Pregnancy Week By Week

Abdominal workouts are among the most useful forms of exercise.  According to fitness instructor Sue Fleming, who created an exercise video for expecting mothers,  pregnant women should work on strengthening their abdomens and pelvic muscles because well-toned musculature in those areas is likely to make labor, delivery and recovery shorter and less painful.  Abdominal workouts can also help with posture problems that may arise after the baby is born. 

Running is also healthy during pregnancy, up until the mother goes into labor.  Coach Farel Hruska, an expert in pre/postnatal fitness education, points out that both ACOG and the National Academy of Sports Medicine consider it healthy for women who are experienced runners to continue running during pregnancy.  Hruska also reminds expecting mothers that as women's pregnancies progress, their bodies will slow down because they are carrying the weight of the growing baby, so there's no need to match the running speeds that mothers achieved before the pregnancy began.   

Nonetheless, the body does change during pregnancy, and certain forms of exercises may become slightly more risky.  For example, the pregnant body produces "relaxin,” a hormone that lubricates joints and makes labor easier.  If the joints become more relaxed due to this hormone, the risk of injury increases.  Also, back exercises can be dangerous during the second and third trimesters.  Instead, Sue Fleming suggests that mothers practice pelvic tilts or abdominal releasing and tightening exercises,  and avoid workouts that demand intense movements, such as squats or lunges.   

Pregnancy expert Dr. Patricia Farrell also warns mothers to be careful during strength and flexibility training.   Coach Hruska agrees.  Relaxin, a pregnancy hormone produced by the body, boosts the flexibility of the expecting mother's muscles.  It's a natural process, and yet it is also a disaster waiting to happen.  Relaxin helps pregnant mothers move their muscles more,  but it does not prevent muscle injury.   Hruska recommends, instead,  that pregnant women keep their "range of motion" the same as before the pregnancy. 

Sports that require a strong sense of balance, such as biking, skiing, or soccer, become risky in the second trimester.   Sue Fleming mentions the sense of balance weakens in the fourth month,  and at that time,  mothers should avoid putting their bodies in unstable positions or pursuing any activities that demand good balance. 

Overall,  the most important point for pregnant women to remember is that it's very important to get moving.  Even a small amount of regular exercise is healthier than sitting on the couch for nine months.    A daily walk or swim makes the pregnancy less painful by moderating the aches and pains.  It  helps mothers fight against the fatigue of pregnancy and counteracts the sleeplessness that results from uncomfortable sleeping positions.   Fleming reassures us that even ten minutes of daily exercise -- walking, carrying groceries, swimming,  even climbing stairs  -- can help a pregnant woman stay in shape.  As she gets stronger,  she can increase her workout time until she reaches 15 minutes twice a day.  

Babies in the uterus don't mind if their mothers are exercising;  they will still take the nutrients they need,  although mom might feel hungrier.  In the words of Coach Riley,  the baby always gets the nutrients it needs,  so the mother is the only one t o suffer from fatigue or weakness after exercising.    The most important measure an exercising mother can take to stay healthy during her pregnancy is to  keep blood sugar levels balanced by eating smaller, more frequent meals.   Exercising mothers have babies who are lean,  but healthy,  with normal-sized organs and heads.  In other words,  there is absolutely no reason for expecting mothers to be afraid of exercise. 

Nonetheless, mothers who  are working out need to get in touch with their doctors immediately if they start to feel light-headed, dizzy or  nauseous, or  if their vaginas start to spot or bleed.  There are other warning signs too. The expecting mother requires emergency care if she is having trouble breathing,  or has chest pains;  if the fetus is moving less,  the muscles are weak,  the uterus is contracting, calves are swelling,  or the head is aching uncontrollably.   Even so,  expecting mothers do not necessarily need to sit still until the baby is born.  Their exercise program should take into account the particular problems they are experiencing.  

When moms pay an emergency visit to the doctor after an incident of this type,  they should describe the physical feelings, specifying if these were mild or intense,  and  the activity they were doing when the symptoms appeared.  Then it is appropriate to ask the physician for advice about the exercise regime.  Should they continue or stop?  Should they tone it down,  or drop certain dangerous activities?    

Expecting mothers may not be up to running marathons,  but most women will feel healthier and stronger if they continue to exercise throughout their pregnancies.  It is important however,  to discuss exercise plans with a doctor or other health care provider at the beginning of the pregnancy and choose a level of exercise that will keep an expecting mother healthy without causing any injuries to her or to the baby.  

*This article is based on the information at http://kidshealth.org, http://www.webmd.com, http://www.childbirth.org and  http://www.consumerhealthdigest.com