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Fortify your body for baby

By David Norrie, Give Me Ten
Published August 31, 2007

While most people agree that children are among the most precious gifts life has to offer, carrying that child around in your belly for nine months is both a blessing and a burden.

Consider the hormonal changes, weight gain, aches and pains. And that's not even mentioning the hardest part: delivery. How do you get through the rigors of child bearing and come away not only feeling spiritually blissful but also physically fit?

For this article, I enlisted the help of two colleagues in the fitness industry, both mothers, who specialize in pre- and postnatal training.

Catherine Bedard is a Pilates instructor and Francesca Greenwood is a personal trainer with a certificate in pre- and postnatal exercise. The tips that follow will help deliver the body you want after delivery.

Physical guidelines

It should go without saying that an expectant mother should get regular checkups and consult a physician before beginning an exercise program.

In a healthy pregnancy, most women can follow their regular exercise routine through the first trimester. Depending on how they feel, they may want to scale back in the second and third trimesters, depending partly on the prior levels of fitness.

When it comes to prenatal exercise, your routine should incorporate exercises to strengthen primary muscles involved in carrying the baby, as well as the delivery. Most such exercises focus on "core" muscles centered around the torso, which help stabilize the spine.

During pregnancy, a woman's center of gravity changes as the weight of the abdomen is displaced toward the front of the body. When the pelvis is pulled into an anterior tilt, the belly muscles lengthen and weaken and the low back grows tight. Hip flexors become tight as well.

In addition, hamstrings and calves need to be stretched and strengthened as they tend to become tight when the weight shifts to the balls of the feet.

Here are some core exercise that Greenwood suggests:

"I recommend getting on all fours, then lifting the baby into the spine, using the abdominals, and then releasing. This will alleviate any pressure in the back and strengthen the abs.

"To help work out the leg muscles, I have my clients press their back firmly against the wall and descend into the squat position, physically supporting the belly with both hands or using a maternity belt. That extra support from both the wall and the hands always made me feel more comfortable when I performed them."

Greenwood's training methods incorporate regular lifting routines one might do in a gym and some Pilates-inspired movements such as the Flex Cat, described earlier, for the abs.

Bedard began teaching prenatal Pilates just after giving birth to her son eight years ago.

The general concept behind Pilates is to teach awareness of breath, alignment of the spine and to strengthen the deep torso muscles by using the body's own weight in different postures. It's popular among expectant mothers because it is very adaptable as your body and abilities change.

"Everything in Pilates is functional, training for the body's natural movement," Bedard said. "You never really isolate one muscle group but more so the whole body. And many of the movements can be done lying on your side, which is perfect for pregnant women who really need to stay off their bellies and their backs."

While the core takes precedence, it's also important to train the muscles in the mid and upper back. The increased weight of the breasts causes many women to slouch forward and these muscles must be strong when it is time to nurse and carry the baby.

Try and keep the head above the heart to keep a steady flow of oxygen to both mother and child. Working out in a seated or incline position is recommended. Other than that, Bedard says to use common sense: "If it doesn't feel right, don't do it."

For more specific questions, consult the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists' guidelines for prenatal exercise.

Psychological change

Though most women eagerly anticipate the birth of the little one, some feel overwhelmed by the prospect of so much change. Stress can lead to higher levels of the hormone cortisol, which benefits neither baby nor mommy.

Bedard suggests that pregnant women develop coping mechanisms to relax and stay positive. "Mini meditations," as she calls them, should take place in a quiet space where one can breathe calmly and silently repeat an affirmation such as, "I am beautiful just as I am" or "I am a giver of life."

Nutritional advice

Pregnant women may need a light, nutritious snack before exercising to prevent hypoglycemia and should always compensate for their caloric expenditure during exercise.

"I wanted to avoid gaining a lot of weight during my pregnancies," Greenwood said. "A lot of moms have the notion you're eating for two. But you only need an additional 300 calories, so we're talking maybe a banana with some peanut butter and a glass of milk."

After delivery, be aware that breast feeding burns up to 500 calories a day. Breast feeding also requires more hydration, so take in an extra bottle or two of water a day. Greenwood also recommends adding more fiber to the diet after delivery.

"Every gram of fiber burns 7 calories, so if you stick to 35 grams of fiber a day, you can help get rid of 9 pounds in a month. Over an entire year, that's close to 36 pounds."

Realistically, it can take some women six months to a year to lose the weight they gain during pregnancy, but you want to try to reach your normal weight within three to five months. That shouldn't be hard if you plan and set goals for the months following childbirth.

Next: Postpregnancy workouts

[Last modified September 5, 2007, 10:25:27]