0.78) for the first and second trimesters, respectively. Good reliability of 0.89 was found in the first trimester and a moderate reliability of 0.70 for the second trimester when analyzing the single maximal value of three MVCs., Conclusion: Good inter-rater reliability was found for the overall sample and first trimester of pregnancy for both mean values and single maximal values of the three MVCs. A good and moderate reliability was respectively found in the second trimester in analyzing the mean and single maximum values of three MVCs.

Objectives: To assess whether maternal blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) change significantly in response to pelvic floor muscle training during pregnancy., Design: Longitudinal exploratory study with repeated measurements., Sample: Twenty-seven nulliparous healthy women of mean age 23.3 years (range 18-36) and mean body mass index 23.4 (range 23.1-29.5)., Methods: Individual supervised pelvic floor muscle training from gestational week 20 till 36 with assessment of BP and HR at gestational weeks 20, 24, 28, 32 and 36., Main Outcome Measures: Systolic and diastolic BP was measured before and after each training session and HR was monitored during each session., Results: Pelvic floor muscle training did not change BP. 77% (n = 21) of participants exceeded 70% of estimated maximum HR during at least one session. The time for exceeding 70% of estimated maximum HR was between 2.2 and 3.2 % of the total exercise session. Increases in BP and HR from gestational weeks 20 till 36 were within normal limits for pregnant women., Conclusions: Pelvic floor muscle training in nulliparous sedentary pregnant women does not increase BP. It significantly increases HR during the exercise sessions, but only for a limited period of time and with no negative long-term effect on BP or HR., (© 2014 Nordic Federation of Societies of Obstetrics and Gynecology.)