Does exercise or no exercise equal easier labour? Your experiences please!

[Ihateusernames]

I'm 23 weeks and I think I should probably be taking more exercise - mainly because it's said to make labour easier for myself and baby.

This is my first so I am keen to hear your experiences - good or bad!

Were you very active all the way through, only to be unfortunate and have a difficult labour?

Or did you not bother with exercise and still have a reasonably fast/easy time in labour?

I really appreciate any information you'd be kind enough to share.

Hiya

I didn't bother with exercise at all! I did the usual walking here and there and around work etc but did not do any other exercise at all lol.

My labour was very easy and straight forward apart from my tear. Would love to do it again! My actual labour was quick but that was due to being induced on the drip.

I think the exercise thing is more to increase your stamina, as it does get awfully tiring! But for that I'd just rest lots in the run up to your due date to reserve your energy

All the anecdotes I heard whilst pregnant seemed to say keeping active = easier labour. I didn't do any formal exercise but made a real effort to do a brisk walk for at least 30mins a day when pregnant and I had a relatively easy, straightforward birth at home. I did get fitter (and weighed less after DS than before, this hasn't lasted!) and found staying on my feet/upright during labour easier than I think I would have done if I had not done all that walking.

Dc1= walked the arse off the dog, did yoga, swam, did loads. Labour was a pile of shite frankly, lots of injuries, awful. Dc2 and 3 = walked from couch to fridge/larder, they landed like dandelion seeds on a gentle breeze. Hope that helps.

Same as flossie really, bugger all exercise (although I suppose my job involved a fair bit of walking, but that just seemed to aggravate my hips) and a nice easy! labour. A small tear which would always have happened due to my short perineum and a quick recovery.

Tbh anything extra I did while I was pg just knackered me completely and I had to spend 3 days recovering!

I don't think it makes a difference how fit you are. I think your mental and emotional fitness is FAR more important. People seem to think of childbirth as some kind of physical endurance task, and of course it is to an extent, but it is really more of a test of your emotional and psychological endurance. You'd be far better of doing yoga which combined the physical strengthening exercises with a lot of mental preparation for "letting go" in labour.

To my mind gyming it for fitness, doesn't really seem like preparing to let go, more like trying to desperately "hold on".

I couldn't really do any exercise when pregnant with DC1. I have spinal and pelvic problems, and pregnancy made them much worse so it was all I could do shuffle around the house. I was completely housebound by 28 weeks.

(Caveat: I ended up having DS at 34 weeks, but he was a rather hefty 6lb 3oz). I would say I had a fairly easy labour. My official labour time was 2 hours. I just had gas and air for pain relief. I relatively easily pushed him out, didn't need any intervention at all. And my perineum was completely intact, I just had a long internal tear, probably caused by him coming so quickly (8 pushes in total.)

Ah, should have said that's 2 hours from 7cm to placenta delivered. Nobody realised I was in labour until they checked and found I was 7cm dilated. I was just very uncomfortable, thought I was just having more painful Braxton-Hicks

I can't know because I would always want to exercise for my own sake.
I think I had relatively straightforward labours & births, as these things go.
The ctx were still very painful & went on longer than I would have liked.
I submit that there is no easy way to have a baby.

With my first I was working as a sales rep, so lots of time in the car. I was also walking the dog lots so was fairly fit - easy birth (6hrs), but took 9 months to shift the weight. With my 2nd, did no exercise and found it all harder. With 3rd was mucking 2 horses out twice a day, walking dog and carting baby no 1 about and very easy birth (1.5hrs) - I lost the weight and was back to normal after 12 weeks - I think the fitter you are the quicker you bounce back, but it's prob best not to start a hard exercise regime half way through. Some nice walks and swimming is great, very relaxing and keeps things supple.

I was unable to walk from 5 months with ds, so very unfit by birth. Labour long and tedious but I recovered very quickly once I started walking a couple miles a few times a week.
Dd had me in bed for nearly 6 months of pregnancy, labour ok, and again recovered from birth quickly - still trying to get fit again as keep injuring myself.

