Squats while pregnant?

tamararachel2

Does anyone know about doing squats while pregnant? Or has anyone asked their doctor? I've been reading up and one website says not to because it can cause the placenta to detach from the uterus. Another site says it's great for pregnant women as long as you don't go below 90 degrees. My fiancee is a trainer and he said he's not too sure but he would suggest not a full squat but a wall squat with a stability ball. I'm just curious if anyone has had the same question. 

mb314

The Bradley Method for Natural Childbirth promotes squatting as a way to prepare for childbirth.  Although they're encouraging women to squat down and hold the squat for a while - not necessarily the up and down moves.  The Bradley Method classes prescribe that you do several squats a day. 

If you're going the natural childbirth route, squatting is one of the most effective positions for giving birth, so preparing your body to be in that position is a good thing.  Squatting also has been shown to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles (i.e. the muscles you exercise with Kegels) and to stretch your perineum, helping to prevent tears in child birth. 

I would modify your squats to do fewer, but hold the squatting position for an extended period of time. 

NHRunner

I'm still doing weighted squats at crossfit and squatting type moves at prenatal yoga.  I asked my OB about them, she didn't have any issues and said they are beneficial for delivery, just not to use too much weight. 

I had read one place about the 90 degrees, so I'm not doing too deep of squats with weights but at yoga we have been doing poses that have you in a deep squat position. 

tamararachel2

It was on the bodybuilding.com website. I was looking for some new exercises I could try out and there was a warning for pregnant women about squats. I have never heard anything negative about squats while pregnant, but I just wanted some input. Thanks!

lindsay.lou

I did a lot of prenatal yoga and it all involved squats.

 It's so hard when it comes to prenatal fitness because there is simply SO MUCH misinformation out there. 

genekelly

I did squats with the Smith machine prior to pregnancy and early on.  Later in pregnancy I switched to wall squats with a stability ball and held dumbbells in my hands.  I never read anything to say squats were a no-no.  My OB did say no lifting heavier than 25(maybe 35 lbs) after 16 weeks.  I actually didn't listen to that advice but did decrease my weights to make it a little less strenuous after ~24 wks.

CrazyLife3

I am 20w and still squatting. I have cut the weight by over half. I was sqautting 1RM close to 200 before I was pregnant. Now I max out about 115 for 6-8 reps. So lower the weights, up the reps. I do not go below parallel anymore. It is just not comforatble. I have a little bit wider stance. I have days where my pubic bones hurt, right near the pubic symphis (sp?) so I just take it easy. I still do split squats, step ups and lunges, weighted but lighter than before. I have not read warnings against squatting during pregnancy. I have read to shorten the range of motion, lighten up and breathe properly.

SecretAgentK

I do squats with a personal trainer--it's been a mainstay of my routine since getting pregnant. But lately it's been super easy to get way deeper in the squats so to prevent me going down too far she has me squat to tap a bench, and I don't go further than that. 

twirlyjack73

The Mayo Clinic's website says no, just google exercise pregnant & find the link.  I was on it this morning.