Health Highlights | Pregnancy and exercise
Key Takeaways:
- Pregnancy is broken up into three trimesters
- Morning sickness is most common in first trimester
- Second trimester is a trimester of growth, exciting news
- Schedule a hospital visit to get familiar with the birthing process, learn where to go
- Be proactive in having conversations with your provider throughout your pregnancy
Gym moms, if your child is a future Olympic athlete, you'll always be able to say you were their first-ever gym partner.
Becoming pregnant doesn't mean you have to toss your exercise plan to the side, says Mfowethu Langeni, DO, a family medicine physician at OSF HealthCare who specializes in Obstetrics.
In fact, it's the opposite!
As your baby sits and kicks in the womb for nine months, Dr. Langeni says core exercises and strength training like lifting weights are great ways to prioritize both mom and baby's health.
"(Labor) does take a lot of stamina, strength and core strength. But all women are different," Dr. Langeni says. "Some women push for hours during labor; some don't need to push much at all. Either way, strength conditioning and core training before and during pregnancy will help overall."
Are you a marathon runner? That doesn't have to stop either.
Dr. Langeni says high intensity cardio and even power squatting are recommended for pregnant moms.
He recommends talking any exercise plan over with your OB/GYN before getting started, and to make sure you avoid any exercises that could cause trauma to your stomach.