You are in a wonderful process. Your body is preparing itself for your baby and its birth day by day. During this preparation phase, many hormonal, physical and systemic changes occur. Every day feels like a party in the body! Emotional ups and downs, fatigue, daytime cramps, waist, back and groin pain can enter the daily life of many pregnant women. The beautiful thing is that the body does not undergo this big change all at once, but step by step. Postpartum is a faster process, the uterus returns to its normal state after 6 weeks. Just as we prepare the car for snow when winter comes, the body should also prepare for this change process. We have all heard of women giving birth in the field; Exercise has become a necessity in today's living conditions that encourage inactivity, compared to the active conditions of the past where people worked to survive. Exercise should be our best friend on the road to a comfortable pregnancy. If you want to change your lifestyle, pregnancy is a unique opportunity for this. It is a period that will introduce proper nutrition, adequate water intake and exercise discipline into your life. Exercise is generally appropriate and necessary for all pregnant women, but approval must be obtained from a physician beforehand. Since it is a special period, there may be some issues and risks that require special attention. Pregnant women with high risk and the possibility of premature birth should definitely be under constant control.
Exercise has a very important contribution to a healthy pregnancy and feeling good and getting through emotional transitions more easily. Active women also face fewer problems in subsequent pregnancies. In addition, the body entering the postpartum recovery process needs physical competence and endurance. This is an essential need, especially for mothers who will care for their newly welcomed babies, who have other children who require home care, and who will return to working life after their birth.
What Changes During Pregnancy?
The musculoskeletal system begins to differentiate to make room for the growing baby. Hormones (main rel axin and progesterone) effects on the skeletal system, causing stretching and relaxation in muscles and ligaments. These changes and their effects are most seen in the waist, abdomen and pelvic region. The natural curvature of the waist provides relief from the pressure exerted by gravity on the spine in an upright posture. As the abdomen grows during pregnancy, this curvature increases and the body's center of gravity shifts forward. This means that if the waist and abdominal muscles are weak and there is no proper posture, this curve will increase even more and cause pain and fatigue. We see problems caused by postural changes more frequently in people who had a sedentary lifestyle before pregnancy. Therefore, the best time is to start exercising before pregnancy. The abdominal muscles, which are responsible for supporting the baby during pregnancy, must be stronger and more flexible than normal. The muscles that stretch as the baby grows, and if they are weak, can cause the two front muscles to separate from the midline and move away from each other, called diastasis recti. This is usually the underlying reason for the situation where it is said that I have a tiny belly after birth and it is not going away. The pelvic region serves both as a "home" and support, and as a "pathway" during birth, taking part in the process by expanding and stretching the pelvis and surrounding tissues to allow the baby's passage to be comfortable. Working in a chain with the muscles of the abdominal and lower spine region, it is affected by the dysfunctions here and takes on too much load, causing the nerves passing through the region to be under pressure, which can cause the groin, lower abdominal and pubic region pains that we frequently see in pregnant women. It is an important factor that the pelvic floor is flexible beforehand to avoid the need for interventions such as episiotomy at birth. When this is practiced with relaxation breathing, the woman can adapt this to her birth and achieve relaxation, especially in the second phase of labor. This is an issue that needs to be given importance because; It means a woman who is free from the fears of a natural, instinctive and healthy birth and who has "transitioned to another universe", as those who have given birth will know. The pelvic floor is very important to consider the continuation of sexual life after birth, to prevent problems such as urinary incontinence and pain, and to prevent the quality of life from decreasing.
İ Here is the curious question: “Which Exercise?”
150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise (in which the heart rate increases) per week is the general program recommended by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for pregnant women. However, this may vary in frequency and type depending on the history of the pregnant woman. For example, for a woman who has experienced loss in previous pregnancies, the most important thing is to provide relaxation. Likewise, adjusting blood pressure and heart rate varies according to general health history. Strengthening, relaxation and balance are the main elements targeted in an exercise program for pregnant women. Medium-paced walking, pilates and yoga are alternative types of exercise that can be applied.
Important points I should pay attention to about exercise:
Positions that put pressure on the abdomen, where there is a risk of falling. should avoid. For example, stretching the back with the head backwards and lying on the back, especially in the 3rd trimester, are movements that should not be done because they will reduce the blood flow to the baby. In any case, no pregnant woman likes to lie on her back during this period because she feels serious pressure.
In addition to its physical effects, exercise has many systemic effects. It also has benefits. Exercise plays a preventive role in diabetes, which is one of the attention issues of pregnancy. It reduces stress, enables better sleep and prevents excess weight gain.
There are some special situations that require attention and stopping exercise if experienced. Vaginal bleeding and fluid discharge, nausea-dizziness-feeling faint, sudden contractions in the uterus, chest pain, increased heart rate, headache. It is important to have adequate water intake because if the pregnant woman is dehydrated, hypotension may occur with exercise. Avoiding exercising in very hot weather and not increasing body temperature are also issues that need to be taken into consideration. In general, the groups that are at risk for exercise and must be under the control of a physician are heart and lung disease, shortening of the cervix, the placenta being between the baby and the birth canal after the 26th week and closing the canal, premature rupture of membranes (early breaking of water), preeclampsia and severe anemia. /p>
In light of all this, you want to spend this most special and enjoyable period of your life more pleasantly and comfortably, for your baby and your baby. Exercise is a perfect helper and friend to prepare you physically and mentally for the new days you will begin in the best possible way.
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