JUST KEEP SWIMMING
Swimming is extremely beneficial during pregnancy. Biokineticist Lisa Bain offers some tips to get you off the starting blocks
WHETHER YOU’RE TAKING up swimming as a newbie to exercise, or whether you are a seasoned gym-goer who is switching to swimming now that you’re pregnant, the guidelines remain the same.
FIRST TRIMESTER: AIM FOR 30 MINUTES AT A TIME
During this stage of pregnancy, the two main difficulties you will face are fatigue and nausea, caused by massive hormonal changes. Base your exercise routine around how you feel. If you really struggle with nausea in the morning but feel better during the day, try to fit your swimming in at lunchtime or after work. If you find you are too tired at the end of the day, then go swimming before work. Ideally, 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week is best. If you can’t manage this, aim for building up to 30 minutes three times per week. Swimming as a form of exercise takes some getting used to. It is a full-body exercise, using many of the body’s major muscles all at once. You will feel out of breath in the beginning. This is increased during pregnancy as your resting heart rate and breathing rate are now higher, resulting in feeling out of breath more easily.
The key is to start slowly and listen to your body. If you feel very out of breath after one length, try moving to the aqua aerobics or kiddies’ pool to do some water walking (walk widths across the shallow end of the pool, with the water reaching waist height or slightly above) to build up your fitness first.
Do this for a few weeks, trying the occasional length of swimming to see how you feel. If you can manage a few lengths at a time, aim for five minutes of continuous swimming, have a few minutes rest, then do another five minutes. Repeating this pattern four to six times will give you a cumulative
30 minutes of exercise. Once you can do this, start increasing the number of minutes you swim for until you get to a continuous 30 minutes. Make sure to rest when you feel you need to, and remember to rehydrate while swimming too. At this stage you can swim any stroke you like.
SECOND TRIMESTER: YOU CAN GO HARDER, BUT BE CAUTIOUS
This stage is often referred to as the honeymoon of pregnancy, as you’re normally over the morning sickness, you have far more energy, and your bump is not hindering your movement as much as it will in the last trimester. Exercising may feel easier, so you may be tempted to push yourself harder in the pool. This is fine if you do it by either increasing the frequency (number of times you swim per week) or duration (length of time spent swimming per session). Do not increase the intensity (speed) of your swims. In other words, you should not feel exhausted during or after swimming. You should feel like you could’ve done a bit more. Your body systems are working overtime, so exercising to the point of exhaustion is not recommended.
THIRD TRIMESTER: TIME TO BACK OFF A LITTLE AGAIN
As you move into this last stage of pregnancy, there are a few things to keep in mind. However, the adjustments that need to be made at this point are minor in comparison with other forms of exercise. Swimming can be maintained right up until birth, which is why this form of exercise is so appealing for the pregnant woman.
During these few months you may find that you tire easily, so decrease the duration of your swims back to approximately 30 minutes (if you increased them in the second trimester). Increasing the number of water breaks and rests will also help.
As your bump gets bigger, you might find the torso rotation of freestyle a little challenging. Breaststroke is often recommended, as it eliminates the rotation and helps to strengthen the upper back muscles while simultaneously opening up the chest. This helps to counteract negative postural changes (such as rounding of the upper back), which occur during pregnancy.
There is one contra-indication to swimming breaststroke when pregnant. If you experience discomfort and/or pain in your pubic bone or have been diagnosed with SPD (symphysis pubis disorder), you will have to stick to freestyle or freestyle kicking with arms supported by a board. The pushingoutward and pulling-inward motion of breaststroke kicking requires the adductor (inner thigh) and abductor muscles of the pelvis to work quite hard.
This in turn requires pelvic stability. However, a loosening of ligaments brought about by the presence of the hormone relaxin (which prepares the pelvis for the birth process by softening the ligaments and tendons) can lead to instability and excessive movement where the two pubic bones meet or at the back of the pelvis at the sacroiliac joints.
THIRD TRIMESTER
There is no specific number of lengths you should be doing at this stage. Listen to your body – if you’re feeling tired after 20 minutes, then cool down and call it a day. If you’re feeling good, then swim a few extra laps – just don’t push yourself to exhaustion.
TRY USING A SNORKEL WHEN SWIMMING BREASTSTROKE
This way you can keep your head at a more neutral angle, thereby eliminating discomfort or straining in the neck
WHAT ABOUT CONTRACTING A UTI FROM THE POOL WATER?
There is currently no evidence to suggest that swimming while pregnant will increase your risk of contracting a UTI (urinary tract infection). Properly maintained public or gym pools are monitored and kept hygienic with chlorine, which kills any germs that might enter the pool. If you are prone to UTIs, check with your gynae before starting your swimming.
WHAT ARE THE WARNING SIGNS THAT YOU MAY HAVE OVERWORKED YOURSELF?
Feeling dizzy, light-headed or sick are all signs that you’re pushing your body too hard. If you start to feel any of these when you are swimming, get to the edge, get out carefully and sip on some diluted fruit juice or water. As with any exercise while pregnant, if you experience any pain or vaginal bleeding, you must contact your doctor as soon as possible.
Make sure to CHECK WITH YOUR DOCTOR before starting any exercise programme
HOW DIFFERENT WILL THEY LOOK & FEEL?
Breast changes are often one of the first signs of pregnancy. Many women will experience discomfort, tingling and tenderness only a few weeks after conception. As your pregnancy progresses, you might feel like you are working your way through the alphabet in bra cup sizes, but the frustration (and cost!) of buying new bras every few months is well worth it. Post-pregnancy sagging breasts and stretch marks are common but can be minimised with good support. Also try to wear a bra at night.
The large majority of pregnant women are affected by stretch marks, with 25 percent of these being on the breasts. Massaging tissue oil or a suitable product into your breasts daily is a good strategy to combat this. Bio-Oil is a great choice.
There’s more: the nipples will become wider and darker in colour. From as early as 16 weeks, you could already experience leaking breasts. The discharge is yellowy colostrum (baby’s first milk). As your breasts get bigger, the veins under your skin will become more prominent – this is usually more prominent in women with fair or light skin.
Your areola (the pigmented area around your nipples) become darker and larger with some tiny bumps (lubrication glands) on the area.
WHY ALL THE CHANGES?
The changes you experience during pregnancy are due to the production of the hormone progesterone. A breast usually consists of 15 to 20 lobes with small lobules that in turn consist of milk-producing glands, fibrous and fatty tissue. During the first trimester, hormonal changes stimulate these milk-producing lobules, causing them to enlarge and become active.
IF YOUR BREASTS DO NOT CHANGE
Every woman is unique, so very few pregnancy symptoms are universal; however, it’s a reassuring sign for a doctor if a woman complains of breast tenderness. Still, the absence of breast tenderness isn’t always a reason to worry. Not all women have the exact same breast tissue consistency. Women also respond uniquely to the raised levels of progesterone, oestrogen and prolactin, so don’t rely on breast symptoms alone. Fewer changes don’t have an impact on your ability to breastfeed.