While waiting for the baby, the life style of the expectant mother changes radically. Those who were indifferent to physical activity pay attention to walks in the fresh air, and those who previously led a very active life and played sports replace fitness classes with something calmer, for example, brisk walking and stretching. Swimming in the pool during pregnancy is an excellent choice - doctors usually recommend this type of exercise to all women. Even if you previously visited the pool only during your school years, now is the time to resume classes. Don't know how to swim? It doesn’t matter, you can just do a set of exercises in the water.
The question of the possibility of engaging in aqua aerobic sports for expectant mothers is most often resolved positively, however, there are a number of points that should be paid attention to.
The benefits and harms of a swimming pool can be relative, because, firstly, a woman may have individual contraindications (for example, she has an allergic reaction to bleach, which is used to disinfect water in most sports complexes). Secondly, you need to know the following nuances:
Going to the pool is allowed only after obtaining consent from the gynecologist.
There is no exact data on the effect of chlorinated water on the fetus. However, it is known that this substance and its compounds can cause burns and can have a negative effect on cells. This remark mainly concerns chlorine vapors. If such steam enters the body in large quantities, it is fraught with poisoning, the symptoms of which are:
Naturally, the development of such a condition is extremely rare, since water treatment does not require a huge amount of this substance. And yet, a pregnant woman becomes extremely sensitive, and therefore it is not always possible to predict the body’s reaction to chlorinated water.
To avoid unpleasant consequences with 100% certainty, you should choose modern sports complexes where water is disinfected in other ways:
How can pregnant women swim in the pool? The main thing is to avoid overload. Swim in the style that you are used to and that is comfortable for you. The question of what style to swim is relevant for those who during pregnancy decided to learn the basics of swimming. If you don’t know how to swim and don’t yet find the strength and desire to master this art, take a circle or a swimming board and simply move in the water using your legs.
Some trainers advise swimming mainly crawl during pregnancy, claiming that this is the safest form and does not overload the muscles and joints.
Do not go into the water if you feel unwell. It’s better to wait a couple of days, and then resume classes.
So, we know what we need to think about before surrendering to the power of the water element, what safety measures to follow. Now let's talk about why it's worth visiting the pool.
Knowing how a swimming pool is useful for pregnant women, you will be very happy to purchase a subscription.
Swimming in a pool is beneficial because:
In addition, swimming perfectly relieves the spine. The increased weight shifts the center of gravity, the spine experiences enormous loads, and while in the water the weight is not felt. Joints and muscles are also unloaded - in general, the woman’s well-being becomes better.
How long can you swim? The best option is two to three times a week. During breaks, the body rests and rebuilds. Intensive daily exercise is unlikely to do him any good now.
There is one more nuance regarding the benefits of a swimming pool for expectant mothers. It is considered by doctors as an anti-stress. The mother plunges into the same water element in which her unborn child is now located - this helps her feel unity with the baby, tune in to the “same wavelength” with him.
Despite the enormous positive effect of swimming and water aerobics for pregnant women, you should visit the pool with caution in the first trimester of pregnancy. The pros and cons here are:
Points that should be alarming: in the first trimester, the mother’s body does not yet perceive the fetus as part of itself, which means there is an increased risk of miscarriage. Any active actions can provoke spontaneous abortion. Plus this fact: the plug that will block the cervix, preventing bacteria from entering the uterus and keeping the fetus inside, is just being formed. This means that the unborn child is still defenseless. Perhaps it makes sense to swim in your own pool at the dacha for now and postpone going to the public pool until a little later.
In the third trimester, pregnant women can go to the pool without fear, but only until the time when labor is felt to be approaching. This means that, for example, in the 7th month you can go to classes a couple of times a week, but after the 36th week you should replace the classes with simple walking and visiting the aquatic complex less frequently, limiting yourself to one lesson. This is due to the fact that the plug may already be slightly coming off, so it is easier for infections to penetrate to the baby.
But in a seawater pool you can swim unhindered. If the pool is warm and the water is heated, great. This negates the effects of stress caused by temperature differences.
Another small warning for those who are about to become a mother: cramps often occur in the later stages. They can also happen in water, especially if the water temperature is low. Then you need to immerse your head under the water, grab yourself with your hand by the big toe of the injured foot and pull it forcefully towards you. It is advisable to quickly get out of the water: there you also need to pull your leg harder, despite the pain. The cramp will pass quickly.
