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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

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Original poster

Does being very fit help with childbrith?

37 replies

mckenzie · 18/09/2002 21:26

I have always been fairly fit, running regularly and having regular personal training sessions in the gym, and I kept up my fitness throughout my pregnancy although I obviously toned it down and stopped running altogether after about 5 months.

Anyway, I had a hell of a long and arduous labour and my ds took forever to come out and having since spoken to some other mums, I'm wondering if being fit and very toned up doesn't actually hinder giving birth. I would still do the same next time I think as I do believe that being fit helped with the after birth recovery period and also possibly gave me the stamina to cope with the hellish labour.

Does anybody else have any thoughts on this?

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Clarinet60 · 18/09/2002 21:29

I read somewhere that being v. fit hinders birth because the muscles are so well toned that they fight against things. However, I can't remember how reliable the source was and I've seen no sound research on this (which is not to say that there hasn't been any).

Original poster

mckenzie · 18/09/2002 21:35

that would make sense Droile. I wonder then how people like Sonia O'Sullivan get on. And goodness knows what sort of a labour Paula Radcliffe will have, bless her.

OP posts:

pupuce · 18/09/2002 22:14

Well yes it is well known that being VERY fit is not a plus in labour.
Having said that my SIL is an aerobics instructor and had a fairly easy first labour. Steffy Graf had a decent labour (though the details are not known... at least it was vaginal delivery).
What about Sally Gunnell ?
First labour can be VERY difficult for non-athletics mums as well... I am ZERO in sport myslef and had a 6h30 minutes second stage !!! Good news is second labour was "only" 5 hours from begining to end !

threeangels · 18/09/2002 22:21

I think it can go either way allthough it would probally be better to be in shape. My first birth I was in excellent shape and had a very short and easy labor. My second two the same but wasnt in the best of shape for them.

Mog · 18/09/2002 22:27

I ran up to 8 months with my first pregnancy and had a hugely long labour (days of contractions). However, despite an epidural I was able to push dd out myself in under an hour. The midwife said this was probably due to my fitness. While she was stitching we discovered she was a runner as well and happily discussed personal best times from the unlikeliest of angles!!

Jasper · 18/09/2002 23:48

I read an inter view with Sally Gunnell where she said her extreme fitness/ muscle tone went against her in labour.
Read something similar about Sharon Davis.
Hard thing to prove.
My first labour was a bit hard.(Aren't they all?)Was it because I was so fit and toned?
Er, no

Tinker · 19/09/2002 00:09

This is quite reassuring. It's obviously 'natural' to be a slob with a big flabby belly

Jasper · 19/09/2002 00:14

Yes Tinker. That's why it was relatively easy third time around

ExpatKat · 19/09/2002 06:55

I wasn't particularly fit for my first, yet had what's called an "easy" first labour and delivery.

But having said that, my pregnancy was dominated by anxiety that, because I wasn't fit, I wouldn't be strong enough to make it through labour and delivery. I wish I had been fit--it would have been better than spending months worrying that I would be too much of a weakling to push baby out. You may be right, mckenzie, that fitness is not always a plus in labour, but it is a huge psychological plus, and probably makes you better-equipped to deal with the recovery and lack of sleep, as you say.

bayleaf · 19/09/2002 18:42

I'm as unfit as they come ( full of good intentions but little action)- and I had a piss easy labour. Not sure what they proves - but it's not much of an incentive to get fit for any next time there might be!

SofiaAmes · 19/09/2002 18:55

NO!!!! I was extremely fit before I got pregnant with my son and did yoga and lots of healthy pregnancy exercises all through the pregnancy and ended up with a terrible 40 hour labor followed by a c-section. This time around I'm working on the theory if I do no exercises at all maybe I'll have an easy time of it. I'll let you know next week!

Jasper · 19/09/2002 19:57

bayleaf you do make me laugh

WideWebWitch · 19/09/2002 20:02

Do you think brians help in childbrith? (see thread title) OK, that's the last wrod I'll say on typos.

