Go for a walk

The best way to start being active is to take a walk with the stroller. You will spend a lot of time indoors for the first few weeks after the birth of your baby, so take time out of your day to go for a walk with your stroller. You’ll get exercise, fresh air, and vitamin D! Pushing the stroller adds an extra cardio workout, and this way you won’t have any excuses not to exercise since you can take your baby with you. Over time, try to increase your walking speed to increase your cardio workout.We all know that mothers don’t have much free time, especially when they have a newborn. Therefore, in addition to daily walks, you can make the most of your baby’s nap time to do exercises at home that work with your own body weight and require no equipment other than a yoga mat.

Bridge exercise (hip raises)

Hip raises are really easy to do anywhere and are ideal for strengthening the legs, glutes, and pelvis. Lie on your back with your feet hip-width apart, knees bent, feet on the floor, and arms at your sides. Inhale first, and as you exhale, tighten your abs to your spine, tilt your pelvis up and lift your hips off the floor into the bridge. Stay in this position for 10 seconds and slowly lower your body to the starting position.

Do 3 sets of 12 hip raises. Note: you can also raise your arms up each time you do the bridge.

Squats

Squats are a good way to tone your legs, pelvis, and core. They can be done anywhere; so there’s no excuse not to do them. Be sure to keep your back straight, pull your stomach in and tighten your pelvis. This way you will work your core, strengthen your pelvis and tone your legs and back. Do 3 sets of 12 squats.

Modified push-ups

As your baby grows and gets heavier, you will need more and more upper body strength to prevent shoulder and back pain. To gain more upper body strength, start by doing modified push-ups (with your knees on the floor), and when enough time has passed and you are strong enough, you can do a full push-up. When performing modified push-ups, make sure you have the correct alignment: place your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart under your shoulders, pull your stomach inward, making sure you are working your core and protecting your lumbar spine, and bend your knees at an angle of approximately 45 degrees.

Try to do 3 sets of 10 push-ups.

Side plank

Side planks target the upper body, core, and legs. Make sure your elbow is in line with your shoulders, your core is tight to your spine, and your body is in a straight position. Alternate each side and try to hold for 20-30 seconds in each side plank. Try to do 3 sets on each side.

Regular plank

You can do a modified plank (with your knees bent on the floor) or a full plank. It depends on how ready your core muscles are. Bend your arms under your shoulders, keep your hands together in a prayer pose, and make sure your abs are tight to your spine to work your core and keep your pelvis and back straight. Do the plank for 20-30 seconds and increase the time as you gain strength.

Try to do 3 sets.

As you can see, these are all exercises that you can do at home when your baby is napping. Or you can even put the baby on the mat next to you or even include the baby in the exercises. All of these exercises are baby-friendly!

Always remember to adjust the exercises and repetitions according to your fitness level and always consult your doctor before doing the exercises. The most important thing is to be patient and take things one day at a time.

Also, remember to stretch your body throughout the day as you will spend a lot of time sitting and holding your baby. Try these stretching exercises that you can do at any time during the day to help relieve tension.

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It should be noted that physical training can visually improve the shape of the abdomen, make it flatter, but to reduce the width of the white line with its help is impossible – connective tissue, unlike muscle tissue, is not capable of hypertrophy, it can not be “pumped”.

What exercises can not be done with diastasis? Again, there are no qualitative studies on this issue today. Do not recommend the “classical” exercises that strengthen the abdominal muscles: twisting, leg or body lifts, “bicycle”, etc., as they can even contribute to an increase in diastasis.

How to treat diastasis?

The main muscle to be strengthened for diastasis is the transverse abdominal muscle (transversus abdominis). It is the deepest lying muscle of the anterior abdominal wall and its function is to keep the abdomen flat. The main exercises that engage this muscle are:

Abdominal retraction

Lying on your back with your legs half-bent, maximally retract the lower half of your abdomen. Hold this position for 10 seconds at first, gradually increasing the time to 30 seconds. 10 repetitions 3 times a day.

Abdominal Pulsation

Quickly alternate between retracting and relaxing the abdomen. 5 times a day for 100 pulsations.

“Cat”

In the “on all fours” position, on an exhale, arch your back upward, rounding it like a cat while tensing and pressing your belly against your back. Keeping the muscles tense, inhale and slightly arch your back in the opposite direction. 10-15 repetitions 3 times a day.

Also with diastasis of rectus muscles recommended Kegel exercise that strengthens the pelvic floor muscles and a number of others. We repeat that their regular performance is quite capable of improving the shape of the abdomen, but, unfortunately, to eliminate diastasis, and even more so – often associated with him hernia of the anterior abdominal wall, exercises are not able to.