Can pregnant women go to a swimming pool with chlorine in the first trimester? According to doctors' instructions, it is better to wait until the second trimester.
In the second trimester, the harm of bleach for the baby will be so insignificant that there is hardly any need to fear any consequences: he is reliably protected inside his “house”. In the later stages, visit a pool with sea water or water purified by modern methods: in this case, the benefits will be much greater.
The general rule is: don't swim at your limit. It is unlikely that there is an exact answer to the question of how to properly swim in the pool during pregnancy. Each woman chooses a style that is convenient for her and those exercises that allow her to improve her well-being.
It is correct to monitor your condition, the water temperature, and go to the pool only after receiving permission from a doctor. You can swim on your back or on your stomach: water makes the load easier. Is it possible to dive? If you know how to do it, then why not? But in this case, of course, it is better to choose pools with sea or mineral water, if there are such in your city.
You can do pregnancy exercises in the pool if you don't plan to swim. Take precautions: be sure to wear a hat and rubber slippers when you go to the water.
Submerge yourself in water up to about your chest.
Start doing crunches: holding the side, carefully turn the body in different directions.
Then perform squats while standing at the side, facing it and taking a stable position. The emphasis is placed with your feet on the wall of the pool.
Another exercise: lying on your stomach, holding onto the side, pull your knees to your chest as far as you can.
Exercises in the pool during pregnancy in the third trimester should prepare the woman for the upcoming birth.
The main emphasis is on those exercises that help control breathing, since this skill is very important during the birth process. In addition, you should try to strengthen your leg and abdominal muscles as much as possible. Those who can swim can simply dive in and swim underwater for as long as possible.
Those who don't know how can try the following:
By and large, any exercise will be beneficial, as long as it does not cause discomfort. Therefore, the main thing for a woman is to monitor her health and leave the pool at the slightest deterioration.
It is important to choose a swimsuit that is optimal for water aerobics and swimming in your particular position.
A maternity swimsuit for the pool must meet the following requirements:
The color can be any, just remember that a large pattern will visually make you look bigger, and you’ve probably already gained a few kilograms.
You can purchase a high-waisted tankini swimsuit. Then you can wear it after childbirth, choosing other swimming trunks.
Your doctor may not give you permission to swim in the pool if you have:
In such situations, swimming in the pool can be dangerous. Swimming lessons will be harmful. The gynecologist will also be against sessions in cases where the expectant mother has a tendency to allergies or has not yet recovered from a cold.
Before going to water aerobics courses for expectant mothers, you will need to take a certificate from a doctor indicating the absence of skin and some other diseases.
For swimming and gymnastics classes you will need:
Fitness during pregnancy is possible in strictly limited forms, for example, in the form of yoga or swimming.
Consult with your doctor about how long you can exercise, which breathing exercises and stretching exercises are best - and purchase a subscription. Let swimming lessons give you (and your baby) vigor and health!
Many expectant mothers understand that going to the pool is useful, but sometimes they are surprised to learn that they need to get permission from their attending physician. In reality, the question of whether you can or cannot swim during pregnancy is decided individually in each case.
Exercising in the pool improves the expectant mother's immunity, increases endurance, provides moderate stress on the entire body and helps keep weight under control. Like any physical exercise, swimming also lifts your spirits and energizes you.
Exercises in the pool also develop and strengthen different muscle groups. Strong back muscles will make bearing a child easier and help cope with the load due to a growing belly, and trained muscles of the small pelvis, pelvic floor, abdomen, and perineum are the key to a successful birth.
An important advantage of swimming is its beneficial effect on the heart and blood vessels, which experience high stress during pregnancy. Exercises in the pool stimulate blood circulation, as a result of which blood and lymph are dispersed, improving the nutrition of internal organs. This ensures the prevention of blood stagnation in the legs and varicose veins, and helps reduce swelling.
Water helps relieve excess stress from the spine and all muscle groups, so a pregnant woman relaxes and gets rid of back and lower back pain. When swimming, the respiratory system is well trained - this is important for preparing for childbirth. With proper breathing and complete ventilation of the lungs, the blood is better saturated with oxygen, which means that it is supplied to the unborn child in sufficient quantities.
If mom swims regularly, it also helps the baby get into the right position in her belly. If there is a problem with breech presentation, doctors even recommend that patients go to the pool to help the baby roll over. Still, do not forget that despite all the benefits of such training, there are certain conditions in which they are prohibited.
