Exercise encouraged during pregnancy

Instructor Loretta Buckley (left) leads expectant mothers during a Moms N Motion class at The Club at St. Dominic's Hospital.

Maud Price, 23, is not using pregnancy as an excuse to prop up her feet and pack on the pounds.

Exercise remains a part of her routine, just as it was before she became pregnant.

She's been a part of the Moms N Motion water aerobics class at The Club at St. Dominic's Hospital since May.

"I felt like it would help me out with my labor, and it would probably help me with my legs and it has," said Price of Jackson, who is 38 weeks along. "At first, I was having a lot of leg cramps."

Price also walks the indoor track before the bi-weekly classes.

Walking and swimming are ideal aerobic exercises for healthy pregnant women, and experts recommend 30 minutes a day.

A report in this month's issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons urges physicians to recommend such exercises to pregnant patients, even if they have not exercised prior to pregnancy.

Data show a pregnant woman's body can compensate for the changes with no harm to the fetus during low- to moderate-intensity exercise, according to Capt. Marlene DeMaio, a physician and research director of the Naval Medical Center in Portsmouth, Va., and author of the study.

The findings contradict what some physicians recommended in the past.

As recently as the 1990s, there was concern exercise could be detrimental to a pregnant woman and her fetus.

These days the benefits of exercising while pregnant are better understood, but in the grand scheme of prenatal care, are sometimes overlooked. "Honestly, most patients aren't getting advised on it unless they are asking questions," said Dr. Emily Johnson, an obstetrician/ gynecologist with Jackson Healthcare for Women.

Johnson touts some of the benefits: keeping weight gain at an optimal 25-35 pounds; keeping the heart in good shape and preparing the body for the strenuous activity of labor. Exercise is particularly beneficial to obese patients and those who develop gestational diabetes. Exercise helps with medicine for the latter, Johnson said.

Loretta Buckley, a registered nurse, has taught the water aerobics class off and on for 20 years. Exercising while pregnant, she says, keeps the muscles tight in the legs and abdomen.

"It gives you an enthusiasm to keep on doing. People who exercise when they're pregnant, they are different people. They want a healthy baby, and they want to be healthy themselves. And, I'm seeing more and more of it now," Buckley said.

Over the years, women have told her they sleep better because of the class, which is the case with one current participant.

Cristina Lazzari, 32, of Byram began water aerobics in her fifth month of pregnancy, but didn't attend regularly until insomnia set in.

"I was having lack of energy. The little exercise I do now is really helping me out, especially with insomnia. Maybe because I get more tired physically," said Lazzari, whose baby is due Sept. 9. She also takes a prenatal yoga class.

Women who are at least 13 weeks pregnant can join the class with clearance from their physician. The class is free to St. Dominic's patients or those who are members of The Club. Others must pay a $50 fee.

Retta Boyd is a registered nurse and one of the maternal newborn educators at St. Dominic's. One of her duties is to give women guidelines on the do's and don'ts of exercising while pregnant.

"We always encourage our patients to do exercise but not (strenuous) after they become pregnant. Don't start hard aerobic exercise. Continue what you have been doing prior to getting pregnant," Boyd said. In her opinion, water aerobics is better than other exercises because "you're not pounding your body against concrete (as with jogging). Something you can do rain or shine."

No matter what exercises women do, she warns them to listen to their bodies. "Always stop if you feel lightheadedness and do everything at a slower pace."

Exercise is restricted for women with certain conditions such as heart disease, some lung diseases, vaginal bleeding, preterm labor, history of preterm labor and/or preeclampsia - high blood pressure during pregnancy, Johnson said.

Before starting a regimen, women need to be evaluated for a shortened cervix and previa - a condition in which the placenta is positioned too low. Both conditions could cause preterm labor and exercise should be avoided.

All pregnant women should refrain from horseback riding, racket sports or any exercise that could cause them to bump something, Johnson said. Buckley advises women to do no heavy lifting and stick to walking, yoga and water aerobics.

"Water (aerobics) takes the weight of the baby off. It makes the moms feel better," Johnson said.

It also increases circulation and decreases swelling in hands and feet, Boyd said.

Leslie Hollingsworth, 27, of Jackson joined the class to help with water retention and flexibility. She's expecting a girl Sept. 30.

Walking and playing tennis were her main forms of exercise before pregnancy, and her doctor encouraged her to keep it up but not to "start running a marathon or anything.

"When I leave, I just feel better altogether. You work muscles you normally don't work," said Hollingsworth, who is planning to deliver at Woman's Hospital in Flowood. "I'm addicted. It's only my third time to come, but I love it."

Local classes

• St. Dominic's Hospital offers the Moms N Motion water aerobics class on Monday and Wednesday from 5:30-6:15 p.m. at The Club at St. Dominic's. Other maternity classes are offered, too. For more information, call (601) 200-6934.
   
• The Birthplace for Women at Baptist Medical Center offers a range of childbirth and prenatal education classes as well as a natal fit water aerobics class. For more information, call 1-800-948-6262 or (601) 948-6262.
   
• Woman's Hospital in Flowood offers maternity and childbirth classes. For more information, call (601) 933-6160.
   
• Central Mississippi Medical Center offers childbirth classes. For more information, call (601) 376-2783.
   
• Wiser Hospital for Women and Infants at the University of Mississippi Medical Center offers childbirth preparation classes. For more information, call (601) 815-7461.