12 Tips To Keep You Swimming into The Third Trimester
Knocked up and feeling all excited about the bundle of joy growing in your womb?
You might wonder whether it is possible to swim. If yes, what are the swimming precautions that you should employ when you are pregnant?
Well, pregnancy is not a punishment. It is a pleasure. You should enjoy as normal a life as possible as you carry your bundle of joy inside you.
One of those joys is swimming in the pool.
Yes, you can swim during pregnancy! Actually, you can even swim in the ocean when pregnant.
Swimming in a saltwater or chlorine pool can help you remain relaxed, both physically and mentally, when you are pregnant.
It is the only time you will only carry a tenth of your weight, which can be a great relief, especially in the last trimester.
When you swim, you get rid of the pain and aches that come when you are pregnant. You maintain your weight, tone, strengthen muscles, and improve your cardiovascular health.
The big question should be: What precautions should you take? There are several, as we will advise you in this short post. Keep reading
Safety precautions to take
With precaution, you can swim well into the third trimester. And no, even the mucus plug is safe. Unless your doctor has expressly cautioned you against swimming, go ahead and enjoy a swim in the cold water.
This is the time that you need your cardio workouts most. You will enjoy this low-impact exercise. Even floating on the water alone can take the weight off your legs.
Take care of the following things when swimming while pregnant:
1. Consult with your doctor first
Pregnancy is a delicate time, and one mistake can affect the baby or you. So, before you start swimming, check with your physician first.
This is more important if you have not been swimming before the pregnancy or if your pregnancy is high-risk. If you have not swum before, this should not be the time to start.
If you have had miscarriages, ruptured membranes, weak cervix, and lung or heart ailments, then you should avoid swimming during pregnancy.
2. Use supportive swimming devices
Supportive swimming devices such as adult floating devices, flippers, and shades can support you when you are not swimming.
You could also wear a life jacket for swimming. The importance of this is that you will not know when your energy can run out.
When you are tired, you cannot tread water well enough to stay afloat. A life vest or jacket can keep you safe and afloat.
3. Enter the swimming pool slowly
When you are hauling extra weight, diving or jumping in the pool is totally out of the question. It can harm you or the baby.
Slide in or step in slowly. You need to watch your step, and hold onto the rails carefully so that you don’t hurt yourself.
4. Use pregnancy-stage-appropriate swimming techniques
You can vary your swimming techniques in your first trimester. For instance, you can lie on your back and do backstrokes. You can also do frog kicks and double breaststrokes if you are a beginner.
If you did not swim often previously, start slowly and then increase the laps and the duration gradually until you get to 30 minutes a day.
If you were a regular swimmer, you could do 5 sets of 4 laps while alternating different styles for 30 minutes.
You can swim in the morning to help with nausea.
Also, it is not harmful to try backstrokes in the second trimester since it does not affect blood flow. Backstrokes can help relieve back pain. Here, you will need a larger swimsuit or you can opt for a maternity one.
However, you should not lie on your back or practice backstrokes in the third trimester. At this time, your baby bump is big, and back strokes may put a strain on your muscles and risk blood flow.
Try breaststrokes in your third trimester. Not only will they lengthen your chest muscles, but they will also relieve the stress on your back muscles. Do not do backstrokes at this stage.
5. Only swim in non-contaminated water
You are not restricted to only swimming in a pool. You can swim in a river or on the beach. Just don’t swim in contaminated water to prevent water-borne diseases. Also, remember to follow safety precautions.
While we said you can swim in the ocean with yeast infection, if you are pregnant, don’t swim if you are not 100 percent healthy.
Also, make sure you do not swim too soon after shocking the pool. You need the water to be as clean as possible.
6. Hot Tub Is No-No
A hot tub can increase your body temperature to above 38.3 C or 101F. This temperature is dangerous, especially if your pregnancy is between 4 and 6 weeks.
It can increase the risk of miscarriage, neural tube defects, and abnormalities in the brain and spinal cord.
7. Be careful on slippery surfaces
This is one of the precautions that you need to take. A pool is surrounded by slippery surfaces, such as the locker room and the pool deck.
When pregnant, a fall can cause grievous health risks to you and the baby. Therefore, walk carefully on slippery surfaces and use anti-slip footwear.
