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2. Can I Exercise During Pregnancy?
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Is Exercise Safe During Pregnancy?
Yes. For most women, current evidence suggests staying physically active during pregnancy is considered both safe and beneficial. Activities may be modified as your pregnancy progresses.
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How Much Exercise Should I Do?
Current guidelines recommend aiming for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity every week.
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What Types Of Exercise Are Recommended?
Current guidelines recommend combining a variety of activities, including:
- Walking
- Swimming
- Stationary cycling
- Resistance or strengthening exercises
- Pelvic floor muscle training
- Yoga or gentle stretching where appropriate
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What Are The Benefits Of Exercise During Pregnancy?
Regular physical activity has been shown to support both maternal and baby health and may help:
- Reduce the risk of gestational diabetes
- Reduce the risk of pregnancy-related high blood pressure
- Reduce excessive gestational weight gain
- Reduce urinary incontinence
- Improve low back and pelvic girdle pain
- Improve mood and reduce symptoms of depression
- Improve overall fitness, sleep, and wellbeing
What Can Influence Labour?
Labour is a complex process influenced by many factors.
Midwives and obstetricians often describe three important elements that can influence how labourprogresses.
Power
The strength and coordination of uterine contractions, along with maternal energy and pushing efforts.
Passage
The pelvis, cervix, pelvic floor, and surrounding soft tissues through which the baby passes.
Passenger
The baby's size, position, and presentation.
These factors interact throughout labour, and no single healthcare provider can control them.
How Can We Support This Process?
While we cannot determine how labour unfolds, we can help support your preparation through:
Exercise and physical conditioning
Movement and mobility advice
Breathing and relaxation strategies
Education and reassurance
Managing pregnancy-related discomfort that may limit activity
Common Changes & Symptoms During Pregnancy
Pregnancy involves significant hormonal, physical, and biomechanical changes as your baby grows and your body adapts. Understanding these changes can help make common symptoms feel less concerning and explain whyyour body may feel different throughout pregnancy. These changes are normal and form an important part of the body's preparation for pregnancy and birth. Pain or discomfort during pregnancy does not necessarily mean your body is damaged or unstable.
1. Hormonal Changes during pregnancy
Pregnancy hormones help your body adapt to the growing demands of pregnancy and prepare for birth. Different hormones contribute to different changes throughout pregnancy, which is why many women notice a wide range of symptoms.
hCG rises rapidly during early pregnancy and is commonly associated with nausea and morning sickness.
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Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)
Progesterone helps support pregnancy and plays an important role in reducing uterine contractions. It can also influence smooth muscle activity throughout the body. Some women may experience fatigue, sleepiness, constipation, reflux, bloating and mood changes
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Progesterone
Oestrogen supports the growth of the uterus and breasts and contributes to increased blood flow throughout the body. Some women may notice breast tenderness, changes in skin appearance, nasal congestion, and increased fluid retention
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Oestrogen
Relaxin helps the body adapt to pregnancy by influencing connective tissues, ligaments, and joint mobility.
Some women may notice changes in flexibility, changes in movement comfort, and pelvic or lower back discomfort
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Relaxin
2. Postural Changes during pregnancy
As your baby grows, your centre of gravity gradually shifts forward and movement patterns adapt. These changes may increase the physical demands placed on the spine, pelvis, hips, and lower limbs.
4. Circulatory Changes during pregnancy
Your cardiovascular system undergoes significant changes throughout pregnancy to support both you and your growing baby.
Blood volume increases significantly during pregnancy to help deliver oxygen and nutrients to the fetus and placenta. Some women may experience swelling in the feet and ankles, fluid retention, fatigue, and feeling warmer than usual.
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🩸 Increased Blood Volume
As blood volume increases, the heart pumps more blood throughout the body to meet the increasing demands of pregnancy. Some women may notice a faster resting heart rate, occasional awareness of their heartbeat (palpitations), and becoming short of breath more easily during activity
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❤️ Increased Cardiac Output
As the uterus grows, it can place pressure on the large veins in the abdomen, making it more difficult for blood to return from the legs back to the heart. Some women may experience swelling in the feet and ankles, heavy or tired legs, varicose veins, and haemorrhoids.
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🦵 Increased Venous Pressure
Pregnancy naturally increases the body's ability to form blood clots. This helps reduce bleeding during and after childbirth. While this is a normal adaptation, it also means that pregnancy is associated with a slightly increased risk of blood clots compared to non-pregnant women.
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🩹 Increased Clotting Tendency
5. Urinary Changes during pregnancy
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Increased Urinary Frequency, Urgency And Leakage
During pregnancy, the kidneys filter more blood, urine production increases, and the growing uterus places increasing pressure on the bladder.
As a result, some women may experience:
- More frequent urination
- A stronger urge to urinate
- Waking during the night to urinate
- Occasional urine leakage, particularly when coughing, sneezing, laughing, or exercising
Appropriately prescribed pelvic floor muscle training may help reduce the risk and severity of urinary leakage during and after pregnancy.
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Increased Risk Of Urinary Tract Infection
Pregnancy can slightly increase the risk of urinary tract infections due to changes in urinary flow and pressure on the urinary tract.
Common symptoms may include:
- Burning or pain when passing urine
- Increased urinary frequency
- Urinary urgency
- Fever or feeling unwell
Please seek medical assessment if these symptoms occur, as untreated urinary tract infections during pregnancy can sometimes lead to complications.
6. Digestive Changes during pregnancy
Hormonal and physical changes during pregnancy can influence digestion and gastrointestinal function.
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Reflux & Heartburn
Pregnancy hormones can relax the muscles that normally help keep stomach contents in the stomach. As the uterus grows, increasing pressure within the abdomen may also contribute to reflux, causing heartburn, chest discomfort after meals and bloating.
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Constipation & Haemorrhoids
Hormonal changes can slow digestion and bowel movements during pregnancy.
Some women may experience:
- Bloating
- Abdominal discomfort
- Constipation (Constipation may also contribute to haemorrhoids)
