Aniball FAQs – Your Questions Answered
If you’re considering using Aniball as part of your birth preparation, it’s completely natural to have questions.
Aniball is a perineal training device designed to support pelvic floor awareness and gentle stretching in the final weeks of pregnancy. Many women use it to help them feel more confident and prepared ahead of vaginal birth — but understanding when to start, what results to expect, and how to use it safely is important.
Below, we’ve answered the most common questions about Aniball, including guidance on timing, comfort, balloon size, safety, and realistic expectations. Our aim is to provide balanced, evidence-informed information so you can decide whether perineal training is right for you.
If you have a high-risk pregnancy or any medical concerns, always speak to your midwife or obstetrician before starting.
General
Balloon measurement is done for informative purposes. It does not reflect results. The goal of the exercise is not to achieve a specific balloon circumference. This is why you should exercise only whilst it feels comfortable.
Exercising with Aniball should not hurt. It is not necessary to expand the size of the balloon at all costs and it is completely fine if you achieve the same results over the course of a number of days. As your due date approaches, your perineum gradually relaxes due to an increase in hormonal activity.
Based on clinical data, a balloon circumference of 25cm (approximately 10 pumps) is effective in preventing perineal tearing during childbirth. We recommend not exceeding this circumference, as injury may occur.
You can start exercising with Aniball at the end of your 36th week of pregnancy. 15 minutes a day is sufficient, however, feel free to exercise for longer, unless pain or discomfort arise.
Yes, definitely. Even two weeks can make a big difference.
A perineal cut or episiotomy is a surgical incision of the perineum (the area in between the vaginal opening and anus) during childbirth. The point of this procedure is to enlarge the vaginal opening and to prevent spontaneous tearing of the perineum. Unfortunately, this procedure is often linked to a number of unpleasant complications and negative side effects, usually lasting for life. Common negative side effects include pain during urination, limitations to intercourse, necessary perineal plastic surgery, incontinence in older age and other seemingly unrelated (headaches, psychological duress) effects. This is why it is important to avoid damage to the perineum (caused by tears or incisions).
We often encounter the question of how to breathe correctly during exercise and whether it is not the opposite of what is described in the manual.
Childbirth is a uniquely complex event where our body is given extra support by contractions due to hormonal adjustments. But breathing is no different from practising with Aniball. The Aniball is an aid to familiarise the woman with the feeling of pressure that the baby's head causes in the birth canal during birth, causing the urge to push.
The woman should respond to this pressure with calm, deep breathing that allows the pelvic floor to relax, which is essential for the baby's smooth passage. With deep abdominal breathing, the diaphragm relaxes with the inhalation, and so does the pelvic floor. The balloon located in the vagina tends to slip out.
Conversely, with exhalation, the pelvic floor contracts (activates). In this way, you gradually learn, together with the intuitively chosen birthing position, to let the balloon (the baby) into the world with the inhalation of the breath without forcibly pushing, holding the breath, contracting the belly and sphincters, which is professionally called "controlled pushing". Controlled pushing is totally inappropriate because it often leads to significant injuries and puts the baby at risk of oxygen deprivation.
Safety, Health & Medical Guidance
Yes — Aniball is a CE-marked medical device intended for pre-birth preparation and pelvic floor training when used according to the instructions. When used from around 37 weeks and only within comfort limits, training should not hurt and is designed to support gentle muscle awareness and relaxation, not force tissue stretching
No — Aniball is not recommended if your pregnancy is considered high risk, you’re at risk of premature labour, or you’re experiencing any vaginal bleeding or active infections. Always consult your doctor or midwife first in these situations.
No. Exercising with the balloon does not induce labour, and it does not cause amniotic fluid leakage. Leaking fluid can happen for various reasons during pregnancy, but Aniball itself does not trigger it.
No — the vagina is made of elastic tissue. Training is about pelvic floor muscle awareness and relaxation, not permanent expansion. It’s the hormonal and labour process that creates full dilation during birth.
It’s recommended to pause use during active treatment for yeast infections, as the vaginal mucosa can be fragile and inflamed during this time.