Wearing bandages during and after pregnancy, according to some data, reduces the risk of diastasis and reduces the intensity of pain. However, there are also no quality studies on this aspect to date.

Surgical treatment of diastasis recti

The only method that really eliminates diastasis and its accompanying negative aspects is surgical. Of course, we do not recommend surgery for all patients with rectus diastasis.

Diastasis is not a hernia, there is no defect in the anterior abdominal wall, in which internal organs can be pinched, respectively, diastasis of rectus muscles does not threaten the life and health of the patient.

Operations to suture diastasis

All types of operations for suturing, or rather plasty of the anterior abdominal wall in diastasis can be divided into two types – open and minimally invasive (laparoscopic and endoscopic).

Open surgery in most cases is a complete reconstruction of the anterior abdominal wall together with abdominoplasty. This allows not only to eliminate diastasis and associated hernias, but also to remove excess skin, and if you supplement the operation with liposuction – to get an almost perfect shape of the abdomen, to correct the “overhanging” of the skin over the scar after cesarean section. Elimination of diastasis in this approach is the most reliable, as it gives ample opportunity to choose the optimal method of its correction.

After surgery is mandatory to wear special compression underwear for a month.

Thus, diastasis is quite a serious problem, which can be optimally solved only with an individual approach to planning its correction.

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In any pregnancy, there is a significant increase in endoabdominal volume with subsequent expansion of the abdominal wall. Each individual has a different innate consistency of collagen, which may be more or less robust.

The combination of a large intra-abdominal volume and a fragile collagen consistency may silently lead to White line abdomen and White line abdominal collapse as the pregnancy progresses. to the occurrence of diastasis.

The intra-abdominal volume that develops during pregnancy cannot be controlled because it is influenced by both the amount of amniotic fluid and the volume of the fetus. Also, the consistency of collagen, which is characteristic of each individual, cannot be controlled a priori. Thus, both final gestational volume and collagen quality are two variables that influence the possible formation of diastasis recti. Being two variables that cannot be changed, prevention of the pathology is impossible and its treatment is mainly surgical.

A few simple rules can be used to limit the aggravation of Diastasis of rectus abdominis diastasis

As we have seen, diastasis of rectus muscles, unfortunately, can not be actively prevented, but you can limit its exacerbation. A common mistake that many patients make is to do serious abdominal exercise training.
As explained many times, Diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscles is mainly a pathology affecting the tendon of the White Line of the abdomen.

In general, all tendons, including the White Line of the abdomen, cannot recover on their own, not to mention exercise that either leaves them unchanged or damages them even more with excessive strain. Therefore, in order not to aggravate an already existing diastasis, you should be cautious about physical activity . Exercise without excessive strain on the abdominal wall is permitted. The use of abdominal restraints can be a valuable temporary aid to prevent exacerbation of the pathology without claiming that they can lead to cure.

Finally, special attention should be paid to weight control, clearly overweight contributes to the exacerbation of the disease, so if present, diet should be counteracted and the problem addressed as soon as possible.

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Diastasis itself is not a disease, but rather a physiological condition. It is not a hernia: there is no defect in the white line, respectively, there is no risk of impingement of internal organs. At the same time, the expansion and thinning of the white line increases the potential risk of developing true hernias.

Causes of diastasis

Most often diastasis appears in the third trimester of pregnancy. This is one of the manifestations of physiological changes in the connective tissue of women during this period under the influence of hormones – the anterior abdominal wall is stretched due to connective tissue structures (and above all the white line) – otherwise the uterus with a growing baby would simply not fit in the abdominal cavity. In this case, the center of gravity of the body is shifted to the front, increases the curvature of the spine, increases the pressure on the anterior abdominal wall The second reason for the appearance and increase in diastasis – increased pressure in the abdominal cavity, including during some physical exercises.

In the postpartum period, the distance between the muscles decreases, but this process takes about a year. A survey of 300 women conducted by our Norwegian colleagues showed that 6 weeks after childbirth, diastasis persists in 60% of women, and 12 months later in only 33%. This is why we do not recommend considering surgical treatment of diastasis earlier than one year after delivery.

Symptoms of diastasis

Diastasis is often visible to the naked eye. To identify it more clearly, we ask the patient to lift her head and shoulders in the supine position. In this case, the rectus abdominis muscles contract and the bulge or vice versa, a depression along the line running from the sternum to the pubis becomes visible. Palpation allows you to more accurately identify the presence and degree of diastasis.

Diastasis can manifest itself with clinical symptoms. The loss of a strong “fulcrum” for the muscles of the anterior abdominal wall leads to a redistribution of static load, which in turn can lead to pelvic and lumbar pain, and in some, fortunately rare, cases – and violation of the function of the pelvic organs.

