Month nine Q&A

Q: I’m in my third trimester and I’ve been doing prenatal Pilates. I’ve avoided focusing on core muscles due to uncertainty of how to correctly perform these core muscle exercises. A: Schalk says: Ensuring that your pelvic floor muscles are strong is imperative during pregnancy, not only to ensure that you reduce the onset of back pain, but also to ensure a quicker recovery after delivery. Your pregnant body is getting bigger and this will affect which exercises you can do comfortably. Don’t do exercises lying on your back for prolonged periods. This leads to changes in your blood pressure and unnecessary pressure on the uterine wall. Arm and leg exercises are a good option for the third trimester, but it’s still possible to do abdominal exercises. These should be specialised and done with limited range of motion. Abdominals are stretched out and you will not be able to contract the muscles properly, thus placing more pressure on the hip flexors and ligaments around the pelvis. These ligaments are a lot more lax due to hormones secreted during pregnancy. If you were active before you fell pregnant, there should be no reason for concern. However, it is always best to chat to your gynae before starting a training routine. If you follow the exercises as suggested by the instructor, your breathing is correct, and you allow for enough rest, there should be no risk on the baby. You should not feel scared to contract the muscles, provided all movements are controlled and done correctly.