Is swimming harmful during early pregnancy?

Swimming is a sport that is very beneficial to your health. Most people like swimming because the resistance in water can exercise people's muscles well and improve their body lines. Some pregnant women cannot change their swimming habit even after they become pregnant. However, there are some things that pregnant women cannot do after they become pregnant. So does swimming in the early stages of pregnancy have any impact on pregnant women?

Yes, and it’s very good.

Generally speaking, pregnant women within 16 weeks, or 4 months, should do more aerobic exercise. Swimming is the first choice. Don’t think that swimming is unsafe for pregnant women. In fact, swimming is a very good aerobic exercise for pregnant women. It depends on your physical condition. If you have been doing it before pregnancy and are in good physical condition during pregnancy, you can continue from the early to late pregnancy.

Most importantly, swimming activates muscles throughout the body, promotes blood circulation, and allows the baby to develop better. At the same time, regular swimming during pregnancy can improve mood, reduce pregnancy reactions, and have a good effect on the baby's nervous system. Director Xing reminded that when swimming, you should choose a swimming pool with good hygiene conditions and few people, warm up before entering the water, wear goggles when entering the water, and prevent others from kicking the baby. Swimming during pregnancy can increase cardiopulmonary function, and the high buoyancy in water can reduce the load on joints, eliminate problems such as congestion, edema and varicose veins, and reduce injury.

In addition to swimming, you can do one or two rhythmic aerobic exercises regularly every day, such as brisk walking, jogging, simple rhythmic dancing, climbing stairs, etc. However, movements such as jumping, twisting or rapid rotation are not allowed, and cycling should be avoided.

Daily chores such as wiping the table, sweeping the floor, washing clothes, buying groceries, and cooking are all fine, but if the reaction is severe and vomiting is frequent, you should reduce housework appropriately.

In the second half of pregnancy, that is, between 4-7 months, the placenta has already formed, so it is less likely to cause miscarriage. During this period, the baby is not very big and the expectant mother is not very clumsy, so it is a suitable time to increase the amount of exercise in the second trimester.

For expectant mothers who cannot swim, taking a walk in the morning and evening is also a good exercise. It not only promotes gastrointestinal motility, but also increases endurance, which is very helpful for childbirth. While walking, the baby is not idle and his activities can be stimulated. In fact, taking a walk in the sun is the best. It can use ultraviolet rays to kill bacteria and convert subcutaneous dehydrocholesterol into vitamin D3. This vitamin can promote the intestinal absorption of calcium and phosphorus and is especially beneficial to the baby's bone development. Director Xing said that when taking a walk, you should pay attention to the speed. It is best to control it at 4 kilometers per hour, once a day, for 30-40 minutes each time. The pace and time should be gradually increased. At the same time, you should choose a good environment for taking a walk, such as in a garden or woods. On dusty days like the recent ones, try not to go out.

In addition, there is a type of fitness ball exercise that has been very popular recently. Pregnant women can go to a professional maternal and child health care hospital to do it, or they can buy one and do it themselves at home. The fitness ball is large, soft, and very elastic. It can withstand a weight of more than 300 kilograms. When a pregnant woman sits on a fitness ball, it feels like floating on the water, which is very comfortable. It can greatly reduce the pressure on the lower limbs, and it can move forward, backward, left and right. This exercises the ligaments of the pelvic floor muscles, helps with delivery, and is also helpful for the growth of the baby's small body.