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• Whether you are experiencing pain, bleeding, or leakage;
• Whether there is discomfort in the pelvis or lower back;
• Whether you have problems controlling urination or bowel movements;
• Is there a risk of rectal diastasis?

Rectal diastasis is a condition in which the rectus abdominis muscles diverge as a result of pregnancy. If your abdomen is protruding even months after giving birth, this may be a sign of diastasis. This condition is treatable, but requires a professional approach and a doctor’s consultation.

What happens to the body after a cesarean section

During a cesarean section, seven layers of tissue are cut or separated: skin, fat, fascia, muscles, peritoneum, uterus, and amniotic sac. Despite this, the abdominal muscle is usually not cut, but only separated vertically.

These layers heal differently. The skin can heal in 21 days, while the muscles can take up to six months to fully recover. Even then, they may not return to their original strength if you don’t work on rehabilitation.

How to start training

Listen to your body. If you feel pain, change the movement or stop doing it.

Start gradually. Do the exercises two to three times a week, gradually increasing the intensity.

Basic recovery exercises

Lying on your back: lie on the floor with your lower back pressed to the ground. Keep your knees bent and your feet on the floor.

Sitting position: sit on the floor, put your feet on the couch. This posture reduces tension in the back.

Hold these positions for 5-10 seconds, repeating them 10 times. These are basic movements that will gradually help you return to activity.

Expand your fitness horizons

Add aqua fitness (aerobics, swimming) and yoga to your program. These sports gently load the body and help strengthen muscles.

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Yoga is an ideal option for a useful and interesting pastime for expectant mothers. This is an activity that is becoming increasingly popular. The most important thing is that yoga is not only exercise, but also a kind of lifestyle. It combines a whole range of soft and smooth movements aimed at restoring all organs and systems of the body.

How is yoga useful for the expectant mother?

Rachel Rivera, a fitness instructor for pregnant women, explains that such classes help a woman feel energetic, relieve discomfort in the lower back, prepare the birth muscles for the most crucial moment of a woman’s life, relax the body and have a positive attitude towards childbirth, and most importantly, help to establish proper breathing, which is very useful during childbirth.

Regularly practicing asanas will help reduce the symptoms of toxicosis, reduce the risk of stretch marks, and make pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period easier.

To attend classes from 12 weeks of age

The instructor recommends coming to classes from the 12th week of pregnancy. According to her, this is when the fetal nervous system and certain physiological changes in the woman’s body have already taken place. Two or three classes a week are enough to make her feel better and her pregnancy go smoothly.

• “Yoga is a very wise system for rejuvenating the body and mind,” adds Ms. Rivera. Quite often in the classroom it happens that a woman sees a new exercise and worries that she won’t be able to do it, and then she succeeds. And she is very pleased that her body can do many things. This gives the pregnant woman more confidence in her abilities.

The instructor offers not just classic yoga classes, but also combines different moves that are ideal for expectant mothers. Thanks to the exercises, you can prevent problems with varicose veins, which, by the way, are very common in pregnant women. With regular asanas, fatigue and swelling of the limbs, muscle tension, and blood circulation disappear.

Back and legs will hurt less

Yoga exercises also have a good effect on the uterus, strengthening its walls. This reduces the risk of premature birth and complications. The most important thing is to perform asanas without jerks and sudden movements, smoothly. In this way, they improve blood flow in the walls of the uterus and pelvis, strengthening the back muscles and spine. Accordingly, the baby becomes more comfortable in the mother’s tummy and moves more easily. The most important thing in increasing blood circulation during classes is that more oxygen is transported to the fetus, which is very important during pregnancy for the baby!!!!

Yoga will help to get rid of this discomfort. When the back is straightened, the internal organs take the correct physiological position, which improves their blood supply and function. Yoga can also help to balance hormones and the nervous system.

A very important aspect of the classes is exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles. According to the instructor, by making them more elastic, a woman will help her child pass the birth canal more easily. And after childbirth, the muscles will contract, strengthen and tighten better and more efficiently, meaning they will return to normal faster. By the way, thanks to the ability to tense and relax the intimate muscles in time, you can avoid perineal tears and other complications.

When is exercise not recommended?

As the trainer explains, it is better to consult a doctor before exercising. If there is a threat of preterm labor or other contraindications, it is better to refrain. All movements of pregnant women should be smooth and gentle. A woman in position should listen carefully to her feelings and be guided by her sense of comfort in any of the positions or exercises.

