Care of the Pregnant Patient: Part 2 Exercise tips and building a pregnancy practice Dr. Stacey Rosenberg graduated from RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia with the five year double- bachelor chiropractic degree, (Bach- elor of Applied Science (Clinical)/ Bachelor of Chiropractic Science) and, after completing her C.C.E.B. registration exams, became a reg- istered DC in British Columbia. Dr. Stacey and her staff have been providing chiropractic care in Gib- sons, B.C. since March 2001. She regularly submits articles to several local magazines as well as national, and international chiropractic publi- cations and has recently published her first book, entitled Natural Pregnancy, Natural Baby - Natural Remedies for Pregnancy, Birth and Post-Partum Discomforts. mal, on-time delivery and improve the likelihood of giving birth to a healthy, heavier baby. Exercise helps women feel better and the calories burned help prevent too much weight gain. In my experience, exercising regularly before becoming pregnant, and staying in shape while pregnant, may also help prevent painful separation of the pubis symphysis, also known as diastasis symphysis pubis. Exercise can help pregnant women avoid gestational diabetes – a form of diabetes that sometimes develops during pregnancy. It can help build the stamina needed for labour and delivery. Exercise enhances well-being and promotes early recovery after labour and delivery. It’s also worth mentioning that exercise can be very helpful in cop- ing with the postpartum period – exercise can help new mothers keep “baby blues” at bay, regain their energy and lose the weight they gained during pregnancy. U PrEGNANCy EXErCISE TIPS • Don’t exercise for longer than 30 minutes at a time. • Always include a 10-minute warmup and a 10-minute cool-down period (in addition to the 30 minutes of exercise). • Pregnant women should not exercise to exhaustion – being fatigued is okay. • Avoid forced, passive stretches, such as reaching for your toes. Pregnancy hormones make your joints looser, so overstretching – which can cause a muscle injury – is a greater risk during pregnancy. Also, avoid sudden jerking or bouncing movements or quick changes in position. 22 • CANADIAN CHIROPRACTOR | APRIL 2009 • Limit aerobic activity to the low-impact variety, especially if you weren’t exercising www.canadianchiropractor.ca nless there are medical reasons to avoid it, pregnant women should be advised to exercise moderately for at least 30 minutes on most, if not all, days. Ongoing, mod- erate, low-impact weight-bearing exercise during pregnancy can contribute to nor- Stacey Rosenberg, DC feature
Chiropractic + Naturopathic Doctor April 2009: Page 22
