Exercise and activity advice

Keep moving during your pregnancy! Regular exercise and physical activity can ease discomfort, prepare you for childbirth, and improve your frame of mind. If you have been an active person, aim to maintain your pre-pregnancy fitness level. If not, set a goal with your provider to maintain a level of fitness.

But be careful, too. Hormonal changes during pregnancy can make your ligaments easier to stretch. This makes it easier to pull a muscle or sprain a ligament. You may also find it harder to catch your breath during exercise. You could feel weak or lightheaded. Take your time and let a member of your healthcare team know if exercising causes any of these side effects.

To minimize problems, try these techniques in your daily activities:

• Use good posture.
• When picking up an object: Face it and use your arms and legs to lift. Bend your knees and lower yourself slowly to a squatting position with feet well apart and your back straight.
• When standing: Keep one foot up on a low box or other flat object placed in front of you.
• When vacuuming, etc.: Place one foot forward, allowing your weight to shift without twisting.

OTHER CONCERNS

Sexual intercourse: Sexual intercourse during pregnancy is safe for most patients. However, if you are at high risk because you have had a previous preterm labor, a history of an incompetent cervix or cerclage, any rupture of membranes (bag of water), or unusual vaginal discharge (including bleeding), we should discuss your sexual activity parameters. Breast and nipple stimulation between 26 and 38 weeks of gestation may initiate prolonged or repetitive contractions of the uterus and should be avoided.

Hot tubs: Temperatures in hot tubs reach up to 102 degrees Fahrenheit. These high temperatures can prove harmful to developing babies. We recommend avoiding hot tubs during your pregnancy. If you want to take a warm bath, do not let your water exceed 102 degrees Fahrenheit.