Risk of Miscarriage: First Trimester of Pregnancy & Weightlifting

In decades past, women were told to rest and avoid exercise during pregnancy. These days, exercise is encouraged for optimum health of both mother and baby in women with normal pregnancies. Weight lifting is an excellent way to tone muscles, support the added weight of pregnancy and prepare for labor and delivery but there are certain guidelines that pregnant women should follow when lifting weights.

Considerations

Lifting weights will not cause a miscarriage. However, as with any activity, check with your doctor before starting your weight lifting routine. Although weight lifting is generally considered safe for most pregnant women, your doctor may advise against it if you have a history of preterm labor or certain health conditions such as high blood pressure, heart disease or placenta previa, a condition where the placenta grows low in the womb.

Time Frame

It's safe to continue your weight routine if you lifted regularly before becoming pregnant, but it's not a good activity to try for the first time during pregnancy. It's impossible to know how your muscles and joints will react to the stress of lifting if you've never done it before. Wait until your body has recovered from birth to begin a strength training routine.

Function

Focus on maintaining strength rather than major muscle increases when weight lifting during pregnancy. During pregnancy, the hormone relaxin causes joints to loosen, making you more susceptible to injury. To minimize the stress on joints you should decrease the weight you lift while increasing the number of reps.

Effects

Use slow, controlled movements as you lift weights to avoid muscle strains and joint injury. Consider using resistance bands instead of free weights to better control your movements as well as avoid the risk of hitting your abdomen with heavy weight or dropping a weight on your foot or other body part by accident.

Warning

There are certain weight lifting maneuvers you'll want to avoid during pregnancy, including walking lunges which put you at risk for damage to the connective tissue in your pelvic area. You should also avoid the Valsalva maneuver, in which you forcefully exhale without releasing any air, which can decrease oxygen flow to your baby.

Significance

Be careful not to overexert yourself during exercise; pregnancy is not the time to push your body to the limits. You should stop if you experience dizziness, nausea, shortness of breath, chest or abdominal pain, blurred vision or vaginal bleeding.

References

• Malpani Infertility Clinic
• The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
• BabyCenter.com

Resources

• BabyCenter.com