Many expectant mothers, especially from the ranks of athletes, often wonder whether it is possible to retract the stomach during pregnancy. Some have to tighten their abdominal muscles during exercise, while others do it out of habit - to look more slim and fit. Is there any danger to the unborn child, or vice versa - is such an exercise useful and will help a woman to bear a healthy baby and give birth without problems and special efforts?
Pregnancy is a natural process!
Most women who become pregnant begin to feel and behave as if they are crystal vases in which the most fragile jewels in the world are embedded. And if they stumble or stagger, the treasure that they carry within them will suffer or worse, they will perish. In fact, everything is completely wrong! Nature envisioned everything in such a way that the fetus, being in the womb, is in the environment that is as safe as possible for itself. The baby in the stomach is protected by amniotic water, the uterus, the abdominal cavity. All of these barriers prevent it from being squeezed and injured. Of course, mother needs to take care of herself when she is in such an interesting position, not to allow blows to her stomach, to avoid crush in public transport, try not to fall, etc.
But you do not need to think every minute about whether it is possible to retract the abdomen during pregnancy or what will happen if she gently bumped into someone in the crowd. In 99.9% of cases, everything will be fine with the woman and her child! Elementary abdominal retraction, which occurs due to muscle tension in this area, cannot constrain the baby or reduce the volume of the uterus. Until a certain time, a little "squeezing", the mother will be able to hide her position (up to a maximum of 14-15 weeks) - while the uterus will be placed in the pelvic and abdominal cavity. Then, at least retract the stomach, at least not, it will still not disappear.
When to draw in the stomach during pregnancy is contraindicated?
Nevertheless, there is a small percentage of women who are contraindicated in any tension of the abdominal muscles. They belong to the risk group in which pregnancy proceeds with some pathologies. Most often, such patients are sent for periodic or permanent stay in the department of pregnancy pathology or gynecology in order to prolong the prenatal period as long as possible.
In this case, the woman does not have a question at all about whether it is possible to retract the stomach during pregnancy. She should be in bed most of the time for all nine months. Any physical activity can provoke a miscarriage or premature labor, bleeding and other problems. Fortunately, such situations are extremely rare and in most cases, patients with pregnancy pathology are under the close supervision of doctors.
Useful exercises
Moderate physical activity is very useful for the body, the more they can be performed during pregnancy. It is impossible to draw in the stomach so that it hurts the baby by doing various exercises. You do not need to rest on it, lie down, you should not do a variety of twisting and power loads. Only muscle strain can cause harm, during which there is a violation of blood circulation in the pelvic organs. But the natural defense mechanisms of the body will work to normalize the situation, and the muscles will relax.
When registering, each pregnant woman is consulted by a physiotherapist who gives her a list of classes with exercises to strengthen the muscles of the pelvic floor and the press. Of course, training should take place at a measured pace, although among the recommended exercises there are those where the woman will need to make quite active movements, for example, turn the pelvis, strain and pull the stomach in a little. Is it possible to pump the press during pregnancy? In the usual way - no. But in order to maintain muscle tone, doctors recommend doing the following set of exercises:
- lying on the floor, slightly raise the pelvis from the floor;
- sitting on a chair, lean back until the muscles of the press noticeably tighten, then return to their original position;
- stand in the “legs shoulder-width apart” rack and take turns raising the legs bent at the knees, pulling them to the opposite elbow (left knee to the right elbow and vice versa).
Women in position can also do yoga, swimming, gymnastics.
Exercise During Pregnancy
Doctors always warn their patients against excessive activity in the last trimester of pregnancy. At this time, walks in the fresh air and breathing exercises are useful to them. In the early stages, playing sports is permissible if the woman led an active lifestyle and before she became pregnant. Trained muscles need to be kept in good shape all the time.
Practical experience shows that those women who do not stay in place for nine months of pregnancy give birth easier and faster, they have better labor, less breaks, and subsequent recovery is an order of magnitude more successful than those who overprotect themselves . But to start sporting activities (and especially with the aim of correcting weight), bearing a fetus, is strictly prohibited. An unprepared body can not stand such a load, and there is always a risk of disrupting a pregnancy.
Pull and pull - there is a difference
So we figured out whether it is possible to retract the stomach during pregnancy, and in general, the implementation of which exercises is permissible for women in this period. It must be said that if accidentally or deliberately drawing in the abdomen is not something dangerous, then pulling it is a huge risk.
Women need to wear clothes that will not squeeze the abdomen and pelvic area, because even minimal discomfort in this area is fraught with circulatory disorders, and as a result - fetal hypoxia. A lack of oxygen can cause the baby to lag behind in utero. Nevertheless, this threat has nothing to do with wearing a prenatal bandage, which does not squeeze the stomach, but lifts it, that is, it largely performs the function of a woman’s weak muscle corset.
To summarize the above, it is necessary to once again remind all expectant mothers that adequate physical activity favors the successful course of pregnancy and successful childbirth, so you should not deny yourself adequate training, but they should never forget about caution!