Note to moms!
Hello girls) I didn’t think that the problem of stretch marks would affect me too, and I’ll also write about it))) But there’s nowhere to go, so I’m writing here: How did I get rid of stretch marks after childbirth? I will be very glad if my method helps you too...
You should absolutely not swim if there is a risk of miscarriage, so it is important to discuss the issue of visiting the pool with your doctor. Reasons for prohibition are also heavy discharge and placenta previa.
If there are no contraindications, the expectant mother can safely go to the pool, and it is better to start swimming as early as possible in order to prepare for childbirth from the first weeks of pregnancy. There is no need to be afraid of infections. Modern swimming pools use effective water purification systems and special chlorine-free products that are absolutely safe.
If it’s summer and you want to swim in an open body of water, swim to your health, but just don’t do it in prohibited places. Don't go into the water right away - first assess how clean it is.
Swimming in the sea is very beneficial for pregnant women. Salt water is rich in microelements that have a beneficial effect on the skin. Just if the bottom is rocky, don’t forget to wear special shoes.
Expectant mothers can swim until birth. In this case, it is better to give preference to classes in special groups for pregnant women. The main thing when visiting the pool is to listen to your body. It is important to enjoy the process. Do not swim by force - this will not benefit either you or the baby.
What are the benefits of swimming for pregnant women? One of the most important points is that in water the body becomes lighter and the weight of the expectant mother, which gradually increases with the growth and development of the baby, is practically not felt. This happens because the density of water is greater than the density of air (especially salt water), so water pushes out less dense bodies and the human body is in a state of half-gravity. This causes the entry of unusual signals into the cerebral cortex from the musculoskeletal system, heart, lungs and other organs. Therefore, the responses of the brain also change: the depth of breathing increases, the functioning of the cardiovascular system, biorhythms, sleep improves, metabolism is activated, etc. Therefore, swimming during pregnancy is considered the best “medicine” both against insomnia and against excessive nervous tension .
Such physical activity during pregnancy does not cause body tremors, which can be dangerous in an interesting position. You can, for example, even run or jump in the water without harm to the baby. There is no pronounced effect on the spine, joints, ligaments; muscles relax, especially the back muscles, which bear a significant load during pregnancy.
The resistance of water when performing movements acts as a massage, increasing blood flow in all organs and systems, activating metabolic processes, the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to both mother and baby, due to this effect the functioning of the venous valves of the legs improves (prevention of varicose veins, hemorrhoids) and, accordingly, the outflow of blood is normalized. All this prevents the appearance of edema, which is a frequent accompaniment of pregnancy.
During swimming during pregnancy, the functioning of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems improves and is trained, because in order to inhale and exhale, you need to overcome the resistance of the water, so the respiratory muscles are gradually strengthened. This effect also affects the muscles of the back and abdomen.
If you regularly engage in swimming during pregnancy, the central nervous system begins to more fully regulate the activity of the heart: the stroke volume of the heart increases, the tone of the arterial vessels normalizes, due to this, blood pressure, if it was lowered, increases, and if it was increased, it can normalize.
Swimming also has an excellent hardening effect on pregnant women: the body's resistance to the effects of unfavorable environmental conditions increases (mainly cold and sudden temperature fluctuations). Thus, water has a lower temperature than the human body, irritating cold receptors, therefore, with regular immersion in water, thermoregulation will improve, resistance to cold and changes in temperature conditions will increase, which will reduce susceptibility to colds, which will have a positive effect on the well-being and health of the mother and baby.
When going swimming, a pregnant woman should pay attention to some points:
Cramps during pregnancy are involuntary painful muscle contractions. Quite often they occur in pregnant women and during swimming. In most cases this affects the calf muscles. Sharp pain in a cramped muscle usually lasts several minutes, then the tension subsides, the pain subsides and becomes aching, but the discomfort can persist for up to several days. Such convulsions, even if they are mildly expressed, are quite dangerous, because by succumbing to panic, the expectant mother may lose control over her body and the consequences may not be the most favorable.
