Not doing exercise lying on your back

[berri]

Does anyone have any more info on this?

I'm nearly 12 weeks and do a class which I love, but involves a few exercises on your back such as pelvic lifts etc.

I keep seeing advice saying not to do this after the first trimester, but can't see anything explaining why?

The weight of your uterus presses on a main artery (vena cava) and restricts the blood flow which can make you pass out.

It's a weight thing once baby/ uterus get bigger then they can squish the vein/ artery reducing blood supply. Essentially you could get dizzy/ pass out/ baby could be deprived of oxygen. A lot of exercises have modified versions that you can do on your side. Speak to the class instructor and see what she/ he can come up with.

Thanks for the quick replies

Would this still be relevant this early on then, when the baby is still so tiny? I haven't felt any feelings of faintness during the lying down periods (yet, they only last a couple of minutes).

I'm sure it varies from person to person but I didn't feel uncomfortable on my back till I was 22-23 weeks. Most advice in pregnancy is very precautionary so it's up to you to consider any risks and make an informed decision.

I was still doing pilates exercises on my back at full term, I just limited the amount of time I spent on my back and kept changing position and it was fine

Is your instructor qualified in pre/post-natal work? You shouldn't need to ask on here, they should be modifying all the routines as a matter of course. If they aren't, find someone who is - there are lots of exercises that need to be changed to avoid things like separation of stomach muscles.

Shouldn't be too much of an issue at 12 weeks. However, I was a very heavy exerciser before getting pg and am a trained gym instructor. Even though I knew it wasn't an issue then, by 6wks I found it very uncomfortable to do any kind of abs exercises on my back (even modified ones). Anyway, what's the point?! They'll be a distant memory in about 3 months!
With regards actually lying on my back, I'm now 23 weeks and am still quite comfortable doing this. Also, if you do impact on the vena cava, you'll start feeling a bit ropey so will naturally move position. It's not a huge problem.

Physio gave me similar exercises . Am now 18 weeks.

Thanks all, will ask instructor again what she thinks.