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In the third trimester, regular exercises already seem more difficult. And a woman with a rounded belly naturally begins to weigh more. Most likely, she may have heartburn or a frequent need to run to the toilet because the fetus inside puts pressure on the bladder, which leads to rapid urination. Therefore, what was once good (perhaps jogging or cycling) must now be knocked off the training list and only the simplest and safest exercises left.

The list can be supplemented with new variations, for example:

Butterfly. Sit in the lotus position and close your feet together. Now test your abilities – try to lower your knees closer to the floor, find your limit, and come back up. Start springing back up. There may be many repetitions here, but not at full strength, because this is an imitation of butterfly wing movements.

Frog. To depict the frog pose, stand on your elbows (this will prevent you from lying belly-up on the floor), bend your knees and spread them apart. This position relaxes the body well.

Kegel exercises for pregnant women

Kegel training of intimate muscles is a separate topic that is relevant to any trimester. Initially, this technique was created specifically for women with incontinence, that is, the main essence of the exercises is to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles.

However, all the benefits did not end there, because later it turned out that Kegel training is suitable for pregnant women regardless of the term.

At the same time, it is better to start developing muscles using the Kegel method as early as possible, while the fetal pressure on the pelvic muscles is not so significant. In this way, you will be ready for the upcoming natural load and better prepared for the birth itself.

So, how do you get started and what should you do if you are not familiar with the Kegel method?

At the very beginning, warm up to get yourself in the mood. To do this, you need to try to imitate a deliberate delay in urination. That is, to squeeze and unclench the vaginal muscles. This is done quickly and as many times as you need to feel the desired area and prepare for further actions.

After warming up, strengthen the muscle contractions, try to keep them as tense as possible. Alternate with relaxation and repeat.

Go to the exercise called “Elevator”. Here you need to squeeze the vaginal muscles, but do it gently and gradually. Imagine yourself climbing up (inside the body), and the higher you go, the more the muscles should be squeezed. At the end – slow relaxation.

To support the abdomen and reduce the load on the back during pregnancy, as well as to strengthen the anterior abdominal wall after childbirth, it is recommended to use a supportive bandage.

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Rest

The first thing a woman needs after giving birth is sleep. The miracle of giving birth to a new life has taken place, the neonatologists have examined the child, he lay on his mother’s chest, calmed down and fell asleep. And moms should do the same. A woman’s body is in great need of rest, so it is irrational to spend precious few hours on the phone or socializing on social media. Resting while the baby is sleeping is the golden rule.

Hygiene

Recovery of the uterus and birth canal takes 6-8 weeks. During this time, the uterus, gradually shrinking, returns to its previous size, the wounded surface – the placental site – heals, and postpartum discharge – lochia after childbirth – stops.

Showering is not just allowed – it is necessary! You should refrain only from taking a bath. If the perineum has been stitched, careful washing and antiseptic treatment will be required after each visit to the toilet. Air baths will also be useful. As for the incision after a cesarean section, it is fastened with a special intradermal suture, and by the time the mother is at home on the fifth day after delivery, no special care is required.

Movement

Sufficient activity is needed to help the uterus contract faster after childbirth and to help the pelvic floor and abdominal wall muscles return to tone. After a physiological delivery, mothers get back on their feet in 6 hours (in case of suturing – in 8 hours), take care of themselves and the baby. Thanks to such moderate physical activity, the uterus contracts better, and the lochiae are more efficiently discharged. In the postpartum period, a special set of favorable exercises is also recommended.

A cesarean section is a serious surgical operation, after which weakness is a natural condition. At the same time, world practice shows the importance of active behavior in the postoperative period. If her health allows, a woman gets up as early as 8 hours after giving birth. Moderate exercise prevents the formation of adhesions and prevents thromboembolic complications. Among the permitted exercises is taking your baby in your arms (his weight will not harm the mother).

Nutrition

After childbirth, you need energy. Once upon a time, after a cesarean section, while a woman was recovering from anesthesia, she could drink only acidified water for a day and very carefully return to a full diet. And modern methods of anesthesia (regional methods) allow you to eat as soon as you have an appetite. You can have a snack even in the delivery room. Of course, the menu for mothers is compiled taking into account the recommendations of a nutritionist – there are no dishes that cause undesirable reactions, such as bloating.

Digestion requires attention at all stages. It should be remembered that the elimination systems are located next to the uterus, so intestinal or bladder dysfunctions can lead to impaired contractions. During the stay in the hospital, midwives will not forget to remind the woman of these delicate moments.

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However, every pregnancy is different and it is important to discuss exercise with your obstetrician-gynecologist. If your doctor has given you permission to exercise, discuss what kind of exercise is safe for you.

