Effects of Maternal Exercise on Labor and Delivery

Abstract

Despite popular belief, exercise while pregnant does not initiate labor, or preterm labor. Exercise is associated with delivering closer to the due date. Further, maternal exercise is associated with either no change, or shorter labor and delivery overall. Women who exercised had less complications during labor and delivery than those who did not exercise. More importantly, measures of the fetus during the labor and delivery process did not indicate fetal distress. Measures of fetal distress showed either no difference or improvements related to exercise exposure, such as increased apgar scores. Exercised mothers and their children had shorter hospital stays relative to nonexercisers. Overall, these findings of possibly shorter labor, less preterm labor, less complications, and decreased hospital stay all add up to decreased health-care costs. Further research is needed in this area. Finally, the time comes for the baby to arrive. Labor and delivery is one of the most physiologically challenging times in woman's life. The demands of the labor process are strenuous for mother and child. In light of this fact, it is common to monitor mother and child during this event and immediately after to ensure both have endured the stress well. Popular belief among pregnant women and the public is that exercising will initiate labor, i.e., preterm labor. Preterm labor is defined as delivering before 37 weeks gestation. Full term is defined as 37–42 weeks gestation at delivery. Post-term delivery occurs after 42 weeks gestation. The length of gestation, or gestational age, refers to how long the fetus grows in utero. The general idea is that the longer the fetus spends in utero, more development will occur and the like-lihood of survival and improved health at birth increases.