Pelvic floor exercises are great as can even be done lying down. Epidurals are fab too. And if you can avoid getting a stinking cold just before labour, do as that was by far the worst!

I exercised all the way through my pregnancy - yoga, swimming, walking, got that Davina pregnancy DVD and I had a terrible birth.

My pregnancy was really easy though and I felt good and healthy all through it so maybe the exercise helped with that?

I agree about stamina. Labour is called that for a reason, its hard work and physically exhausting.
I did lots of walking and yoga which helped me physically and mentally.
If you have a long labour and are unfit, I think you might be more likely to want an epidural (thats not based on any research or experience, by the way, just an opinion!) as it will help you cope with the physical pain which gets harder to deal with the longer it goes on.
Pregnancy yoga was fab for me. I loved it and it suited me as its not to energetic and I got lots of helpful strategies for coping with contractions. I'd never done any yoga before and now I still keep up regular yoga.

As I expected, some very honest, rational and informative posts from all Mumsnetters! Thanks very much everybody, and I'm sorry dontlaugh, but you did make me laugh just a bit!

I think I should get some gentle walking in, would love to do yoga but my local classes seem quite expensive and I've spent quite a bit on antenatal classes, and now I'm saving for some nursery furniture, not to mention all the other baby paraphernalia!

Must remember to do more pelvic floor exercises too!!

I'll do some now while I'm thinking about it...

Best of luck I, walking is free, make the most of it. Think dandelion seeds

there is some speculation that the rise in OP position babies is due to the increased sedentary lifestyle...

i always walk during pregnancy, one long walk a day - if nothing else it is good for your mood and calming. with second and subsequent children it tired the others out and made the easier to deal with too!

The big plus about exercise during pregnancy is that it makes it easier for you to get back into exercise afterwards (& prevent excess weight gain). So long term it has benefits for you, regardless of whether it helps in childbirth.

I swam 3-4 times a week in pregnancy & ended up with a 60 hour back to back labour so made bugger all difference to me.

I was 4lbs away from my pre-pregnancy weight when the midwives discharged me 10 days later so at least it did some good

with DS one I went from quite active to zero. v hard labour but the worst thing was AFTER the baby was born, it takes a lot of stamina and strength to look after a newborn - lots of bending down to pic em up out of cots.. they go through phases of not wanting to be put down for 2 mins at a time etc.. pushing a buggy everywhere .. I really regreted letting my fitness and muscles fade away during the pregnancy

this time I was determined it'ld be different and I wouldn't cut back on exercise at all, but for various reason's I've done none and am worried about it.. I keep trying to raise it with my MW but she keeps saying that work and toddler will keep me fit enough - but I know she's wrong

labour and life with a newborn is a massive multi-marathon! you do need to stay reasonably active in the run up in order to make it easier to cope with what is to come!

Personally I found that being fit helped my recovery and long term health more than anything.

I was at the gym all the way through both pregnancies (until 36 and 38 weeks) but had to have c-sections for other reasons. 12 weeks after each birth I was back at the gym and count myself lucky to still be in good shape and healthy. I really recommend keeping as fit as you are able, it might make bugger all difference with the birth but it will stand you in good stead afterwards.

I do no exersize, i really am rather lazy but had three easy not very painful labours.

I agree with Meglet, for me its more about being fit for life as a parent than the labour which is also part luck

I exercised all the way through pregnancy (gym, spinning, awimming) and have a really active job. I was 17 days overdue. On 40+16 I still went for my daily swim and walked the dog his daily 2 miles

Ok I have nothing to compare to but I was in labour for 16hrs and only got to 1cm with a back to back baby. From what I was saying n lookin at the monitor mw thought I was ready to deliver. Back to back contractions n Like I say was only at 1cm. They put me on the drip and Another 4 hrs of agony later I had to have an emsc had complications after n had to have a double blood transfusion.

This really fucked me off cos I walked into hospital a fit and healthy (all be it overdue) person in labour. Only to leave 7 days later a physical wrek that had been butchered to get DD out

Didn't do any exercise during pregnancy but walked about 3 miles during labour.