Care & Caution

Care & Caution for pregnancy

Now BloomingFit is all about promoting exercise as it's SO SO beneficial to both you and your baby

in SO SO many ways

However our priority is to take care of you and there are certain pregnancy and mecical conditions which  may affect your suitability to exercise

We do advise all women to have a pregnancy health check with your Midwife/ GP before you launch yourself into exercise or fitness program

But without wanting to 'scare' you we advise that it is particularly essential if you have any of the following conditions that you go see your GP or Midwife for specific advice as exercise may be contra indicated in early or even for your whole pregnancy

Consult with GP/ Midwife if:

• History of miscarriage in the previous pregnancy
• Medical problems such as diabetes, kidney disorder and or respiratory problems
• History of cardiac disease
• High blood pressure
• Medication which alters blood flow or cardiac output
• History or present joint problems
• Anaemia
• Poor general health and immunity problems
• Expecting twins/ triplets
• IVF conception
• History of premature labour (birth before 35 weeks gestation)
• Incompetent cervix

However some complications may not happen immediately but only appear as you progress through your pregnancy

Therefore it is very important that you re-read these 'Care & Caution' section after each check up with your midwife/ GP to check that it is still safe to exercise.

If any of the following conditions, complications or changes arises at any time during your pregnancy

then we strongly advise you to immediately stop all exercise and seek the advice of your medical practitioner

These complications may be temporary and you may be able to return to exercise once they have settled

Stop & Seek Medical Advice:

• Any vaginal bleeding
• High blood pressure
• Prolonged headaches and/ or ‘flashing' lights in your vision
• Anaemia or severe fatigue
• Any infection or high temperature and fever
• Leak of fluid which may be rupture of membranes
• Urinary incontinence
• Baby has been medically confirmed to be small for dates (IUGR)
• Placenta praevia has been diagnosed
• Swelling, pain & redness in calf (DVT)
• Fainting and dizzy spells
• Any abdominal pain

So before you head out the door sprinting to the gym do consider the following wisdom....

• Was exercise a regular activity in your life before pregnancy or are you new to fitness? For beginners it's never too late to start; but embark on a non impact beginner level and stick with this level throughout your pregnancy. Keen is good but know your limits
• Remember every woman's pregnancy is different and changes through the 9 months. You are likely to have ‘energetic' periods and also ‘exhausted/ fed up' times. So you need to be flexible to your exercise goals; and not a slave to a rigid training regime.
• The most important wisdom is to "listen to your body"

If you have any specific anxieties or questions about exercise for you in pregnancy then please do contact us for advice by sending your email question to ask a question

All emails are in strictest confidence

Care & Caution for Post Natal

There are so many benefits to exercising after pregnancy and as a mum, however there are certain guidelines which are recommended to ensure your health and well being.

We advise all mums to wait until they have had clearance with their post natal check with their health care practitioner which generally happens at about 6 weeks post natal.

And as long as there are no complications (see below) then it is safe to begin exercise from 6 weeks post. However following a caesarean section we recommend waiting until at least 8 weeks post natal due to the impact of surgery.

Although you may feel well your body has a lot of healing to do on the inside!!

The site were your placenta was attached is rather like an open wound as has to have time and rest to repair on the inside.

Starting exercise as a new mum too early can result in fatigue, injury from unstable joints and lack of core stability support and extreme bleeding.

If you have any of the following conditions or complications as a mum then we strongly advise you to immediately stop all exercise and seek the advice of your medical practitioner:

Stop & Seek Medical Advice

• Joint or pelvic pain
• Healing problems or discomfort
• Any infection or fever
• Pain and redness in the breasts (which may be mastitis or infected milk ducts)
• Excessive fatigue and exhaustion
• Anaemia
• Large separation of the rectus abdominal muscle greater than 3cm 0r 3 finger width across

So before you head out the door sprinting to the gym do consider the following wisdom....

• Your body has gone through 9 months of considerable changes, inside and out. Therefore be realistic about your goals to return to fitness and shape. Celebrities may be back on the red carpet in 4 weeks, but that is not natural and neither is it healthy. 6 to 9 months is the ideal time to aim to get back into pre- pregnancy shape
• There is one exercise that is safe and essential to do straight after giving birth and that is pelvic floor muscle exercises (or kegel exercises). It may not be the first thing you think about after labour..... but do start as soon as possible!!

    

  If you have any specific anxieties or questions about exercise for you in pregnancy then please do contact us for advice by sending your email question to ask a question

  All emails are in strictest confidence