Can pregnant women go to the pool and water park

No wonder future mothers are interested in whether they can visit the pool. Opinions in this area are extremely opposite. Some argue that pregnant women need to shun pools, while others argue that swimming is extremely beneficial for a woman in position. Which of them is right? To go or not to go to the pool during pregnancy?

Modern doctors recommend expectant mothers to swim, but still there are a number of nuances. If you are waiting for the completion of the family, it is important to familiarize yourself with all the subtleties.

Before visiting the pool, you should consult with your doctor. In the absence of any indication, visiting the pool has a beneficial effect on the health of the expectant mother and baby.

The benefits of swimming during pregnancy

Swimming has a very positive effect on the health of the expectant mother. The body acquires a certain lightness and weightlessness when immersed in water. Therefore, for all expectant mothers, especially those who are already in their late stages of pregnancy, the pool helps to relieve the muscles and spine of the load, reduces pressure on the vessels and helps to cope with lower back pain for at least a short time. When the body is immersed in water, a pleasant and light massage of all internal organs and muscles of the body occurs.

• Swimming relieves physical stress and improves the condition of the whole body: gives the spine a rest (thanks to which osteochondrosis and back pain are avoided);
• Strengthens the heart and blood vessels. Due to this, blood and lymph circulation improves, blood pressure decreases, heart muscles train. Thus, varicose veins and hypertension during pregnancy do not threaten mothers who constantly visit the pool;
• Provides the prevention of many diseases;
• This is an effective way to combat edema (movement in water helps to remove excess fluid from tissues) and overweight;
• Swimming has a beneficial effect on the psyche, relieves the nervous system, eliminates stress. (During swimming, a single element of the baby and future mother is felt);
• In the process of swimming, breathing is produced, which contributes to the preparation for childbirth. Great benefits for the pregnant woman are simple diving. When holding the breath, the baby gets used to the lack of oxygen and activates all its reserves. During childbirth and labor, the child does not receive oxygen, so diving is useful for the baby and is a kind of training for him.

Swimming in the pool is a great way to strengthen immunity. After all, it is no secret to anyone that it is this type of physical activity that underlies hardening.In general, you need to swim during pregnancy! However, before heading to the pool, it does not hurt to consult a doctor. Unfortunately, not all expectant mothers are shown such a pleasant and useful pastime.

Pool Guidelines

When it comes not only to a woman, but also about her future baby, choosing a budget pool closer to home can be a huge mistake. So you need to pay attention to the details:

• Availability of classes for pregnant women. In many swimming pools, an instructor is provided for pregnant women, and groups for classes are created, during which a nurse must be nearby. The instructor will be able to choose the best exercise option for you, and the nurse will monitor your health throughout your stay in the water. Experts confidently say that pregnant women can swim in the pool;
• Water temperature (a range of 28 to 32 degrees is allowed);
• The presence of comfortable handrails and stairs;
• Clean water.

Water is one of the main criteria for choosing a pool. It is of 3 types:

1. Salty - the best way. It is very useful for the body, well affects the condition of the skin. Another advantage of salt water is the buoyancy properties. It is easier to swim and perform exercises.
2. Ozone purified. Using special ozonation plants, water is saturated with oxygen. Such a cleaning system increases the cost of a subscription, but this is not the only minus, as it might seem at the beginning. If there were a lot of pesticides in the water initially, the situation will only get worse under the influence of ozone.
3. Chlorinated. The most common option. If ultrasound and other methods are used to purify water along with chlorine, then this option is suitable for the expectant mother. If only chlorine is used, and in large volumes, you should not buy a subscription to such a pool.

Can a pregnant woman go to the water park?

On the issue of visiting the water park during pregnancy, everything is not so clear. If there is a pool of water with an appropriate degree of purification and temperature, there will be entertainment for the expectant mother. True, the noisy atmosphere of the water park is not at all what a pregnant woman needs. Even in a relatively calm area, where there are no steep slides, lovers may suddenly appear to jump into the pool with a running start and frolic under the water. Expecting a baby, it is better not to encounter them.

Riding water slides and attractions is a very bad idea for a woman in an interesting position: even harmless entertainment often causes injuries.

Training

In principle, no special preparation is required. You just need to pack a bag with the necessary things. It:

• A special certificate from the doctor, which is asked in all pools;
• fruit, drink (plain water or tea is suitable);
• swimsuit;
• rubber shoes with non-slip soles;
• rubber hat;
• hair dryer;
• hygiene products (soap, washcloth, shampoo);
• nourishing skin cream.

