Abstract des Autors

Authors present an original water movement exercise programme which can be integrated into traditional pre-natal courses. Swimming is a typical anti-gravitational activity and prevents venous and skeletal pathologies which may be aggravated during pregnancy. Furthermore, swimming improves control of weight gain and allows a general improvement in well-being both during pregnancy, labour and delivery. 30 primiparae women were studied. The exercise programme was followed in a public swimming-pool under the control of a qualified coach and specialists in obstetrics, sports medicine and vascular surgery. A control group was also studied and the following parameters were reported for both groups: medical history, characteristics of various stages of labour, type of delivery, possible phlebitic complications, pain resistance. The authors found a shorter duration of stages I and II of labour, improved pain resistance, and greater "push" capacity in those women who had followed the exercise programme. An improvement of typical pregnancy symptoms was also observed such as insomnia, anxiety, reduced physical strength. There was also an excellent control of weight gain. The exercise programme did not cause remarkable changes in foetal well-being, seen from ECG examination of foetal and maternal heartbeat and the study of spontaneous foetal movement. In conclusion, the authors think that a water movement exercise programme can improve maternal well-being during pregnancy, prevent phlebitic complications and allow the mother to cope more easily with the physical and psychological stress of labour. Verf.-Referat