WEPP offers a variety of resources to support you throughout pregnancy and the postnatal period. Below, you'll find answers to common questions about nutrition, physical activity, and wellbeing during this important time.
WEPP is for you if you are pregnant or in the postnatal period. Our exercise videos offer a range of classes suited to mixed ability including complete beginners.
WEPP can be used at any stage during pregnancy or in the postnatal period. If you are using our exercise videos please use our Self-Screening for Exercise checklist. If in any doubt please check with a health-care professional. Information videos are suitable for all.
WEPP aims to support you during pregnancy and the postnatal period with evidence-based information and exercise videos which means you can be sure what you are doing is safe for you and your baby. WEPP helps you to commit to regular exercise which can maintain and improve health and fitness and also reduce aches and pains in pregnancy.
Try to drink around 2 litres of fluid a day. Water and sugar free drinks are best. Yoghurt, milk and soups can also count towards your fluid intake. You may need to drink more in hot weather, if you are sweating, if you exercise a lot or if you are unwell.
There is no safe level of alcohol in pregnancy. Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can affect the way your baby develops in the womb. It can also affect your child's health at birth and in the long term. If you are worried about your alcohol intake, please speak to your midwife - support is available.
Regularly having more than 200mg or caffeine per day can increase the risk of pregnancy complications including low birthweight and miscarriage. There is:
Look at your urine! If you are drinking enough your urine should be pale yellow (light straw coloured). If it is darker you need to drink more. Being dehydrated increases your risk of urinary tract infections, constipation, fatigue and headaches. Sip drinks throughout the day if you cannot manage a whole cup in one go.
Some foods are not safe in pregnancy such as raw or undercooked meats and fish and certain unpasteurised dairy products. The NHS website tells you what these are - Foods to avoid in pregnancy - NHS (www.nhs.uk)
'Eating for two' is a myth and you should aim to eat normally in pregnancy, even if you are expecting more than one baby. Choose an eating pattern that helps you to feel full and comfortable. This might be three meals a day, or smaller meals and snacks. Including plenty of nutritious foods like wholegrain cereals, fruits and vegetables, nuts and dairy products (like yoghurt), will make sure you and baby have all the nutrients you need.
It is very rare that someone would be advised to lose weight in pregnancy. Even if someone is overweight when they book in for pregnancy, they would normally gain around 4-9kg across 40 weeks. This is made up of the weight of baby, the placenta and other pregnancy related changes. If you are losing weight or are worried about your weight, please speak to your antenatal team.
Hormonal and physical changes in pregnancy can increase the risk of constipation. Stay hydrated - water is best. Eat wholegrains, fruit, vegetables, beans, pulses and nuts as these contain fibre. Some people find prune juice, ripe pears, plums and kiwi fruits (two a day if you are constipated) helpful. Try to stay active; moving around can help your bowels to move too. If you are still constipated despite trying these tips, speak to your GP or pharmacist.
Placenta previa is a condition where your placenta is covering your cervix. It is called a 'low lying placenta' if the placenta is less than 2cm from the cervix and 'placenta previa' if the placenta is completely covering the cervix. You will be advised of these conditions during your 20 week ultrasound scan and rechecked at around 32 weeks pregnant. In 9 out of 10 cases the placenta will have naturally moved higher up away from the cervix. You can watch a Spotlight on video on this here.
A hernia is when an internal part of the body pushes through a weakened area in the surrounding muscle or tissue wall. Often it will cause few, if any symptoms or you may notice swelling or a lump in the affected area. Coughing, straining or lifting may make the lump appear. You may be able to push it back and it often disappears when you lie down. Common hernia sites include your groin and tummy area.
A hernia can develop in pregnancy due to stretching and strain on the abdominal muscles from the growing baby. This may lead to an umbilical hernia which is a lump/bulge or swelling poking through your belly button area.
Often a hernia will not require any surgical treatment but you should make an appointment to see your GP if you think you have a hernia so you can discuss management with them. If you have sudden pain, sickness, difficultly doing a poo or passing wind or if the hernia becomes hard or cannot be pushed back you should seek immediate help.
