Childbirth Preparation and Benefits of Exercise During Pregnancy
Definition of Childbirth Preparation:
Child birth preparation is defined as providing information and support to facilitate childbirth and to enhance the ability of an individual to develop and perform the parental role. It is also defined as the provision of information and support to facilitate child birth and enhance an individual’s ability to develop and perform the parental role.
Goals of Childbirth Preparation:
It includes-
- Provide parents with the knowledge and skill they needed to cope with the stress of pregnancy, labor and childbirth.
- To prepare parents to be intelligent consumers of maternity care.
- To assist parents in achieving a safe, positive and rewarding labor and birth experience.
Counseling and Advice for Birth Preparation of Pregnant Women:
1. Birth preparedness:
Advance planning and preparation for delivery. Birth preparedness helps ensure that women can reach professional delivery care when labour begins and can also help reduce the delays that occur when women experience obstetric complications.
2. Complication readiness:
Anticipating the actions needed in case of an emergency.
3. Emergency planning:
Process of identify and agreeing all the actions that need to take place quickly in the event of an emergency, and that the details are understood by everyone involved, and the necessary arrangements are made.
4. Key elements of birth preparedness:
- Attending antenatal care at least four times during pregnancy.
- Identifying a skilled provider and making a plan for reaching the facility during labor.
- Setting aside personal funds to cover the costs of travelling to and delivering with a skilled provider and any required supplies.
- Recognizing signs of complications.
- Knowing what community resources like emergency transport, funds, communications, etc. are available in case of emergencies.
- Having a plan for emergencies, i.e. knowing what transport can be used to go hospital, setting aside funds; identifying person(s) to accompany to hospital and/or to stay at home with family; and identifying a blood donor.
Benefits of Exercise for Pregnant Women:
Benefits of exercise for pregnant mother are-
- Feel better.
- Develops fetal brain better.
- Relieve backaches and improve posture by strengthening and toning muscles in back, butt, & thighs.
- Reduce constipation by accelerating movement in intestines.
- Prevent wear and tear on your joints by activating the lubricating fluid in your joints.
- Helps sleep better by relieving the stress and anxiety
- Look better. Exercise increases the blood flow to your skin, gives a healthy glow.
- Eases the process of labor and delivery.
- Helps regain pre-pregnancy body more quickly.
- Helps to carry the weight gain in pregnancy
- Prepares for the physical challenge of labor and birth Improves mood & gives energy.
- Helps mother to sleep better.
- Helps getting back into normal after baby is born.
List of Safe Exercise for Pregnant Women:
Some safe exercise during pregnancy includes-
- Swimming,
- Brisk walking or walking,
- Indoor stationary cycling,
- Step or elliptical machines,
- Dancing,
- Water aerobics,
- Yoga,
- Pilates,
- Moderate body movements.
Maria Khatun Mona is a Founder and Editor of Nursing Exercise Blog. She is a Nursing and Midwifery Expert. Currently she is working as a Registered Nurse at Evercare Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh. She has great passion in writing different articles on Nursing and Midwifery. Mail her at “[email protected]”