Most often, convulsions in pregnant women develop for the following reasons:
Pregnant women can swim at any stage of pregnancy, however, there are contraindications for such a gentle form of physical activity. Don't swim:
Natalia Garrett
Dear preschool teachers. Please answer the question about your specialty. as an educator and teacher. My child is an active boy, a child, senior group. I go to the group in the morning and work with the children before breakfast. Notebooks and the teacher of the State kindergarten torment all children with the malicious question “What is 5-2?” Why does my 5.5 year old child need “5-2”???? Walks with children: teachers sit on the playground with their asses tightly stuck to the seat and you can only hear: Vasya, move away, Petya, don’t throw sand, Kirill, don’t jump. Dear educators, what about outdoor games with children? I I've NEVER SEEN so that there are active games with children in kindergarten for all 3 years of attendance. Why don’t “educators” conduct active educational games with children? Is this the norm today? And a stream, and the sea is agitated once, etc. My teacher comes out and says that my child in the senior group is not following the math program... What kind of nonsense??? Who came up with it? Drawings are a separate topic... You look at the drawings and half the group of boys... have drawn practically nothing. I understand. that the modern kindergarten and school curriculum is designed for barely moving comfortable children?
291Ulyana
Good day everyone! Lately, my daughter’s restlessness has begun to bother me. She will be 6 years old in August. And it seems to me that she has problems with concentration (or I just don’t understand something). As an example: we go to rhythmic gymnastics. Everyone listens to the coach, mine is in the clouds, distracted, chatting with other girls, playing... swearing many times, asking, maybe it’s not interesting, I’m not going to force it. He says that he likes it and wants to continue, but continues to play around and is 0 serious. At home, he also doesn’t sit still for long, it feels like there’s a propeller on his back, he’s in motion every second.
In general, we spoiled it a little, now we are cleaning it up. She doesn’t listen at all, we have to repeat several times what we want from her. He does it only when we impose another ban. He is hysterical, promises that it won’t happen again, but everything repeats itself. In the last week, she received a complete ban on cartoons, sweets, walks after kindergarten... How can I teach her to be more disciplined and responsible? Could this be some kind of hyperactivity?
Elena
It started when my daughter became stubborn. She refused to pee in the potty before bedtime and blew into the crib. The teachers complained. The problem was solved, the crib in the kindergarten is dry. My daughter told the teacher that I put her (my daughter) diaper on at night. Well, the conversation turned to the fact that this is not correct. Because The girl is big 3.4 and it’s time to wean her otherwise she’ll just pee in the bed. To wean is to wake you up at night. And then the nanny complained that her daughter, coming from a walk, peed on the sofa (this is an isolated case; this hasn’t happened at our house since 2 years). And they say, this is directly related to the fact that we put on a diaper at night. I tried to wake you up. My daughter is completely hysterical. The whole house roars. But the bed is dry. So I think, how is it correct? I don't mind waking you up if it helps the cause. But is there any benefit...
136Irina Krasavina
Scientists say that humanity emerged from the water, like many of the creatures living on our planet. And our babies come out of the water, which protects them throughout pregnancy. So God himself ordered expectant mothers to splash around and get healthy in the pool while they bear a new life. If, of course, they know about all the rules and precautions.
Is it possible to go to the pool during pregnancy and why?
The answer to this question, often asked by pregnant women to doctors, can only be positive if, due to any illnesses, this particular sport and leisure activity is not contraindicated for the woman. Water exercises will relieve tension from the spine, loading all muscles equally. But there remains a small risk associated with your personal reaction to the chlorine contained in the water. Chlorine cannot be avoided - it is added for disinfection. Therefore, if in doubt, it is better to ask your doctor: Can do you like walk in the pool during pregnancy, is there anything in your tests that prevents you from splashing in the pool while you are carrying your baby.
Swimming during pregnancy in the pool: pros and cons
Benefits of swimming in the pool:
When to use a swimming pool with caution:
If you didn’t find anything similar to your realities in the second list, feel free to go to the pool - swimming in the pool during pregnancy It won't hurt you. But be sure to stock up on rubber slippers: the bacteria and fungi that can await you on the shower floor are definitely not what a pregnant woman needs.
Is it possible to go to the pool during the first trimester of pregnancy?
It is possible and necessary. Moreover: the earlier you start exercising, the more time you will have to strengthen your body. Ideally, it is better to start at the pregnancy planning stage, but the ideal is not always achievable.
If you choose a pool where you have already practiced sessions for pregnant women, where sanitation meets the standards, and you do not overload and make sudden movements, then the prognosis will be positive and the impact will be healing. Weekly initial 3-4 short sessions, which can then be smoothly turned into classes of up to 45 minutes, will prepare the body for childbirth and help cope with increased stress on the muscles and spine.