TRUSTED BY OVER 82,000 GROWING BUMPS

Add your deal, information or promotional text

Shopicons_Regular_Delivery2

Free Delivery Australia Wide

Shopicons_Regular_Calendar

30 Night Risk Free Trial

Shopicons_Regular_Shield

Sleeping Mum’s Guarantee

Five low intensity exercises to help during pregnancy

  • April 27, 2022

Easy to learn, low intensity exercises to help you maintain fitness while pregnant

In collaboration with Dr Carlos Olson from Wellness Osteo Richmond & Carlton.

When you're pregnant, you're not expected to be training for a marathon or breaking records on the weights bench. Your primary focus will be nurturing and growing the precious, tiny human inside of you!

So while you won't be pushing yourself to the limits, moderate aerobic and light strengthening work such as brisk walking, swimming, or yoga, is a fantastic way to burn off excess energy, maintain a healthy metabolism and will go a long way to improving your much-needed pregnancy sleep!

We've sat down with Osteopath Dr Carlos Olson from Wellness Osteo Richmond & Carlton and asked for five low-intensity exercises to help during pregnancy.

Try out a regular routine with these five exercises:

The Cat/Cow:

  1. Start on your hands and knees, with your hands under your shoulders, and knees under your hips.
  2. Start by breathing out and allowing your stomach to slowly drop down, lifting your head up, and pushing your tailbone out.
  3. Hold this position for 2 seconds
  4. Next, breathe in and arch your back up by tucking your head and tailbone in, and pulling your belly button in towards your spine.
  5. Hold this position, and then repeat for 10 reps.

    Woman Performing Cat/Cow Stretch

Thread The Needle:

  1. Start on your hands and knees. Your hands should be under your shoulders and your hips over your knees.
  2. Take one hand off the floor and reach in and through between your other hand and leg on that side.
  3. Allow your shoulder and head to follow, moving down towards the floor as your hand reaches through.
  4. Allow your back to twist. You should feel a stretch down your side, your shoulder blade, and neck.
  5. Hold and then relax and repeat for 5 reps on each side.

Woman Demonstrating How To Perform Thread The Needle Stretch

Seated Piriformis Stretch:

  1. Start in a seated position.
  2. Cross one of your ankles onto the opposite knee.
  3. Apply gentle pressure to the knee as you lean forward, increasing the depth of the stretch.
  4. Hold this position for 10 seconds and relax.
  5. Repeat 3 times each leg.

Woman Performing Seated Piriformis Stretch

The Clam:

  1. Lie on your side with your feet, ankles and knees together. (Bend the legs a little.)
  2. Keeping the feet together, lift the top knee up.
  3. Make sure you don't roll your body back with the movement.
  4. Control the movement as you bring the knee back down to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for 10 reps each leg. (To make it harder, add a resistance band around your knees)

Woman Performing Clamshell Exercise

 Wall Squat With Exercise Ball:

  1. Stand with the ball between a wall and your mid-back. Your feet should be placed in front and hip-width apart.
  2. Keeping a straight back, tighten your core stability muscles and gently squat down, as far as you can go comfortably, by bending through your hips and pretending to sit in a chair.
  3. Tighten your buttock muscles to drive your movement back up to the start position.
  4. Your back should stay straight throughout this movement, and your weight should be on your heels, not your toes.
  5. Repeat for 10 reps

 

Woman performing Seated Wall Squat With Exercise Ball

A bit about Wellness Osteo Richmond & Carlton

Wellness Osteo is an Osteopathic clinic located in Carlton and Richmond.

 

Their focus is on achieving optimal health and wellness by creating individualised plans based on the most recent, evidence-informed techniques and management strategies.

At Wellness Osteo, they treat all sorts of complaints such as postural strains, sporting injuries, degenerative conditions, low back pain, shoulder pain, headaches, and more!  Further, their practitioners are experienced in and passionate about treating pregnancy-related musculoskeletal aches and pains.

Common pregnancy-related conditions they see include:

  • Pelvic girdle pain
  • Symphysis pubis dysfunction
  • Pudendal neuralgia
  • Pelvic instability
  • Carpal tunnel
  • Back & hip pain

Throughout pregnancy and the postpartum period, the female body undergoes significant hormonal and physical changes that can contribute to increased pressure on joints and surrounding structures. With osteopathic treatment, they aim to improve joint mobility, reduce pain and inflammation, and get their patients back to doing what they love.


You can get in touch with Wellness Osteo via their website, where you can make an appointment for a consultation.

Wellness Osteo Logo

Read More

Night Sweats and Waking Up Drenched in Pregnancy

Night Sweats and Waking Up Drenched in Pregnancy

Night sweats during pregnancy are caused by hormonal fluctuations affecting your body's temperature regulation, increased blood volume, and a heightened metabolic rate. While waking up drenched and flushed can be uncomfortable, ordinary hormonal sweating is harmless and settles once your body cools down.

Distinguishing between a hormonal flush and a fever is important:

  • Hormonal Flushing: You feel hot and sweaty in waves without a raised body temperature or shivering chills.

  • Fever or Infection: A temperature reading of 38°C or higher, shaking chills, a cough, painful urination, or a rash requires prompt medical attention. Keep a thermometer on your bedside table so you can verify your temperature immediately if you wake up feeling hot.

Heartburn That Only Turns Up When You Lie Down

Heartburn That Only Turns Up When You Lie Down

Pregnancy heartburn affects roughly 8 in 10 women, driven by progesterone relaxing the stomach valve and a growing uterus crowding your abdomen. Lying flat removes the natural effect of gravity, allowing stomach acid to travel straight up your esophagus at bedtime.

To manage night-time reflux effectively, finish your last meal two to three hours before going to bed and eat smaller, lighter portions throughout the day rather than heavy dinners. When settling down for sleep, lie on your left side to keep your stomach below the esophageal valve, and elevate your entire upper torso by 10 to 15 cm using a mattress wedge rather than just stacking pillows under your head. Sip liquids between meals instead of drinking large volumes with food.

Always consult your midwife, GP, or pharmacist before starting any over-the-counter heartburn medication. If you are taking antacids, space them at least two hours apart from your prenatal iron and folic acid supplements so they do not block nutrient absorption. Contact your healthcare team immediately if you experience severe abdominal pain, difficulty swallowing, or if upper stomach pain occurs alongside headaches, vision changes, or sudden swelling.

Snoring in Pregnancy: What's Normal and What's Worth Mentioning

Snoring in Pregnancy: What's Normal and What's Worth Mentioning

New onset snoring in late pregnancy is very common, usually triggered by hormone-induced nasal congestion, increased blood volume, and relaxed throat muscles narrowing your airways. While occasional mild snoring is harmless, frequent loud snoring, choking or gasping for air, and waking up with headaches or severe daytime exhaustion can indicate obstructive sleep apnea.

Because habitual pregnancy snoring is linked to higher blood pressure and pre-eclampsia, you should always report new snoring to your midwife or GP so they can check your blood pressure and evaluate you for a sleep study. To manage mild congestion-driven snoring at home, sleep on your side, elevate your head and torso slightly, use plain saline nasal sprays, and avoid medicated decongestant sprays unless prescribed.

Search