Physiotherapy for Pregnant Women
Exercising and physiotherapy while prenatal, pregnant, or postpartum can help prevent and treat the pain and pelvic issues caused by pregnancy as well as aid in recovery after childbirth. Physiotherapy is perfectly safe during early pregnancy and can be an effective way of keeping your pregnancy-related aches and pains to a minimum. Pregnancy workouts and simple exercises can also help to improve your mobility, making for a much smoother pregnancy and labor.
Pregnancy can take its toll on a woman’s body and make performing day-to-day tasks more difficult. Expectant mothers should consider prenatal physiotherapy because it can do the following:
- Strengthen your lower back and pelvic muscles
- Pelvic Floor strengthening and education
- Relieve back and neck pain with pregnancy-safe stretching exercises
- Prepare your body for childbirth and beyond
Exercise and therapy improve the health and wellbeing of both the mother and infant during pregnancy and in the postpartum period. Women are motivated to change their habits and improve the health of their babies and themselves during the “teachable moments” of pregnancy and the postpartum period. This one-of-a-kind period provides an opportunity for health care professionals, specifically physiotherapists, to educate women on the importance of adopting healthy lifestyle interventions, which include exercise.
Benefits of physical activity during pregnancy
Ease pregnancy symptoms
Throughout your gestation, you may feel nausea, irritability, and reflux-y. During pregnancy, your body undergoes many changes, and sometimes, with these changes come aches and pains. You may experience discomfort and aches, or you may suffer alterations in mood and even prenatal depression. Physical therapy is an effective way to help you manage your pain. It can offer you a variety of ways to make your pregnancy more comfortable. Also, women who keep fit during pregnancy, are more relaxed and cope better with the emotional and physiological strains of pregnancy.
Alleviate back pain
Pregnant women may develop an increase in lumbar lordosis. A general whole-body exercise program and lumbar stabilization exercises can help to reduce the intensity of back pain.
Cardiac and respiratory fitness
Pregnancy comes with many cardiac and respiratory changes. These changes begin during the fifth week of gestation and last until about a year after delivery. Oxygen consumption also increases to supply the oxygen requirements of the fetus. Respiratory exercises are a must!
Exercise and weight management
Weight gain during pregnancy is known as gestational weight gain (GWG). A high percentage of women exceed the recommended weight. Excessive GWG comes with a high risk of developing gestational diabetes mellitus, hypertension, having a cesarean delivery, and postpartum weight retention. Regular physical activity and exercise during pregnancy can reduce weight gain by 7 pounds compared to women who do not exercise regularly.
Prepare your body for labor
Pregnant women who maintain a regular exercise routine may experience less pain and shorter labor. This fact is associated with the exercise effect on inducing metabolic and hormonal changes that may impact uterine contractility and endurance. Exercise during pregnancy is also associated with a reduced risk for Cesarean birth.
