In our mothers and grandmothers days, women were told not to exercise during pregnancy in fear of harming both mother and baby. However, obstetricians and midwives now tell us to do some form of exercise to get fit or fitter during pregnancy to help cope with labour and the body recover.
When I was pregnant with my first born from the first trimester, I went to prenatal yoga and aqua aerobics classes on a weekly basis. The frequent images that sets in our minds of aqua aerobics is of older ladies with floral swimming caps bouncing up and down in the water. This is actually not far from the truth! Sans the floral swimming caps, in place, frilly, floral one piece swimming costumes.
The aqua aerobics classes that I attended were more ‘energetic’ and was participated by a younger group of ladies, and on occasion, a man. It wasn’t specifically designed for pregnant women but I found that exercising in the water helped support my weight because of the water’s buoyancy. The water’s temperature also helped keep my body temperature from over heating.
You don’t need to know how to swim to do water aerobics as classes are conducted in waist deep or chest deep water. It’s a lot of fun and can be done up until week 40 of your pregnancy.
I did prenatal yoga up until the 40th week of my pregnancy. I attribute my intervention free, first 24 hours of labour to prenatal yoga. I was able to cope with the labour pains purely through the breathing techniques I learnt in my yoga classes. After that, the doctors intervened and that was the end of yoga positions and practised breathing. My son’s head was looking up instead of tucked in so I wasn’t dilating beyond 4 cm and the labour wasn’t progressing. I ended up taking oxytocin and an epidural and that speed things up and I gave birth (with assistance of the forceps) to a healthy boy 8 hours later.
Pre-natal yoga helped me relax when I felt anxious or frustrated. Some positions helped with the swelling in my ankles from fluid retention. It was also a time that was just for baby and I. You don’t need to be super fit or flexible when you start prenatal yoga for the first time. The instructors are quite clear with their instructions and you perform the routine at your own pace so starting yoga when you’re pregnant is perfectly alright.
This time around, with baby number two, I have returned to my old pregnancy exercise regime. With the nausea and vomiting significantly reduced, I have more energy and have started to enjoy the pregnancy. I think it’s important to take time out to focus on baby number 2 and I, and give us time to connect as I did with baby number 1.