Who should not swim: contraindications

In some cases, it is better to refuse a future mother to swim in any reservoirs, artificial or natural. These are the following diseases and conditions:

• feeling unwell (general weakness, severe toxicosis etc.);
• uterine hypertonicity;
• risk of miscarriage;
• copious discharge from the vagina;
• serious illnesses;
• the presence of miscarriages in the past.

Important! Postpone your trip to the pool if you previously had a fear of water: during pregnancy, a phobia can again make itself felt.

Output. FAQ: 5 main questions about going to the pool during pregnancy

If you have already been involved in swimming, it will be easier for you to navigate how to behave during classes and how to plan your training. For beginners, it is better to first work out with an instructor, and when choosing aqua aerobics, you should enroll in an entry-level group. Nevertheless, you need to follow a few general recommendations related to visiting the pool during pregnancy.

1. “Can I swim in the early stages of pregnancy?”

Pregnant women can go to the pool at any time, but you need to consult a doctor about this and monitor your well-being. If previously a woman had miscarriages, an aborted pregnancy, if she suffers from toxicosis with nausea and weakness, if at least a slight detachment occurred in the first weeks, then it is better to wait until 2 trimesters with swimming. From 14 weeks the fetus is already protected by the placenta, the main risk factors recede, and the well-being of most expectant mothers is already noticeably improving by this time.

2. “Before what period of pregnancy can I go to the pool?”

You can visit the pool even at 9 months of gestation, but only until the cork mucous discharge. By closing the cervical canal, it protects the uterine cavity and the fetus inside it from infections, as well as other negative external factors. The mucous plug goes off at all at different times: in some - 2-3 weeks before giving birth, in others - directly in front of them. If this happened, swimming is already prohibited, since there is a danger of intrauterine infection of the baby, the development of concomitant infections, which is extremely undesirable in the late term. For a similar reason, doctors do not recommend going to the pool at the very beginning of pregnancy, when the mucous membrane and placenta have not yet formed.

3. “Is it safe for pregnant women to swim in chlorinated water?”

Choosing a pool, it is not superfluous to ask how the water is purified in it. The most commonly used reagent disinfection method is bleach. It kills pathogens and their metabolic products. The method is traditional, while quite effective and relatively safe. The problem is that bleach is absorbed into the skin, and the vapors generated by the evaporation of water penetrate the respiratory system to a greater or lesser extent. Periodically swimming in water with bleach is not dangerous for mom and the unborn child, but for daily visits it is better to look for sports centers with more modern disinfection techniques. In large cities, there are many swimming pools in which water is treated with ultraviolet, ozone, ultrasound - these are the best options for pregnant women.

4. “How to swim in the pool for the expectant mother?”

Training in the pool for pregnant women takes place in three formats:

1. swimming - crawl is best suited for expectant mothers, while breathing should be relaxed and free, and periodically during classes you need to take rest breaks.
2. diving - diving and a short breath holding at a depth help to train various body systems, which is very useful during contractions.
3. water aerobics - it is recommended for pregnant women to attend group classes where they use safe equipment, and the trainer offers a set of exercises for endurance, breathing, soft stretching of muscles and ligaments.

5. “Does the expectant mother need help for the pool?”

A certificate for visiting the pool is required for everyone, pregnant women are no exception. The fact is that there are certain restrictions for swimming, which are not excluded when registering in a antenatal clinic, and they are also temporary. That is why it is necessary not only to get a certificate once, but also to update it once every six months.

In some pools and multifunctional clubs, the requirements are more stringent - they may request a new certificate every 3 months. Of course, you have to spend time on visits to the clinic, which causes inconvenience, but at the same time hygiene and safety are ensured - this is extremely important for a future mother. So tight control over the health status of visitors is a big plus for the sports center.

To make classes in the pool during pregnancy as comfortable as possible, a few more tips will help. Eating 1.5-2 hours before your workout is recommended: it is difficult to swim with a full stomach, and it is undesirable to fast on an empty stomach, dizziness and weakness may occur. Immediately before entering the pool, you should thoroughly wash yourself in the shower room, rinse off cosmetics, remove plasters, dressings.Before training, you need to slightly stretch and warm up the muscles with ligaments, and then gently stretch them, avoiding twisting. If the water is chlorinated, after class and the shower it is worth applying a moisturizer to prevent dehydration of the skin and the appearance of early or deep stretch marks.

We also read: Active pregnancy: go to the pool

Swimming during pregnancy: advice from a psychologist

Advises Shirokorad Galina Nikolaevna, psychologist at the Center for Reproductive Medicine