wiese01@cox-internet.com

http://www.bodiesforchrist.com

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart…. Jeremiah 1:5  

I am currently 18 weeks pregnant with my son and very excited to be a first-time mother. I remember going to lunch with my girlfriends that were already mothers and I would hear them express their love for their children, but I never really understood. I am now beginning to feel emotions I never knew existed.  

There is such a responsibility that God has given us as parents to protect our children: spirit, soul and body. While you are pregnant its important to take care of your own body so the baby will be nourished and whole. I am just very honored that God has blessed my husband and myself with a child. I want to be wise about every decision I make concerning his well-being and mine. 

Exercising during pregnancy can be a huge blessing. The benefits include: 

Limited weight gain

Less physical discomfort

More energy

Easier, shorter, less complicated labor

Quicker recovery 

There are many myths in America today concerning pregnancy and exercise that allude to the fact that exercise can be harmful to the unborn baby. In 1985 the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) published their first guidelines for exercise during pregnancy. They recommended that active women strictly limit the type, duration and intensity of exercise to minimize the risk to themselves and their unborn babies. ACOG then revised the guidelines in 1994, removing the recommendations that maternal exercise heart rate not exceed 140 beats per minutes, exercise duration not exceed 15 minutes and body core temperature not exceed 38 degrees Celsius. These recommendations are guidelines and they do take a conservative approach.  

ACOG recommendations for exercise in pregnancy and postpartum: 

During pregnancy, women can continue to exercise and derive health benefits even from mild to moderate exercise routine. Exercise at least three times per week instead of intermittent activity. 

Women should avoid the supine (lying on the back) position after the first trimester. Prolonged periods of motionless standing should be avoided too. 

Pregnant women should stop exercising when fatigued and not exercise to exhaustion. 

Pregnancy requires an additional 300kcal/d in order to maintain metabolic homeostasis. 

Morphological changes in pregnancy should serve as a relative contraindication to types of exercise in which loss of balance could be detrimental to maternal or fetal well being, especially in the third trimester. 

Pregnant women who exercise in the first trimester should augment heat dissipation by ensuring adequate hydration, appropriate clothing and optimal environmental surroundings during exercise. 

Use rate of perceived exertion instead of 140 beats per minute or being concerned with heart rate.  

EVERY GOOD AND PERFECT GIFT IS FROM ABOVE….James 1:17 

Copyright 2004 by Sheri Wiese