subject: Making Sure You Get Enough Oxygen [print this page] Pregnancy can be hard enough without having additional complications. One complication that may make pregnancy more difficult is if you have asthma.
Asthma can make it very difficult to breath. Pregnancy on top of asthma can make it even more difficult to breathe because the baby will begin to squish your lungs as it grows.
If you have trouble breathing, it can make it very difficult to exercise while you are pregnant. However, exercise can provide many benefits to you that can benefit you and the baby while making delivery easier.
One of the restrictions on exercising while you are pregnant is that you can hold a conversation with the person next to your while you do it. If you cannot do that, you are working too hard.
However, if you cannot even breathe when you are not on the elliptical, it is going to be really difficult to breath and hold a conversation while you are on it. Asthma is not only dangerous for you, but it is dangerous for the baby.
This condition can make it difficult for your body to provide you baby with enough oxygen to grow and develop. If it is serious enough, it may be better to take medication to treat asthma rather than suffer and risk withholding oxygen from your baby.
However, you may be able to avoid taking medication if you can determine what sets off your asthma and if you can avoid those things. If you are breastfeeding, very little asthma medication will enter your milk, so you will have little to worry about.
It can also be helpful to talk to your doctor or do a little research online about asthma so that you understand what is happening to your body and what is going on. If you are diagnosed with mild asthma you will probably be given albuterol to treat it.
If you have mild asthma that is persistent, you may also be given a daily medication to take. The more severe your condition, the more effective medication you will be given.
As you take your medication, hopefully you will be able to find it much easier to relax and breath. This may allow you to exercise while you are pregnant so that you can enjoy the benefits that it provides you will.
The most recommended form of exercise for pregnant women is swimming. Swimming is weightless and takes the pressure off of your feet and back.
It also provides a full body workout without any risk to your unborn child. However, for some mothers this is not an option because they would have to pay for babysitting.
Mothers who need to work out at home should generally avoid the treadmill. The treadmill has a constantly bouncing up and down motion that could harm your baby.
Walking is generally okay, but running is not and it is probably something that you will not be able to do later on in your pregnancy. The elliptical is much better for running if you want to run.
The elliptical eliminates the up and down bouncing motion associated with the treadmill through the design. It is much smoother and will allow you to exercise in a similar manner.
The stationary bike is also a great form of exercise for pregnant women at home as long as it is comfortable. When you exercise your heart rate should never rise over 140 beats per minute.
You can check your heart rate on most home exercise machines. However, if your machine is old enough that you cannot do this you will want to invest in a cheap heart rate monitor.
If your heart is working harder than this, it will have a hard time putting enough oxygen into your blood for your baby. In addition, if you cannot hold a conversation with the person next to you, you are not taking in enough oxygen to meet your child's needs.
It is critical that the fetus gets enough oxygen that it can grow and develop properly. Later in pregnancy you will want to avoid sleeping on your back as the blood flow to your baby and extremities will be cut off.
This can also result in a shortage of oxygen for your baby and for yourself. This can be avoided by sleeping on your side.
This may seem like a long list of things you need to provide your baby with enough oxygen. However, these things are fairly easy to incorporate into your life as you try.
