How long can you do stomach exercise for when pregnant?

[hotmama1]

Bizarre post - I know!

I am just pregnant (6 weeks) and not planned as dd is not quite 8 months.

I have lost 2 stone at WeightWatchers since Christmas and am just below pre-pregnancy weight, but I was intending to firm up my blancmange like stomach before I got pregnant - too late!

Can I still do stomach exercises like crunches, and if so until how many weeks.

Any ideas or advice will be gratefully received.

[morningpaper]

I don't know the answer to that! Why not ask your midwife to refer you to the physiotherapy dept. - they will be able to show you exactly the right thing to do to keep your stomach AND your back in good shape. Good luck! xx

[romilly]

i wondered the same thing when i was pregnant - i did ask several friends and the general consensus was no crunches or stomach exercises i'm afraid.

be interested to hear if anyone knows what the expert advice is.

[assumedname]

My aerobics instructor said none at all, as soon as I became pregnant.

[hotmama1]

So is there anything I can do to strenghten my stomach muscles (there must be some underneath the wobbly bits)

[tribpot]

Obviously all-over exercise like walking and swimming will do your abs good as well. I've been using a cross-trainer too, if you like to go to the gym. (Can't tell you whether it's had any effect, we only got it when I was about 6 months pregnant!)

I had a look in my pregnancy book and the main things it seems to recommend as well as walking and swimming are cycling (on a machine), step machine, rowing machine, and calisthenics and yoga designed for pregnancy.

Hope this helps - and best of luck with your pregnancy!

[dancer77]

I did crunches until I was about 4 months and danced in a show at 4 months, then I couldn't lay on my back as it made feel sick. I'm not an expert on fitness during pregnancy but i still done pilates style exercises which work your stomach i.e breathing and pulling the lower stomach in. I think it depends on whether you're doing them before pregnancy as if not i was advised not to start anything new.

[dancer77]

Sorry kama didn't read properly that's an excellent idea - the stability ball.

[hotmama1]

I have a vague recollection that you can do stomach exercises for the first trimester - but am not sure? I do go to a gym so I will ask a trainer and I do have a swiss ball at home so I will try to do stability exercises on this.

Any other advice is welcome.

[dancer77]

I would hotmama there should be a trainer that is qualified in pre and post natal. It's like with everything advice changes doesn't it? So they advise differently I do remember being told up to first trimester was fine too

[Tabs]

Hi Hotmama - As you know I'm not even 5 weeks yet, but I'd just had a programme designed for me at the gym before I found out! I've since checked with my midwife if it's ok to include stomach crunches, and she said no.

I had a programme review at the gym today (my trainer is qualified in exercise during pregnancy), and he's given me some pelvic floor exercises to do instead (some standing, some sitting, some on a ball), and stressed that when doing cardio work (not sure if you are doing this too?) I mustn't let my heart rate get above 70% of the theoretical maximum (140 for me - pretty sure that there are websites that you can work yours out on), as this causes body temp to increase to a potentially dangerous level for baby.

Hope this helps!

[hotmama1]

Any of you morning girls got any input.

[Chuffed]

hotmama there is an ab exercise I did all the way through you get on your hands and knees like crawling and breathe all the way out so that your stomach looks pregnant, then use your abs to draw your stomach back up to your back...(hard to explain). This works the inner abs that support the spine.
Also didn't do any crunches or anything once pregnant. Doing things like 'body balance' is good as it uses balance and stability to work your core a mix of tai chi, pilates and yoga.
Get a heart rate monitor if you are doing cardio and don't go over 60% of max heart rate (well that is what I was told) which in my case is 140.