The more active and fit you are during pregnancy, the easier it will be for you. It is good to stay fit and healthy to help you cope with your changing shape and weight gain. It will also help you to cope with labour which is a tough physical experience so the fitter you are the better. In addition the fitter you are will help you recover from the birth of your baby and make it easier to get back into shape after the birth.
Keep up your normal or usually type of daily physical activity or exercise (sport, running, yoga, dancing, or even walking to the shops and back) for as long as you feel comfortable. Don’t decide to take up a new form of exercise that you are not use to. If you have not exercised before, speak to a qualified instructor and get advice on the best exercise for you and you’re baby. Exercise is not dangerous for you and your baby – there is evidence that active women are less likely to experience problems in later pregnancy and labour and can have shorter labours.
Lisa suggests:
“Yoga and gentle exercise (e.g. walking, swimming) should be mandatory for expectant mothers. A certain level of fitness and flexibility is needed during childbirth and more emphasis should be placed on it. Childbirth is physical. Get fit”.

Exercises to Avoid
The following exercises are considered potentially dangerous to your unborn child and should be avoided. Horse-riding, contact sports such as Judo, kick-boxing skiing, scuba-diving, Hockey and gymnastics.
We do not recommend you do any of these exercises because of the risk of falling or a blunt and sharp trauma occurring to you abdomen. This is serious and could cause bleeding from the placenta (after birth) and sadly can result in the death of your baby.
• Exercise should be approached in a sensible way when you are pregnant it does not have to be strenuous to beneficial.

 

Bio:

Dr.Denise O’Brien is a lecturer in Midwifery

Programme Director MSc Midwifery Practice/ Head of Subject Midwifery