Jasper · 19/09/2002 20:09

www, no. I am extremely briany but it didn't help me in my first labour

Lollypop · 19/09/2002 20:42

Oh no, I'm 26 weeks pg and began aqua fit & using the exercise bike as soon as the extreme tiredness stopped because I thought it would help labour. Last time unfit and fairly easy birth. Perhaps I should give up now and spend more time on the sofa watching Thomas the Tank engine with DD1.

Clarinet60 · 19/09/2002 23:36

Sounds a good idea to me, Lollypop

Clarinet60 · 19/09/2002 23:36

Sounds a good idea to me, Lollypop

Clarinet60 · 19/09/2002 23:37

That wasn't my fault - they said it hadn't worked and to do it again - they lied.

Demented · 20/09/2002 15:09

I swam regularly during my first pregnancy, until I shrunk my swimming costume (washed it at 60 with the towels), I think I stopped at about 6 months and had a long and tiring labour. This time I did aerobics and BodyPump plus swimming until about 32 weeks (got a bad cold or I would have continued) then did AquaNatal for the last few weeks and had a very quick labour with just gas and air.

I don't know about the labour bit because a second labour is generally easier but I think being fitter the second time has definately helped with the recovery and I have been back at my classes since DS2 was 7 weeks and I just feel so much better than after I had DS1 when I just became part of the sofa !

zebra · 14/10/2002 22:31

I agree with Demented; at least, I don't think being (relatively) fit makes any difference to labour itself, but it definitely helps you recover faster afterwards. It must do; for starters, you've got more energy than those women who have just sat around on the sofa for 6 months.

Flick · 25/03/2003 15:20

Agree wholeheartedly. I was very fit up to and during pregnancy. Baby was a 'surprise' so stopped exercise when I found out up to when I was about 16 weeks...then went to the gym about 3-4 times a week up to my 33rd week. After that, swam 2-3 times a week and was swimming the day before I went into labour. I had a 20 hour labour so being very fit doesn't guarantee you a short birth. Having said that, certain aspects of my sports background helped - the breathing and visualisation and stamina. I gave birth to ds at 1am and was out of hospital by midday and out shopping in the afternoon!
I certainly bounced back very quickly, in terms of regaining my figure and having plenty of energy to look after ds in those early few weeks when they are very demanding.
Sport during pregnancy helps to relax you and also to make you sleep better. I would definitely recommend it!

anto · 27/03/2003 22:37

I reckon having an easy labour has nothing to do with fitness levels. Sadly, it's probably either luck or genes. My consultant says he tries to never say 'well done' to women who have just given birth as that suggests there's something you can do to have an easy birth/labour...and there ain't!

I was very fit with my first pregnancy. Already went to the gym regularly, then when preg did yoga twice a week (active birth and Iyengar), swam, and even went to the gym till nearly 7 months to do gentle treadmill walking & cycling. After all that effort my birth was similar to SofiaAmes - long, painful, induced, waters broken, epidural, forceps delivery etc etc. So this time round I've lounged on the sofa and stuffed my fat face - much more enjoyable.

judetheobscure · 28/03/2003 23:03

Agree with most here that being fit wouldn't make the labour or birth easier/quicker but would make you more able to cope with it. Interesting point about tighter muscles working against contractions.

Definitely helped me after the birth - midwives said with all 4 of mine how quickly my uterus had shrunk back to pre-pregnancy. - or do they say this to everyone?

SallyJGP · 31/03/2003 11:48

I'm a fitness instructor and personal trainer, I ran 3 half marathons in the early stages of pregnancy and continued to exercise throughout. My contractions were sheer HELL! The whole thing was almost too painful to bear and I normally have a high pain threshold. I have since thought it might've been due to having strong abdominal muscles, maybe the more muscle you have, the more there is to contract and hence the more pain there is. Having said that at least I had the energy to see it through and the strength to push, that was no problem at all.

Flick · 31/03/2003 12:09

I can add to that - I was very fit and I had the worst after pains I know out of all my friends who had babies. I also had a lot of abdominal pain during pregnancy, due to my tight tummy muscles not wanting to stretch. (They are no long tight - no longer have time to train, boo hoo!).
I agree with Sally - being fit helps with the stamina - and having performed at the upper levels of my sport, I found that the psychology I learnt really helped - the visualisation and trying to relax when in a lot of pain.....

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