8. Wear comfortable swimsuits
As your bump grows, you should change your clothing. Wear a maternity swimsuit that fits you and that you feel comfortable, especially in your second and third trimester.
9. Do not hold your breath
Your baby needs all the oxygen it can get. When you hold your breath, you limit the amount of oxygen that your baby gets.
10. Don’t Push It
Do not continue to swim if your body is not up to it. If you start feeling lightheaded, unusual pain, vaginal spotting, contractions, and lower abdominal pain, stop swimming. These are warning signs that your body cannot take it.
11. Drink Plenty of Water
Swimming is also a good form of exercise when you are pregnant. However, it can also dehydrate you. Drink water, at least 500ml 2 hours before swimming to keep you hydrated.
You should also have water with you so you can sip as you swim. You can also keep some juice by the poolside so that you keep sipping for energy as you swim.
12. Avoid Exposure to the Sun
Too much sun can cause you to overheat and get sun radiation. If possible, swim in an indoor pool. In the winter, you can swim in a heated pool indoors.
If you opt for an outdoor pool, protect yourself using waterproof sunscreen, and be sure to reapply after two hours.
Whether you are in an indoor or outdoor above-ground pool, make sure the water temperature is between 25.5°C to 29°C (78°F to 84°F). Too cold water and you could end up getting uterine contractions.
Can swimming harm you when you are expectant?
Swimming is a low-impact workout, which is great for seniors, people recovering from illness, and now pregnant women.
If you do it with caution, you should not encounter any problems.
If you feel sweaty, get out of the water. It could lead to dehydration. Also, if you feel tired, get out of the water before all of your energy is gone.
Do the same if you feel lightheaded, nauseous, or start experiencing a headache. Stay alert for any change in energy levels.
For both the mother and the fetus, swimming is safe. In the first and second trimesters, you can even swim in the ocean.
Can a dip harm your unborn baby?
Swimming cannot harm the unborn baby, and it is also safe for the mom. It is a low-impact workout that has many cardio benefits.
Cardio generally means improving the heart rate, and lung health. Better circulatory health ensures better transport of nutrients and oxygen to different parts of the body.
Of all the exercises you could consider doing while you are pregnant, swimming is the best. It is even better than running or walking.
Besides, there are incredible results of swimming 3 times a week, so you can see you don’t need to outdo yourself.
In the post on whether water goes inside you when you swim, we saw that it cannot get into the cervix. The baby is safe, by all counts. The mucus plug keeps the cervix closed.
Is a dip in freshwater safe?
If by freshwater you mean the pool, it is 100 percent safe. All the same, it is better to have someone watching over you, especially if you are having a troubling pregnancy or are in the third trimester.
Bar in mind every safety precaution we mentioned here. This is going to contribute a lot to your safety. Just don’t swim if the water in the pool is too cold.
What makes swimming in the pool safer is the lack of current. However, there is some risk, for instance, of swimming with a herpes outbreak.
If the pool is crowded, you could also have someone bump into your tummy, and that would not be safe at all.
Is swimming in the ocean okay?
Swimming in the ocean while you are pregnant is not as safe as swimming in the sea. There are a few reasons for this.
First, ocean water is really dirty as there is effluent, sewage, chemical waste, and other pollutants coming into the water. You need to be extra cautious.
Secondly, the currents are strong. It is also possible to experience a rip current, and you might not be able to swim against it.
Thirdly, marine animals can be a threat. You do not want to swim in an area that has sharks. Even when there aren’t big marine animals, a sting by a sea urchin would be nasty.
If you must swim in the ocean when you are pregnant, choose your time very carefully so that you swim when there is only flat water.
Also, swim in a group. That way, if you feel tired, you will be in safe hands. Do wear something warm too, because the sea water is colder than pool water.
You will need more swimming accessories than someone swimming in the pool.
Wrapping it up
What swimming during pregnancy precautions do you need to take? You can swim when pregnant, but as with everything else, you have to be careful about it.
Listen to your body. As soon as you start feeling tired, get out of the water. Also, never swim alone. Always have someone watching over you.
Keep snacks close. You are bound to feel hungrier when pregnant than when you are not pregnant. The level of the HCG hormone rises in your system. It increases your metabolic rate, and you feel hungry faster.