How much walking are you doing to help prepare for labor?

[Starlight32]

I heard that walking can help your body prepare for labor if it's ready. I've been walking for exercise most of my pregnancy and thinking about increasing it as my due date approaches. How much walking do you ladies do if you're doing it to prepare your body for labor?

 

[frangi33]

I've heard that too and was v active during my first pregnancy.

Unfortunately with spd I'm preparing for Labour by laying down lol. Slowly working up to laying down 2 hours a day and it's tough going

But on the plus side the spd symptoms are getting more manageable. X

 

[wannabemomy37]

I'm alternating walking with resting/sleeping at this point...I'm just so exhausted!! When I walk the contractions stay but shortly after I rest they fade away...gah

 

[callmedan]

ive done a lot of walking in my pregnancy as my job is so active, however i finished work at 36 weeks and since have spent most of my time on my bum
i try and do a bit of walking every day still though, even if its just tidying round the house
when im actually in labour im going to try and keep active, walking about as i believe it really speeds things up! x

 

[LilMiss_91]

Nowhere near as much as I should!!
I try to get out for a walk every other day or so but fitting it in around housework, meal times and my DS's (sometimes 3hr long) naptime isn't always easy. I did get out yesterday though and today. I made an effort to "sashay" (as much as a pregnant woman can sashay anyhow!) going "wiggle those hips, move the baby down" in time with my steps it helped though! Definitely got some stabby lightening pains down below which I've read could be dilation

Also side stepping the stairs is apparently meant to help as well

 

[minties]

According to my fitbit I get about 20,000 steps a day during the week. I'm having a scheduled c-section but would be happy to go into labour first.

 

[Lues]

I try to do at least 8-10 miles a week. (how long this takes me is quite different now than it was a few months ago... LOL!)

With the gestational diabetes, it's especially important for me. If I do not walk after every meal, my sugars are too high.

I'm very VERY strict with it. At night, while watching TV with my husband before bed, I walk in place for at least 20-30 minutes. If it's raining then during the day I may just pace back and forth in the house, walk in place.

I have found it helps me feel MUCH better pregnancy-wise. (obviously it goes without saying that this would not be the case with anyone having a different type of complication). If I skip even ONE day, I feel much slouchyer (lol, I sure doubt that one is a word) the next day.

I'm not sure if it's preparing me for labor, but it's definitely helping my pregnancy in general.

I have learned that I had to slow down on other things though, especially recently. I live on a farm, and hauling water buckets, restocking feed, things that involve lifting or pulling, are not longer on the activity list.

But walking... while it makes my legs tired and my feet hurt, definitely makes me feel better in general.

 

[biscuits104]

I'm with Lues...if I skip a day I feel bad, and my feet swell up like crazy when I don't dedicate myself to exercise. I get on the treadmill (almost) everyday and briskly walk anywhere from 3-5 miles.

 

[jessmke]

After 37 weeks pregnant I was trying to do a 4-5 km easy hike with my dogs every day. I stopped walking outside in the few days before my labour started because I was afraid of my water breaking while I was out with the dogs. It was early December and very cold and the thought of having to get back to the car or house with soaking wet pants in the freezing weather was just too much for me! So I walked on my treadmill for the last few days. Labour started for me after spending 4.5 hrs on my hands and knees scrubbing the grout lines in our kitchen/dining room.

 

[dimmu]

I walked a lot with my first pregnancy, like I used to try and walk home from work most days, it was about a 50 min walk.
Not sure if it made a difference, my labour was still relatively long at 33 hours although the second stage was quick at 10-15 minutes or so and I only needed a couple of stitches.

This time I'm really struggling to walk as it hurts too much. I hope it might change if/when the baby turns, she's in a transverse lie at the moment.

 

[Becyboo__x]

Don't think I can do loads unfortunately I already do quite abit but I can't go on for a long time I live around hills and it's just too much .. Picking my so up from school is my main source of walking tbh .. Which is a good 15 min there and back that kills me off and when I have him it's harder to do things tbh specially if he goes out on his bike etc I need up having to help if he gets tired up the hills

Think in sticking to my ball and school run she's already right down into my pelvis plus I don't fancy something happening while I'm doing school run

 

[LaPinska]

I wasnt allowed to do anything of the sort during second trimester and 3rd because of my issue gaining weight. But the doctor checked me today and said I still haven't progressed any and that he would like to see me at about 3cm next week. I laughed at him like HA suuuuure thing doc. Then i asked if it was ok if i started walking now since i'm term. He said alright just don't overdo it. So yay! Now i just have to overcome a hurtle of anxiety. Every time i leave my house my neighbors get all nosey. But i really really really don't want to be induced with pitocin again so im going to try everything i can do get things moving. I have no idea how many laps around the block here would equal a mile. Last pregnancy i know i walked about 6miles starting at 37 weeks and then my water broke 4 days later. I still never went into labor on my own after that.. go figure!

 

[minties]

I think I do about 6.5 miles per day but I'm a little rusty when it comes to converting metric to imperial. I doubt it does anything anyway as my body would be well used to it by the time full term comes around.

 

[AngelofTroy]

Wow minties you are an inspiration! And I'm guessing most of that is pushing Sophie in the buggy as well?! I really struggle pushing a child in a wheelchair at work now even short distances now.

As for me, I walk to and from my son's nursery twice a week which is about 20 minutes each way so 80 minutes a day those days. But other days not so much. Micah's swimming lesson is a 25 minute walk that takes 45 with a 3 year old, so we walk there but get the bus back as he's too tired and refuses to ever use the buggy now. Basically I rarely get to walk far without him and he is so slow that I doubt it does anything.

I swim breaststroke for half an hour twice a week and I read that the "frog legs" help prepare your pelvis for labour. I'm going start trying to walk further when he's at nursery but I am so tired all the time.

 

[Starlight32]

Wow done if you walk so much! I've been doing 20 to 40 minutes in the morning and then 30 minutes in the afternoon when it's nice outside. I need to find more ways to get walking into my day.

 

[laughingduck]

I was super sick and tired and lazy the first half of pregnancy so I started doing a 20 minute stroll in second trimester and am now up to a 40 minute power walk per day. My heart rate gets up to 145 bpm or so which makes me feel like Im actually getting exercise, without overdoing it. My baby is breech still and I want to loosen up my pelvis so he turns naturally.

 

[lilmisscaviar]

I had HG and the meds I was on for it gave me bad fatigue the entire first trimester and well into the second so I didn't get much exercise. Then, as if I switch was flipped at 20 weeks, I instantly began to feel better and have more energy. I began walking little by little, eventually getting up to 4 miles when I was about 24 weeks. I've started to decrease a bit though now that my hips and swollen feet are making it hard to keep going.

 

[minties]

Thanks angel! I must admit I only do it because I have to, I'd rather sit on my bum all day haha. Yes mainly pushing Sophie but she walks more as she gets older (thank god).

 

[frangi33]

Minties! 20k steps a day!!!

I'm lucky if I hit 1k

 

[minties]

My sons school is quite far away so there's no choice. I highly doubt I'll manage even half that when I'm as far along as most of the ladies in this thread that's for sure!

I'm getting truck loads of braxton hicks when I walk now which is weird because I had none at all with my other kids. But then again I barely moved when pregnant with them.