Yes, if you are pregnant, the CDC and your ob-gyn recommend you get the flu shot to protect yourself and your baby from the flu. You should get vaccinated by the end of October, if possible. This timing helps ensure that you are protected before flu activity begins to increase. Information found at www.cdc.gov/flu
Yes. All women should get a Tdap shot in the third trimester of every pregnancy. Tdap is used to prevent tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis. The shot will help you make protective antibodies against pertussis. These antibodies are passed to your fetus and protect your baby until he or she begins to get vaccines against pertussis at 2 months of age.
Studies have shown that exercising at a moderate to high intensity level in pregnancy brings about both short term and long-term benefits for both mom and babe. An exercise routine is recommended with appropriate adaptations.
Adapt
During pregnancy your body has an increase in overall blood volume, your resting heartrate increases by about 15 beats per minute, your peripheral vascular resistance is decreased, your need for water almost doubles, your breathing capacity slowly decreases and your body makes a chemical that helps relax your muscles and ligaments. On top of that, your baby is growing in front of you, which tends to make us adjust our center of gravity a bit. We then use more support muscles in our legs and back. Because of these changes, we need to make some adaptations in our routine and listen to our bodies and not the "standard heart rate and exercise guides."
Guidelines:
- If you have not been exercising, now is not the time to become super woman on the treadmill. Begin slowly with walking at a slow pace 5-15 minutes and ask for advice on starting a specific exercise routine for you.
- Drink water! Increase your water intake before, during, and after a workout.
- Avoid extreme temperatures
- Breathe! Make sure to breathe in and out without straining. If you cannot carry on a light conversation while you are exercising, slow down. Be especially mindful of breathing with any strength training. If you cannot carry lift the weight without holding your breath (straining), you are lifting too much.
- Adapt your exercises whether aerobic or otherwise to make sure that your back is supported and that you are not doing motions that are jerky or extreme.
- Keep your workout heart rate 140 or less. This will be difficult, so monitor carefully. When you are dehydrated your heart rate increases, so again, drink plenty of water.
- Be careful doing balance sport: if you feel that you are "off kilter" stop doing them
- STOP any exercise right away if you develop signs of dizziness, bleeding, faintness, abdominal or back pain, overly rapid heart rate or shortness of breath. If symptoms continue, call our office or seek emergency help.
Get out and walk, ride a bike, dance, golf, join an aerobics class, go for a swim or do water aerobics, and enjoy! If you have any questions regarding exercise in pregnancy, please let us know.
- ACOG
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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