What are the benefits of exercise during pregnancy?

Regular exercise during pregnancy benefits you and your fetus, including

• Reduce back pain Alleviate constipation;
• May reduce the risk of gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, and cesarean section;
• Promote healthy weight gain during pregnancy;
• Improve overall fitness and strengthen the heart and blood vessels;
• Help to lose weight after the birth of a child.

How long should I exercise during pregnancy?

Ideally, pregnant women should engage in moderate-intensity aerobic activity for at least 150 minutes per week. Aerobic activity involves rhythmic movement of the large muscles of the body (e.g., the muscles of the legs and arms). Moderate intensity means that you move enough to get your heart rate up and start sweating.

An example of moderate-intensity aerobic activity:

Brisk walking

You can divide the 150 minutes into 30-minute workouts over 5 days a week, or into smaller 20-minute workouts throughout each day.

Recommendations for beginners:

• Start slowly and gradually increase your activity;
• Start with 10 minutes a day, adding 5 minutes each week until you reach 30 minutes a day.

Recommendations for those who were active before pregnancy:

• You can continue the same workouts with the approval of your obstetrician-gynecologist.
• If you start losing weight, you may need to increase your calorie intake.

What changes occurring in the body during pregnancy can affect daily activity?

Your body goes through many changes during pregnancy. It is important to choose exercises that take these changes into account:

Joints

• The hormones produced during pregnancy cause the ligaments that support your joints to relax;
• This makes your joints more mobile and increases the risk of injury;
• Avoid sudden or forceful movements that may increase your risk of injury.

Balance

• Extra weight in the front of your body shifts your center of balance. This puts stress on your joints and muscles, especially in your pelvis and lower back;
• Because you are less stable and more likely to lose your balance, you are at greater risk of falling.

Breathing

• When you exercise, oxygen and blood are directed to your muscles, reducing the supply to other parts of your body;
• During pregnancy, your oxygen demand increases, which can affect your ability to do strenuous exercise, especially if you are overweight or obese.

Choose exercises that reduce the risk of injury and take into account your individual needs during pregnancy.

Recommendations for safe exercise during pregnancy

For safety and comfort during exercise, follow these tips:

• Drink plenty of water: Consume enough water before, during, and after your workout to avoid dehydration;
• Breast support: Wear a sports bra that supports your breasts well;
• Abdominal support: In late pregnancy, a special abdominal support belt can reduce discomfort while walking or running;
• Avoid overheating: It is especially important not to overheat in the first trimester;
• Loose clothing: wear loose clothing and exercise in a temperature-controlled room;
• Safe conditions: do not exercise outside when it is very hot or humid;
• Correct positions: avoid standing still or lying on your back.

Lying on your back can put pressure on the large vein that returns blood to the heart. Standing still can cause blood to pool in your legs and feet, which can lead to a temporary drop in blood pressure.

By following these guidelines, you can ensure a safe and comfortable environment for your pregnancy. Always listen to your body and don’t hesitate to seek medical attention for any unusual or disturbing symptoms.

Remember that if there are no contraindications, physical activity is safe and healthy during and after pregnancy – it can help you feel better right away. You’ll have more energy, improve your mood, and minimize stress levels. It can even shorten labor and speed up recovery after delivery. Also, when you are active, it is easier to keep up with your children as they grow up!

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Can swimming in the pool be harmful?

Yes, it can, like any other physical activity, in certain conditions, such as uterine hypertension. Therefore, before signing up for a pool, you should check with your doctor to see if you are allowed to do such activities.

Also, pregnancy is not the best time to learn to swim if you did not know how to swim before. Especially if you are afraid of water. Unnecessary stress is really unnecessary, and you don’t need to create it on purpose.

Is any pool suitable?

In general, yes. The only important thing is that it complies with sanitary and hygienic standards, but this statement is true in any case, not only for pregnant women.

Are there any peculiarities to consider?

Everything should be done more smoothly than usual. You don’t need to dive into the water, even warm water, with a bang. It is better to enter gradually so that the body gets used to the temperature change. You shouldn’t try to give yourself a test of strength and see if you can outrun that athletic guy in the water, either. Otherwise, you can swim in any style you are used to. Just don’t overdo it.

And after the pool, be sure to rub yourself well and dry your hair, even if it’s hot outside. It is always easier to catch a cold after hypothermia than usual, so it is better to avoid this hypothermia.

Are there any benefits of swimming during pregnancy?

Yes, it does! Moderate physical activity makes you feel better, gives you more strength, and helps you get rid of stress. Especially if you work out with a competent trainer. And not necessarily just swimming – it can be, for example, water aerobics.

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