It's perfectly safe to have sex during pregnancy unless your doctor or midwife has told you not to. It is, however, normal for your sex drive to change during pregnancy and while sex is safe for most couples in pregnancy, it may not be all that easy. This is an opportunity to explore and try different positions. You may be advised to avoid sex during pregnancy in one of the following circumstances
When you are pregnant it is fine to sleep on either your right or left side. After 28 weeks, research suggests that falling asleep on your back can double the risk of stillbirth. This is thought to be linked to the flow of blood and oxygen to the baby. Whilst you should avoid going to sleep on your back don't panic if you wake up in the night on your back - simply turn over and go back to sleep on your side. Using pillows between the knees and ankles and under your bump can also help with finding the most comfortable sleeping position.
Several pieces of recent positive research have shown that perineal massage reduces the risk of perineal tears or episiotomy during childbirth and can therefore lower the risk of needing perineal stitches especially for first time vaginal births.
In addition, pregnant women and people who previously birthed vaginally, and practiced perineal massage in the last month of pregnancy, experienced less perineal pain in the immediate postnatal period.Perineal massage is advised from 35 weeks onwards and is particularly helpful for first time mothers who are more at risk of having a tear or episiotomy. It only needs to take 5 to 10 minutes a day and can also be done by your partner. It may feel strange or slightly uncomfortable to begin with, but after a few weeks of regular perineal massage you will notice some increased elasticity in that area. Further information and a step-by-step guide on how to massage the perineum effectively can be found here.
Leaking when you laugh or sneeze or do high impact activity such as running or jumping is known as stress urinary incontinence. You may see this written as SUI. It is leakage of urine caused by a lack of soft tissue protection and/or weak pelvic floor muscle support around the bladder neck when there is a sudden added pressure or 'stress' on the bladder. This can happen when your abdominal pressure increases; often with the activities previously listed. For some, simply just the impact of walking can cause leakage.
Up to one third of pregnant women and people experience stress urinary incontinence with weight changes as the baby develops, and hormones are also thought to contribute to this increased risk. Although it is common, it shouldn't be seen as normal. It is really important to regularly practice pelvic floor exercises to try and keep these muscles as strong as possible. Our video shows you how to do this.
Pelvic Floor Exercises in Pregnancy
If your symptoms don't go away or are severe, you may also need to see a Pelvic Health Physiotherapist who can assess your individual needs and help you work towards improving your continence.
You can learn more about stress incontinence in pregnancy here.
Absolutely not. During the second, or active, stage of labour your pelvic floor muscles will gradually stretch as the cervix opens and the vaginal entrance widens. This opening needs to stretch to approximately 10cm during vaginal delivery, and a strong area of muscle will not stop this from happening. This is also true if you have been diagnosed with vaginismus, where the pelvic floor muscles have become tight and tense. Having a strong pelvic floor is a great foundation for recovery postnatally, and you should be reassured that if you are able to work your muscles well when pregnant, you will be familiar with restarting pelvic floor strengthening after birth.
High impact exercise such as jumping, running or aerobics (any activity when both feet are off the ground at the same time) may worsen your symptoms especially if your pelvic floor muscles are not strong. Activities using weights may also cause too much downward pressure on your pelvic floor.
Try low impact exercise instead such as modified aerobics, cycling, a cross trainer, fast walking, Pilates ,swimming or low intensity resistance training so you can avoid straining. If your normal exercise routine makes your prolapse symptoms worse ask your healthcare professional for alternatives.
The pelvic floor muscles act like a hammock to support the pelvic organs. Pelvic floor muscle exercises will strengthen the muscles and retrain them to be more effective in supporting the pelvic organs making the symptoms of prolapse less bothersome. To learn more about how to do pelvic floor exercises please watch our Spotlight on Pelvic Floor Exercises in Pregnancy.
Pelvic floor exercises strengthen the pelvic floor muscles. These muscles support your bladder and bowels within the pelvis. They also help you to hold on if it is not a convenient time to use the toilet or if there is no toilet available.
Several pieces of recent positive research have shown that perineal massage reduces the risk of perineal tears or episiotomy during childbirth and can therefore lower the risk of needing perineal stitches especially for first time vaginal births.
