Common Disorders of and Exercises for Pregnancy

Chapter 8 Common Disorders of and Exercises for Pregnancy


Common disorders experienced by some women as a consequence of the physiological changes occurring in their body are listed in Box 8.1.



Box 8.1 Common disorders of pregnancy




• Nausea and vomiting


• Breast discomfort


• Backache and ligament pain


• Leg cramp


• Headaches


• Fatigue


• Constipation


• Emotional lability



Relief of aches and pains




Back and pelvic pain




image Backache can be eased by good posture and practice of the transversus and pelvic-tilting exercises in standing, sitting and lying positions.


image Women complaining of severe pain involving more than one area of the pelvis (pelvic arthropathy) should be referred to a women’s health physiotherapist for assessment, advice and possible manipulation.


image Sciatica-like pain may be relieved by lying on the side away from the discomfort so that the affected leg is uppermost. Pillows should be placed strategically to support the whole limb.


image Symphysis pubis dysfunction (SPD), formerly known as diastasis of the symphysis pubis, is covered in Chapter 12.


Midwives should be aware of necessary precautions and correct positions in relation to labour.



Cramp


Women can help prevent cramp in pregnancy by practising foot and leg exercises.



image To relieve sudden cramp in the calf muscles while in the sitting position, the woman should hold the knee straight and stretch the calf muscles by pulling the foot upwards (dorsiflexing) at the same time.


image Alternatively, standing firmly on the affected leg and striding forwards with the other leg will stretch the calf muscles and solve the problem.



Rib stitch or discomfort


Discomfort around the ribcage can often be relieved by:



image adopting a good posture


image specifically stretching one or both arms upwards, depending on which side the pain affects.



Antenatal exercises


Exercises must be adapted for different circumstances. The positions that pregnant women adopt for exercises should be carefully considered:



image Women should not lie flat in the later second and third trimesters because of the danger of supine hypotension.


image Instead, a half-lying position with the back raised to an angle of approximately 35° can be used.


image Foot and leg exercises and pelvic tilting can be performed in sitting or half-lying positions, whereas transversus and pelvic floor exercises can be carried out in any position.


Muscles of good tone are more elastic and will regain their former length more efficiently and more quickly after being stretched than muscles of poor tone. Exercising the abdominal muscles antenatally will ensure a speedy postnatal return to normal, effective pushing in labour and the lessening of backache in pregnancy. An important function of the abdominal muscles is the control of pelvic tilt. As the ligaments around the pelvis stretch and no longer give such firm support to the joints, the muscles become the second line of defence, helping to prevent an exaggerated pelvic tilt and unnecessary strain on the pelvic ligaments. Overstretched ligaments and weakened abdominal muscles during pregnancy can lead to chronic skeletal problems postnatally as well as backache antenatally. Exercises for the transversus muscles (transversus exercise) and rectus muscles (pelvic tilting) help to prevent this and maintain good abdominal tone.


Exercises that involve the oblique abdominal muscles should be avoided in later pregnancy as they may cause diastasis recti.




Transversus exercise


To tone the deep transverse abdominal muscles and to help prevent backache:



image Sit comfortably or kneel on all fours with a level spine.


image Breathe in and out, then gently pull in the lower part of the abdomen below the umbilicus, keeping the spine still and breathing normally.


image Hold for up to 10 seconds then relax gently.


image Repeat up to 10 times.

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Related posts:

  1. The Placenta
  2. Trauma During Birth, Haemorrhage and Convulsions
  3. Obstetric Emergencies
  4. Problems of Pregnancy

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Jul 11, 2016 | Posted by in MIDWIFERY | Comments Off on Common Disorders of and Exercises for Pregnancy

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