How do you use your gym ball in pregnancy?

[mamamona]

Hi all,

After two antenatal classes of sitting on the gym ball, I've now bought one myself because I think they're fantastic just to sit on and help me with my back pain. Apart from using it for labour positions, what else can I do with it from now until labour, apart from just sitting on it?

I'm 32 + 4, and getting a lot of lower pelvic pain...

Any suggestions?

Thank you!

I'm also interested - I just bought one yesterday from Argos. So far I've sat on it and my partner has been told off for playing football in the hallway with it.

bump

Think during the later stages of pregnancy they are mainly used to align the pelvis, so just gentle bouncing and balancing with a straight back, they also help baby to engage...you can do specific exercises on them, like pelvic tilts- which are really Kegel exercises and involve rocking forward and back, whilst sitting on the ball, concentrating on pulling your pelvic floor muscles up and then releasing.

I'm sure if you Google, 'pregnancy birth ball exercises' you will find a lot more though...

I have to admit I just laid over the top of it to watch TV rather than sink into the comfy sofa, as it helps stop the baby being posterior? - it stopped my backache anyway towards the end of my first!

aren't you meant to sit on them to keep an upright back?