Exercise or not?

sdolivares · January 2016

I'd like to see what was difference between women who did go walking, yoga or any other exercise and those who didn't? I'm currently 37 weeks and feel like it's too late to put in some exercise but I'm not sure. I'd like too because I hear it helps the delivery but, it has also been tough due to the heavy back pain and out of breath I do get.

imakeeff0rts · January 2016

You should talk to your doctor about exercising.
Personally, it don't make my pregnancy or labor any easier. I still ended up with an induction, a baby that didn't engage, and a c-section.
This time around, I haven't really been going out of my way to exercise (but then again I'm only 7 weeks), and so far I feel pretty much the same that I did at this point with DS.

satuttle1014 · January 2016

The only exercise I did was walking the dog around the neighborhood and I have 4 flights of stairs in my house. I have a condo townhome and my actual living space starts on the 3rd floor so I multiple times a day I have to go up and down the flights of stairs.

Sarcasm101 · January 2016

I do Orange Theory Fitness 2-3 times a week and I love it. But I did it before I was pregnant. So I really don't know if it made my DS labor any easier since I don't have anything to compare it to. But I will tell you that I was cleared to work again while I was still in the hospital, and on the stairmaster 3 days after I had DS.

Talk to your doctor about adding exercise to your routine, especially this late in the game.

cmerribury · January 2016

I'm usually an exercise person. 5 days a week I do a combo of cardio, yoga, and weight training. However, this pregnancy I haven't worked out even once. I don't miss it, though I do look forward to doing it again, and don't regret the time spent relaxing. As you said, moving around in even the most basic way has been hard for me. I worked out when pregnant with my first and it didn't help with my labor at all. I've gained significantly less this pregnancy than that one, as well.

GinnyJ2012 · January 2016

I didn't exercise with my first at all. Labor was about 16 hours and I pushed for 4. With my second I exercised and did prenatal yoga throughout labor was 8 hours and I pushed for 20 minutes. (For my second labor i actually slept through most of it so I was awake for 8 hours, but I have no idea when labor started. I woke up at 2am with contractions 4 minutes apart). Was this because I exercised and did yoga, no idea, but I felt better when exercising.

I will recommend yoga especially if baby is already head down. Find a good prenatal class in your area if you're interested. It helped relieve my back and hip pain. She also taught good techniques for post delivery when nursing or feeding baby posture.

jenniferamcooper · January 2016

With my first pregnancy 2 years ago I didn't exercise per se (my doctor advised me to stop running with previous joint issues, it was the right call) but did walk about 4K a day (we live car free) and took my dog on 2-3 5K walks weekly. My son was born at 41+3 with no signs of coming soon (no dialation or effacing) after an emergency c. At 40 weeks my hubby and I walked 5K daily to our fav cheesecake place. 9 days of cheesecake in a row suprisenly didn't get boring but the walking didn't help labour get started and I don't know if it would have helped overall.

This pregnancy I had back/joint issues at 10 weeks so I've been lazier, just doing the 3/4K a day. I'm curious to see if it helps or not. A good friend who is a manager of a gym and incredibly fit had a rough delivery and pushing where her best friend joked that she was lazy and going to have a rough time giving birth because she wasn't as prepped as my super fit friend only pushed during 2 contractions.... I'm not entirely convinced it matters.

sarame500 · January 2016

Definitely speak with your doctor first about an exercise program, especially since you are this far along. However, I do believe walking is a pretty safe bet!

YogaSandy · January 2016

As a yoga instructor, I require anyone who is pregnant to have a PAR-MEDX for Pregnancy completed by their doctor before they participate in class. It's a prescription for exercise and what your doctor recommends you can and can't do. I even had one completed and gave it to my aerobics instructor (who is also qualified to certify instructors - I did my group fitness and weight training instructor courses through her. This is where I learned about the form).

It is from BC. I don't know if there is an American equivalent, but you can google it to find the form.

Somersky · January 2016

At 25 weeks, I just picked up jogging again--very slowly every other day and just 1.5 miles, with walk breaks throughout. (Walking 1.5 miles on the "off" days.) I also started prenatal yoga and it's awesome, partly because it forces me to put my fitness first at least one night per week (even leaving work a little early, 6:30pm, to get to the class on time). I'm doing these things partly because of the potential to aid labor, but mostly to give myself a mental and physical boost. It's makes me feel really good, getting a little bit active. Definitely talk to your doctor/midwife, though. I was told I could basically do whatever I wanted as long as I was not super out of breath (ie, able to carry on a conversation). And my midwives always recommend walking.

dramaphile · January 2016

I walked my dog twice a day for most of my pregnancy, and did some walking toward the very end to try and get things going. That was about the extent of my regular exercise while pregnant. I gave birth at 41+1, and had a pretty average labor for a FTM. About 19 hours from first contraction to birth, with 2 hours and 40 minutes of pushing. I was able to have an unmedicated birth.

Jessie42613 · January 2016

Exercise. Always exercise.

Don't be stupid though. The third trimester is not the time to start something new or strenuous.

But walk as much as you can. Do a little hiking if you're able. Do squats and lunges and stretch. Get your body moving and get those muscles engaged and get that heart rate up. (A little. Again, I'm not advocating anything intense)

My labor, start to finish, was 8 hours including 90 minutes of pushing. And everyone is different, luck and genetics play a big role, but my doctor told me that my fitness level definitely contributed to the ease of my delivery and has helped with pp healing.

maddyclarkin1 · January 2016

You can never go wrong with doing exercise!
Just be smart and judge it for yourself

fusionbride · January 2016

just start super slow, with a waddle around the block and see how it goes. Definitely don't start something crazy at this stage, but some walking at a comfortable pace and distance should be fine. If you really haven't done ANY exercise, maybe take someone with you the first few times just in case.

I only walked during both my pregnancies. I stretched more during my first, and this 2nd one I am starting to stretch again as I get more uncomfortable in the 3rd tri.

kitteh81 · January 2016

If you have access to a pool, I've found swimming to be a really great, impact - free way to move and work my legs without the aches of gravity. I'm not a swimmer so I basically just grab a kick board and paddle around for 45 minutes or so, but I definitely feel it in a good way.

Movement and stretching are almost always a good idea. Just get your care providers ok, and start slow.

meg_2006 · January 2016

My guess is the biggest difference you would see is not during labor, but during recovery. Pregnancy puts a humongous strain on the muscles, bones, and joints. If they are stronger to begin with and some of that strength is maintained during pregnancy, then it will be easier to regain and recover after birth.

i barely exercised last time, but I've been at the gym walking and doing weights 2 or 3 times a week this time. I've definitely gained less weight (although still not in the "ideal" range," I'm currently at 39 lbs with 5 1/2 weeks to go). I definitely feel a lot better mentally, and I'll be curious to see how different recovery is this time.

rikaroo · February 2016

Just my 2 cents here- I'm a FTM, so I can't speak to labor or recovery yet, but I'm 35 weeks along now, and have been exercising 2-3x per week. I feel like it has been really helpful in maintaining my energy levels, getting a good nights sleep, etc. In a given week, I usually do 2 sessions of 30 minutes each doing free-weights at the gym, and then 1 other day is 30 minutes of cardio- has mostly been fast-paced walking as the pregnancy progresses. Otherwise I try to do 3-5 mins of stretching when I wake up, towards the middle of the day, and again in the evening- people have remarked that I am surprisingly active and limber still, which is a confidence-booster if nothing else!

Don't know if that will directly influence how long/hard labor is or how quickly I recover, but I know that I feel great and that I have only put on about 15 lbs during the pregnancy.

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