Week 10: Double figures!
Image: @merfilippini
Welcome to week 10 of the Happy Parents Happy Baby guide to pregnancy, birth and beyond.
This week we'll be covering:
We hope you enjoy it!
Exercise during pregnancy
What you need to know about exercise during your pregnancy
The last few weeks may have been a struggle if you’ve been experiencing morning sickness or exhaustion. If so, exercise may not have been top of your priority list and that is completely fine!
But staying active during your pregnancy will have benefits now and when you are recovering from the birth. Obviously, this is not the time to take up a sport that you’ve never tried before. But if you already run, cycle or swim a few times a week then keeping up with that regime will be great for you and your baby, as long as your midwife or doctor have not advised you otherwise.
What are the benefits of exercise during pregnancy?
Helps manage your pregnancy weight gain
Keeps up fitness levels, or improves them
Cuts the risk of high blood pressure
Can reduce the chance of developing gestational diabetes
Helps with sleep
Improves your mood
It’s fun!
What types of exercise are good to do?
The Active Pregnancy Foundation recommends 150 minutes of moderate physical activity spread over each week. This activity can be anything that increases your heart rate and makes you breathe faster while still being able to hold a conversation.
Ideas include walking, swimming, cycling, gardening, taking the stairs, yoga/pilates, muscle strengthening exercises eg. squats or light weights and even housework counts!
Once you pass the 12-week mark it is recommended that you switch to a pregnancy-specific yoga or pilates class. With all activities, remember to listen to your body and adapt your exercise as your body changes.
During pregnancy your body releases a hormone called relaxin which can make your joints more elastic. You may have noticed that your body feels more flexible when stretching. Relaxin can lead to some instability when exercising so try using a balance aid such as a wall or chair if you need to. It can also increase the risk of injury so try not to over-extend your joints or push your body beyond its limits.
:: This Mum Moves is an initiative developed by ukactive in collaboration with expert partners passionate about empowering pregnant and postnatal women to lead healthy and active lives. Read more here
Your baby’s development in week 10
Size of a prune
Around 30mm long
This week marks the time when your baby’s heart is fully formed and it’s beating 180 times a minute - that’s 2 to 3 times faster than yours!
Another amazing fact this week is that your baby’s jawbone has been created which already contains its future milk teeth!
If you have an early scan this week you will be able to see your baby making small jerky movements.
Amazing!
Week 10 Checklist
You might like to:
Research an antenatal class. Classes can get booked up very quickly so it’s best to look at the available classes in your area. You can find out about Happy Parents Happy Baby antenatal classes here
Go to the dentist. You’re entitled to free dental care during your pregnancy and for the 12 months after so why not book a check up now?
Spotlight on: Pooing
Each week we'll be delving into the common symptoms of early pregnancy and bringing you top tips for managing them from our team of specialists and parent community.
Pooing is so painful since I got pregnant..
Why? Hormonal changes in your body mean some women can start to experience constipation from quite early on in their pregnancy. A diet low in fibre, lack of exercise or dehydration can also contribute.
One of the common consequences of constipation in pregnancy is piles, or haemorrhoids. These are nothing to be embarrassed about and are once again due to the effect of pregnancy hormones on the veins as well as pressure that your growing baby puts on the back passage. Piles can lead to itching, aching, bleeding and general discomfort when pooing. Your pharmacist or GP can help you if you are struggling with your symptoms. These tend to resolve after your baby is born.
Top tips for dealing with constipation:
The best way to avoid both constipation and piles is to try to keep your stools soft by eating plenty of fibre - found in wholemeal bread, fruit and vegetables.
Keeping well hydrated will also help.
Speak to your pharmacist or GP if your symptoms don’t improve - they will be able to advise on medications that can improve symptoms and that are also safe to use in pregnancy.
Birth story of the week
This week we catch up with Sonja and David from our Forest Hill course who share the positive birth of their baby Emilia.
“My birth was amazing, and I will always look back with fond memories!!! I realised during the HPHB classes that I had panicked and lost control during my first labour and I knew this time I wanted labour to be different - I wanted to be upright, active and I really wanted a water birth.
“HPHB helped me create a birthing plan that considered everything in chunks of time, while planning for changing scenarios. Most importantly, David learnt how he could support me through the process and the importance of keeping calm.
“I felt in control, so stayed at home until I could feel pressure in my bum, but the surges were still only 4 mins apart. Knowing the signs, I called the midwife and we went to the hospital. David remained very calm and kept telling me where we were on the journey. Realising the urgency when we arrived, I told David to dump the car at the entrance and to leave the bags. He ran me in a wheelchair to the birthing suite.
“Fortunately, the midwifes had the pool ready for me. I was quickly examined before I was allowed to get in. Immediately I needed to push and Emilia arrived within 10 mins! We had been at the hospital 20 mins in total!”
What a magical water birth story!
Treat of the week
Pregnancy Swimwear
We love this stylish and comfortable pregnancy swimsuit.
Swimming has so many benefits during pregnancy and this swimsuit is both practical and pretty.
The adjustable ties at the back will accommodate your growing bump, meaning it will last throughout your pregnancy and beyond.
Products are based on suggestions from our specialists and community of parents. We may earn commission from shopping links.
Join our community
Happy Parents Happy Baby is here to support you through every step of your pregnancy, birth and parenting journey.
Connect with other parents-to-be and learn everything you need to know, by joining our award-winning antenatal classes.
That's all for now...
Thank you so much for joining us!
Have a great week.
Team HPHB x
Information you
can trust
Our articles are based on the latest-evidence based guidelines and scientific research and are written by our team of medical experts.
Coming up
next week
Understanding the 12-week scan
Spotlight on: dizziness and fainting
Check out our Instagram page for extra resources from our team of experts and for free live events, such as pregnancy relaxation sessions
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