Exercise!

Fetal Development at 27 Weeks

Now in my 27th week of pregnancy, which happens to be the last week of my second trimester, I consider myself fortunate to be having an uncomplicated and enjoyable pregnancy so far. Of course, adding about 20 pounds of weight to my front side has made my body a bit weary, and I occasionally have some back pain and strain in my abdominal ligaments. For the past few weeks, Robbie and I have been very busy with rearranging the house and painting the nursery, which has made me especially achy. Some nights after doing a lot of physical labor, I felt like I needed a professional massage or something. But rather than spend $50-$100 regularly on prenatal massages (which I am sure are delightful), we decided to get a YMCA membership for me. We really don't have the money for the expensive YMCA membership, but in the end it would be cheaper than going for massages and will help me to continue having an enjoyable pregnancy because I can now do my favorite form of aerobic exercise: swimming! Unfortunately Planet Fitness doesn't have a pool, and I was getting tired of using treadmills and ellipticals...especially now that their is no longer ice on the sidewalks and I can walk dogs at a brisk pace. So I am really excited to have switched over to the YMCA and to be swimming. While a member of the Y, I will also be taking a prenatal water aerobics class (free with membership), which I am super excited about.

According to Pregnancy Childbirth and the Newborn, The Complete Guide (Simpkin et al. 2010):

In general, low-impact aerobic exercise is best for pregnant women because it doesn't involve movements that can strain joints. Swimming or taking a water aerobics class provides a total-body workout with the lowest possible impact, because the water reduces the force of gravity on your body. In addition, standing or sitting in water that reaches your shoulders reduces swelling by pusin gtissue fluid into your circulation (and eventually out of your body through urination).

I have been swimming regularly for a couple of weeks now, and already I feel like my back muscles have been getting stronger and I have been less achy. I love feeling weightless in the water; I can swim just as fast as I did before I was pregnant without any extra fatigue. With walking, which I do a lot of everyday, I find myself getting tired very quickly and I have to be really careful of not overdoing it. But with swimming, I can just go for it and it feels good to be able to move quickly. Plus, I just love being in the water, and I imagine the baby enjoys the feeling of weightlessness as much as I do. Here is a link that discusses more benefits to swimming while pregnant: BabyCenter

Besides swimming and walking dogs (usually 1-2 hours a day) I have also been continuing yoga and I started belly dancing occasionally. I have just finished my winter session of prenatal yoga and am starting the spring session this Thursday. Yoga has been great for me both before and during pregnancy, and I can't imagine my life without it anymore.

According to Pregnancy Childbirth and the Newborn, The Complete Guide (Simpkin et al. 2010):

Yoga practice promotes self-nurturing and harmony of the mind, body, and spirit. Yoga builds strength and stamina, improves flexibility and balance, encourages mindfulness, increases energy, and promotes meditation (which calms the mind and nourishes the spirit). Yoga also strengthens core muscles (abdominal, pelvic floor, and back) and postural muscles, and improves breathing and mental focus.

I really do feel like I gain all of these benefits from yoga, and would recommend the practice of yoga to everyone.

Belly dancing is something I had never done before, and now I am doing it at home with a DVD. I think its really fun, empowering, and it makes me feel stronger and less achy. I have been using Amira's Bellydance and Yoga for Pregnancy DVD. The neat thing about this DVD is not only do you have the opportunity to dance around, she also uses yoga to warm up and cool down, some strength exercises that will aid during childbirth, and instructs you on different movements that may be helpful during labor. Sometimes I just put on Arabic music now and dance around the house because it releases a lot of pressure to move my hips around like you do in belly dancing. I am hoping to become comfortable/familiar with the movements so that they will feel like second nature when I am labor.