When everyone hears about my due date being in August the first thing I hear is how miserable I'm going to be - enduring the last stages of pregnancy in the worst season of the year, especially in Georgia. I don't really consider it a big deal though and turn the conversation to the positives: summer birthday parties outdoors! Besides, human gestation is 40 weeks, chances are summer will be some time during pregnancy. I was pregnant with the girls during the summer also. What's the big deal?
My in-laws have an in-ground pool in their yard. Yesterday Jeramy, Grandma Jane, cousin Danielle and I took the girls swimming in the pool and it was great! Not only did the girls have such a fun time getting tan and wrinkled in the water, but I didn't expect how physically comforting it would be for me during my third trimester. Immediately upon entering the water the pressure was taken off my lower back, buttocks, legs and my bladder! It was so much easier to move and be in otherwise uncomfortable positions. There was such a huge difference by being in the pool! In the pool, I almost completely forgot I was pregnant. Out of the pool, the exact opposite!
I found an
article on Fit Pregnancy online that goes into greater detail about the benefits of swimming during pregnancy. Here's the first paragraph:
Heat, humidity, the summer doldrums - not the best invitation to exercise, especially if you're pregnant. But there's a remedy: Get thee to a pool! Being in the water just plain feels good when you're pregnant, and there are physiological reasons why. Water greatly reduces the usual stress on your musculoskeletal system and supports the weight of the fetus, thus taking a load off your lower back. Water also makes it easier for the heart to pump blood, reduces pregnancy-related swelling (edema) and takes pressure off your bladder. Even as it soothes you, the pool environment allows for a total-body workout. Water provides 12 times the resistance to your muscles as does air, thus offering a strength-training benefit similar to lifting light weights.
Woo hoo! Once I was in the pool, I didn't want to get out. Yeah, it's that good!
2 comments:
Just imagine what laboring and delivering in the pool would be like! I would love to try a water birth. I have asked about it at GM, but they don't seem interested. Oh, well! :0)
I was due late July with Andrew and he came August 3rd. It's not so bad with things like A/C and swimming pools! Can't wait to meet her!!
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