In addition, pregnant women and people who previously birthed vaginally, and practiced perineal massage in the last month of pregnancy, experienced less perineal pain in the immediate postnatal period.Perineal massage is advised from 35 weeks onwards and is particularly helpful for first time mothers who are more at risk of having a tear or episiotomy. It only needs to take 5 to 10 minutes a day and can also be done by your partner. It may feel strange or slightly uncomfortable to begin with, but after a few weeks of regular perineal massage you will notice some increased elasticity in that area. Further information and a step-by-step guide on how to massage the perineum effectively can be found here.
Many pregnant women and people with Pelvic Girdle Pain worry that their pain will be worse if they have to go through labour. This is not usually the case. Most people with pelvic girdle pain manage to have a normal delivery and a caesarean birth is not normally recommended. It is always a good idea to discuss your birthing options with your midwife or doctor.
Some people may experience pelvic girdle pain again during their next pregnancy. However, this is not always the case. Between pregnancies, continue with any exercises given to you by your physiotherapist; in particular, pelvic floor, tummy and hip exercises. When planning for a future pregnancy, try to be healthy, eat well, aim for a healthy weight for your height and do regular exercise that you enjoy.
No, there is no evidence that breastfeeding will interfere with your recovery from pelvic girdle pain.
It is not advised that you exercise with placenta previa after your 26th week of pregnancy. You can continue activities of daily living and low intensity activity such as walking, unless advised otherwise. If you do experience any type of vaginal bleeding or contractions, then you must contact triage straight away. Please view our Spotlight On Placenta Previa for more information.
High impact exercise such as jumping, running or aerobics (any activity when both feet are off the ground at the same time) may worsen your symptoms especially if your pelvic floor muscles are not strong. Activities using weights may also cause too much downward pressure on your pelvic floor.
Try low impact exercise instead such as modified aerobics, cycling, a cross trainer, fast walking, Pilates ,swimming or low intensity resistance training so you can avoid straining. If your normal exercise routine makes your prolapse symptoms worse ask your healthcare professional for alternatives.
The pelvic floor muscles act like a hammock to support the pelvic organs. Pelvic floor muscle exercises will strengthen the muscles and retrain them to be more effective in supporting the pelvic organs making the symptoms of prolapse less bothersome. To learn more about how to do pelvic floor exercises please watch our Spotlight on Pelvic Floor Exercises in Pregnancy.
In pregnancy, the aim should be to maintain or moderately improve your level of fitness. After your baby is born the aim is to regain your former level of fitness, or to improve on it.
Moderate exercise intensity is recommended during pregnancy and can be monitored using the Talk Test - you should be able to talk without feeling breathless during exercise, if you are unable to do so you are probably working too hard. Stop, get your breath back and return to exercise at a pace that allows a conversation while exercising.
Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise weekly throughout pregnancy and two strength training sessions.
No, exercise equipment is not necessary to work out at home although if you have any equipment that is great! Simple body weight exercise is very beneficial in pregnancy and can help strengthen your muscles and protect your joints. If you do feel like you want an extra challenge, you can always substitute a water bottle for weights. You may also choose to invest in good quality resistance bands or a gym ball.
During the first six weeks after having a caesarean birth, you should focus on walking as your main form of exercise. You may also have been given some information immediately postnatally on simple and gentle exercises for your back, tummy muscles and pelvic floor which are available here. In the first few days just moving around the bed and to the toilet and back is enough. Gradually start increasing your walking once you get home, starting with five minutes outside just to get a feel of what it is like. It is best not to be carrying baby when you go for a walk. Remember, you will have good days and bad days and don't expect to keep increasing your walking time daily. In general, aim to be able to walk for approximately 60 minutes non-stop or in line with what you were previously able to do by the end of the six week period.
You should avoid lifting anything heavier than your baby for the first 6 weeks. This is especially important if you have had a caesarean birth, as a lot of healing on the inside continues for up to 12 weeks. Remember that your baby will hopefully be gaining weight, so carrying your little one around is enough in those early weeks. After your postnatal GP check (at 6-8 weeks) you can start resistance training again. As with any sensible weight lifting programme, start with low weights and gradually increase, and be extra careful if you have a hernia, a large diastasis of the tummy muscles or a vaginal prolapse.
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