The Benefits Of Hydrotherapy For Pregnant Women

Hydrotherapy has long been used to treat various health conditions. Hydrotherapy is also very beneficial for pregnant women as it helps women to breathe more easily. It even helps to reduce several uncomfortable side effects of pregnancy.

Regular exercise significantly improves the quality of life of pregnant women. As long as your doctor recommends it for you, hydrotherapy is therefore one of the best options for pregnant women.

Read more about hydrotherapy below!

What is hydrotherapy for pregnant women?

Water is one of the most beneficial elements for the body. Among its many properties, it moisturizes, relaxes and cleanses your body.

The word hydrotherapy, according to research at the University of Vigo, comes from the Greek words ‘hydor’ meaning water, and ‘therapeia’ meaning therapy. All together this means ‘healing by water’.

Hydrotherapy means using water for therapeutic purposes. Through this treatment, the water helps pregnant women to exercise and relax.

The benefits of hydrotherapy for pregnant women

Exercise not only helps the mothers, but also their babies. Hydrotherapy for pregnant women has many great and important benefits, including:

• Less intensity due to gravity.
• Less stress on joints.
• Promotes joint and muscle movements. This helps increase your flexibility.
• Reduces weight by up to 90%, making exercise much easier.
• Increase the bond between mother and child.
• Reduces back pain.
• Experience less edema and varicose veins during pregnancy.
• Better blood circulation.
• Reduces the risk of fetal trauma.
• Strengthens your abs.
• Stimulates the production of endorphins, which makes you feel good.

• Prevents muscle pain, especially in your spine. The constant changes that your body goes through usually causes these pains during pregnancy.
• Strengthens and tones pelvic muscles.
• Helps your diaphragm, which changes during pregnancy.

Julh, Andersen, and Olsen examined the benefits of water activities during pregnancy. According to them, “Women who used hydrotherapy had a lower risk of having babies with birth defects. They also had a lower risk of preterm birth.”

Hydrotherapy Recommendations for Pregnant Women

The American College of Obstetrician and Gynecology presented a list of tips for moms who want to do hydrotherapy. Here are the main pointers:

• Your doctor should decide that hydrotherapy is a good option for you.
• Do not suddenly increase your physical activity.
• Do exercises that don’t make you too exhausted.
• Keep your heart rate at a good level.
• Stop exercising if you get side effects.
• Stay hydrated.
• Don’t let your body temperature rise.
• Do these activities a maximum of 2 to 3 times a week. However, follow your doctor’s recommendations.

Specialists do not recommend hot tubs and saunas during pregnancy.

Why Do Hydrotherapy During Pregnancy

One of the most common problems during pregnancy is that you feel heavy. However, being in the water makes you feel lighter. That way, mothers can feel their muscles relax. Moreover , floating gives your body more freedom so that you can move more.

In addition, your joints become more flexible and it reduces your varicose veins. You also eliminate a lot of pain that is common during pregnancy.

Therefore, both hydrotherapy and swimming are great during pregnancy. However, be sure to follow your doctor’s advice.

In addition, we must emphasize that hydrotherapy does not pose a risk of injury or falls for pregnant women. Therefore, you can start it after your third month of pregnancy until you give birth, as long as you are supervised by a professional.

In conclusion, water during pregnancy can be a very useful natural element. However, you should remember that it is necessary for your doctor to approve all activities that you do during pregnancy. That way you can be sure that you are not endangering your health or the life of your baby.