Pregnancy Girl » Fit Pregnancy

How Can I Prepare my Body for Labor and Delivery?

Administrator — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 23:02:30 +0000

Besides having a generally fit pregnancy which includes exercise for your ability level and sticking to a healthy pregnancy diet, Kegel exercises (also known as pelvic floor excercises) are important to get your body ready for labor and delivery. The pelvic floor muscles support the rectum, vagina, and urethra in the pelvis. Strengthening these muscles by doing Kegel exercises may help you have an easier birth. They will also help you avoid leaking urine during and after pregnancy.

Pelvic muscles are the same ones used to stop the flow of urine. Still, it can be hard to find the right muscles to squeeze. You can be sure you are exercising the right muscles if when you squeeze them you stop urinating. Or you can put a finger into the vagina and squeeze. If you feel pressure around the finger, you’ve found the pelvic floor muscles.

How to Perform Your Kegel Exercises:

Tighten the pelvic floor muscles for 5 to 10 seconds, relax for 5 seconds.

Repeat 10 to 20 times, 3 times a day.

You can do Kegel exercises standing, sitting, or lying down.

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How Will I Know if I’m Overdoing Exercise?

Administrator — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 23:00:57 +0000

Stop exercising and call your doctor as soon as possible if you have any of the following:

Dizziness

Headache

Chest pain

Calf pain or swelling

Abdominal pain

Blurred vision

Fluid leaking from the vagina

Vaginal bleeding

Decreased fetal movement

Contractions

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What Type of Exercise is Best During Pregnancy?

Administrator — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 22:59:29 +0000

Low-impact exercise that requires moderate exertion is probably best. The following is a list of physical activities that seem to be comfortable and enjoyable exercises for most pregnant women:

Walking
Swimming
Dancing
Cycling
Prenatal yoga

According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), many different types of exercise can be safe for most pregnant women.

Follow these recommended guidelines when choosing a pregnancy exercise plan:

Avoid activities in which you can get hit in the abdomen like kickboxing, soccer, basketball or ice hockey.

Steer clear of activities in which you can fall like horseback riding, downhill skiing, and gymnastics.

Do not scuba dive during pregnancy. Scuba diving can create gas bubbles in your baby’s blood that can cause many health problems.

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What Pregnancy Exercise Guidelines Should I Follow?

Administrator — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 22:59:09 +0000

Follow these tips to have safe and healthy work-outs:

When you exercise, start slowly, progress gradually, and cool down slowly.

You should be able to talk while exercising. If not, you may be exercising too intensely.

Take frequent breaks.

Don’t exercise on your back after the first trimester. This can put too much pressure on an important vein and limit blood flow to the baby.

Avoid jerky, bouncing and high-impact movements. Connective tissues stretch much more easily during pregnancy. So these types of movements put you at risk of joint injury.

Don’t exercise at high altitudes (more than 6,000 feet). It can prevent your baby from getting enough oxygen.

Make sure you drink lots of fluids before, during and after exercising.

Do not work-out in extreme heat or humidity.

If you feel uncomfortable, short of breath or tired take a break and take it easier when you resume exercise.

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Is Exercise Safe for All Pregnant Women?

Administrator — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 22:58:37 +0000

No. But for most healthy moms-to-be who do not have any pregnancy-related problems, exercise is a safe and valuable habit. Even so, before exercising during pregnancy talk to your doctor or midwife. She will be able to suggest a fitness plan that is safe for you. Getting a doctor’s advice is important for both women who exercise before pregnancy and for those who’d like to start a fitness routine.

Women with the follow problems may not be able to exercise during pregnancy:

heart disease

Lung disease

Obesity

Severe diabetes

Thyroid disease

Seizure disorder

Persistent bleeding in the second or third trimester

Complications with past pregnancies

Premature labor

Pregnancy related high blood pressure

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Why exercise during pregnancy?

Administrator — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 02:18:11 +0000

There are many reasons why there is an advantage to exercising during pregnancy, and we will share some with you. It’s no surprise that we should all be engaged in some exercise routine throughout our lives, but there are some specific rewards for doing so during pregnancy. However, if you have not been involved in an exercise regime until now, do not start on a rigorous program. Of course, talk to your doctor before you begin a new exercise, but it’s pretty safe to say that walking would be a good choice even if you were not exercising regularly before you were pregnant.

If you need some reasons to exercise during pregnancy here they are:

Exercise can keep your pregnancy weight gain healthy and normal.
Exercise nourishes your mental health. You can keep anxiety and depression at bay by exercising regularly.
Exercise lowers your risk for gestational diabetes and high blood pressure.
Exercise can improve sleep, especially if you’re having trouble sleeping in the 3rd trimester.
Exercise may help ward off many of those aches and pains.
Exercise fights pregnancy constipation, varicose veins, and back aches.
Exercise will make labor, and delivery, and recovery easier.

After reading our list of good reasons for exercise, hopefully you found the encouragement you need to exercise during pregnancy. Remember, check with your doctor first before starting a pregnancy exercise regimen.

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