Swimming in pregnancy: Its benefits and what to watch out for

When you constantly carry a few extra kilos with you in the form of a growing baby in your belly, you probably don't always feel like exercising and sports. Do you know that feeling when you enter the pool, blissfully bounce and it seems to you as if half of your weight disappeared somewhere? Precisely for this reason swimming in pregnancy and exercising in water is not only very pleasant, but also beneficial.

Swimming in pregnancy is a great way to supplement regular movement. It will significantly help relieve joints that experience greater load in pregnancy and also tired muscles.

Other benefits of swimming in pregnancy:

• Reduction of ankle and leg swelling - water helps push fluids collected in limbs back into veins, from where they go to kidneys and then we get rid of them in urine.
• Relief for sciatic nerve pain
• Reduction of morning sickness - studies found that cold water helps many women with nausea during pregnancy.
• Easier childbirth - swimming helps strengthen muscles and better fitness, which can be beneficial during longer labor.

FIT in pregnancy

What to watch out for when swimming in pregnancy?

• Find out water quality - this applies mainly to natural lakes. How is it with chlorine? A certain study from 2010 proved that negative effects on childbirth were not associated with stay in chlorinated water.
• Avoid whirlpool - longer stay in whirlpool increases your body temperature and some studies suggest that this way of relaxation can cause miscarriage and some neurological abnormalities of the baby in pregnancy. This does not mean that warm bath is dangerous. Water in ordinary bathtub that we fill cannot maintain high temperature for long.
• Do not jump - jumping into deep water can represent certain risk for pregnant woman. Use steps rather or slowly "slip" into water feet first.
• Don't forget to hydrate - when swimming think about the fact that you sweat and burn calories. Therefore you need to refresh yourself with water regularly also from inside.

Despite amount of general benefits swimming in pregnancy may not be suitable choice in some cases. If you feel sharp pain in water, breathing difficulties, general weakness, bleeding or do not feel usual movement of baby in belly, stop with this sport immediately and ask your doctor about similar symptoms. However, this applies to any sport in pregnancy. You need to listen to limits that your body whispers to you.

Source of information: Whattoexpect.com
Photo source: Shutterstock.com