According to American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists pregnant women are recommended to do at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise most days of the week.

Advantages of exercises :

1. prevents excess weight gain.

2. helps or prevents gestational diabetes.

3. being more fit makes labor and recovery a bit easier.

4. helps with the aches and pains of pregnancy and insomnia.

5. helps reduce constipation,bloating and swelling.

6.Increases your energy.

7.Improves your mood.

8.Improves your posture.

9.Helps you sleep better.

It is essential that you check with your doctor before starting an exercise program to make sure that the exercise won’t give a negative impact to your pregnancy.

Should you have been exercising regularly, it is fine to continue it except for contact and extreme sports.

In the 1^st trimester you can do whatever exercise you can. In the 3^rd trimester, you should focus on non weight-bearing execise like swimming.If you want to know the best exercise that suits you, you can visit ACOG.

Many women find that prenatal yoga and pilates are beneficial during pregnancy. It can ease the labour.

Stop exercising and call your doctor if you get any of these symptoms:

·         Vaginal bleeding

·         Dizziness or feeling faint

·         Increased shortness of breath

·         Chest pain

·         Headache

·         Muscle weakness

·         Calf pain or swelling

·         Uterine contractions

·         Decreased fetal movement

·         Fluid leaking from the vagina

Drink plenty of water and do not overeat. Excessive weight gain can cause labor and health problems to you and your baby.

You can read the original article at CNN health.

Additional reading : American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists

Washington, DC: A new study has shown that there is an increased risk of intrauterine fetal death (IUFD), commonly known as stillbirth, in women who have fibroids.

The study, conducted by scientists at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo., identified women who had fibroids detected during their routine second trimester ultrasound for anatomic survey at 16-22 weeks.

“Fibroids are very common. We think they occur in 5% to 20% of all women, but most women are asymptomatic and don’t even know they have them.” said Dr Molly J Stout, one of the study’s authors.

The study was a retrospective cohort study of 64,047 women. Data were extracted on maternal sociodemographics, medical history, and obstetric outcomes.

Pregnancies with any fetal anomalies were excluded. Women with at least one fibroid detected at the time of fetal anatomic survey were compared to women without fibroids.

The primary outcome was IUFD after 20 weeks gestation. Univariate and multiple logistic regression analyses were used to estimate the risk of IUFD in women with fibroids, and subgroup was conducted by presence or absence of fetal growth restriction (IUGR).

The study found that of 64,047 women, the incidence of fibroids was 3.2%. The incidence of IUFD was significantly higher in the fibroid group than in the no-fibroid group even after adjusting for factors including black race, tobacco exposure, chronic hypertension, and pregestational diabetes.

In subgroup analysis, the risk relationship between fibroids and IUFD only persisted within the IUGR subgroup.

Dr Alison G Cahill, another of the study’s authors, said: “Our results showed that women with a combination of fibroids and fetal growth restriction were at two-and-a-half times the risk of having a stillbirth, though the absolute risk remained rare.

“This may lead to a future recommendation for serial growth scans to monitor fetal growth in women with fibroids,” Cahill added.

The study has been presented at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine’s (SMFM) annual meeting.

Original source : DNAindia.com