by Vanessa of Silly Eagle Books

Exercise and Pregnancy: gettin’ in the pool

Athletic is the last word I (or anyone else) would use to describe myself. However, in my childhood and in the late 90′s, I actually spent many an hour in the pool. Not just splashing around, but wearing a Speedo and doing laps. Lots of them. I was pretty much on a swim team from 8th grade until my senior year in college. And although I was never very fast (kind of a key factor in the whole race situation), I did learn how to enjoy a good water workout.

During both my pregnancies, I found myself in our neighborhood pool almost every evening during the summer months. And not surprisingly, it did me a lot of good. Here are a few reasons why you should try it for yourself.

1. You can’t fall.

As any pregnant woman will tell you, balance becomes a challenge once the baby bump starts to pop out. Even in the early months, you suddenly find yourself falling forward, leaning sideways, and generally wobbling about. I swear off step-stools at around month three for fear of toppling off. The nice thing about swimming or walking in a pool is that the water surrounds you, cradles you, and keeps you upright. And even if you do lose your balance in there, it’s no big deal because you’ll just sink softly into the water.

2. You lose weight.

Not literally (I’m not advocating weight-loss while pregnant!), but you feel as if you have lost all the baby weight. The force that usually pulls your belly downward is suddenly and refreshingly gone. You can hop and dance and feel like your old self in the water. Not only do you lose weight, but your older children do as well. If you have a 20+ pound child who still likes to be held, pool time is the perfect time to do it. You can hold her in your arms like the old days and she will feel as light as a feather. I enjoyed holding my three year old in the pool this past summer when I was eight months pregnant. She loved having some time in my arms again, too.

3. You can buy a swim suit that you will grow into.

Usually buying a swim suit is one of the most painful tasks of the year because it involves high hopes that I will lose some weight in order to fit into a certain suit. Buying a maternity suit is exactly the opposite. Instead of buying small and hoping I’ll fit eventually, I buy big and expect to fill it out! Glorious. (Here’s an especially cute one.)

4. You can hide the bump.

I know it’s fun to show off the baby bump, but there are times when I just want to hide it and get a break from the running commentary from random strangers. If you stand in the pool near the wall or sit on the steps with a submerged belly, you look like any other woman in the pool and you can get a short respite from people rubbing your belly, telling you that you are definitely having a boy (even though you are definitely having a girl), and other annoying and unsolicited advice. Of course, once you step out, people will feel prompted to say things like, “Wow! You must be due any day now!” (Actually, I have six months left.) “Twins, right?” (Wrong.), and the every popular “Snack time, again?” (Yes. Yes, it is.)

5. You can relieve joint pressure.

My hip joints always ache when I’m pregnant and swimming is one of the few ways I’ve found to get a little relief. Slow easy laps with plenty of breaks always seems to loosen up my joints and get me back to a less painful place for a few hours. It’s also nice for working out some of that lower back pressure.

6. You can cool off.

Am I the only one who feels like I’m stuck inside an oven for nine months while pregnant? If you are unlucky enough to go through four months of 100+ degree days while pregnant, then jumping in the pool may be the only way to get a little relief from the heat. Water–especially cool water–is always good for taking the body temp down a few degrees.

And of course, there are the exercise benefits of swimming which you are probably already familiar with. You can get your heart rate up, improve your flexibility, posture, muscle tone, etc. Plus, you get to wear goggles.

And don’t forget those cute maternity swim suits.

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More about our Booty Blogger:

Vanessa is the mother of two beautiful girls–Juliet and Lucia. Before she was a mom, she spent her days teaching a little bit of English and a lot more “please be quiet” to high school students and her nights…wait for it…SLEEPING. Now her days are spent reading books, crafting, and chasing the cat around the house while her nights are filled with significantly less sleep and a lot more “please be quiet.” She writes about children’s books, crafting, and learning activities for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers at Silly Eagle Books.