Not as fit this time around - will it be a problem?

[SammyRo]

I'm a bit worried that my fitness levels will stop me from having another drug free birth. DD was posterior and it was a long labour, but I managed to do it drug free. But from about 20weeks with that pg, I had been doing prenatal yoga and walking 3-4 times a week. This time around, we may go for a walk 2-3 times a week, but thats about it. I keep meaning to get along to yoga, but things keep coming up. So I'm a bit worried about how I'll cope this time. I'm hoping that DD being posterior was a one-off, but I know that there's a chance that its the shape of my pelvis that may spin them the wrong way, so I'm gearing myself up for another posterior birth (preparing myself for the worst in a way I suppose). Will my lack of fitness make it worse this time? Should I get to yoga asap and do it for the 14 weeks I have left? I feel that the yoga helped last time, but does it really make a physical difference or is it merely psychological?

Sorry for the rambling...i'm suffering from a severe ability to articulate myself atm! I hope that someone can make some sense of this and respond!

[Alan]

Hi SammyRo
I’m sure that you will do fine. Your fitness level has more to do with stamina than pain. Trust in your body and work with your body. If you managed to birth a posterior baby without drugs then you can do anything.

[Spring Angel]

Hun I'm in the same boat. I've really let my fitness slide. You know what though, I reckon if you are in a good place in your mind, you'll find the physical strength to get through anything IYKWIM.

Just keep up the walking, eat well and I'm sure you'll have another drug free birth.

Spring xx

[Lisa]

I think you will find you're probably more fit than you realise. Running around after little ones is great exercise.
I have got bigger body wise after each pregnancy (and I have had 5!) so I thought I would be terrible when it came time for me to birth DS2, but it was a wonderful birth and then DD2's birth was as close to perfect as you can get (perfection would have been a HB for me)

I am sure your birth will be beautiful honey... just trust that your body knows exactly what it is doing, with or without the aide of yoga

[Curly]

When I got pregnant with DS I was the fittest I've been in a very very long time and it was a 22 hour labour with all the pain relief under the sun and a forceps delivery.

I never did get back into any exercise after that and I birthed DD, a 4.27kg baby, with no pain relief whatsoever and an 11 hour posterior labour.

For me it was all about where I was mentally. There was no way I was going to have another forceps birth, and I swore it didn't matter how bad the labour got, nothing could be as bad as the recovery from the forceps, which was horrendous.

I actually had a couple of midwives come in and visit me to check out DD and tell me how impressed they were with me and that they wished they could get me to talk to a couple of women that had booked in for elective c-sections the next day and their reason for it was "they didn't think they could stand the pain."

I was a bit bemused actually because although I can't say it was fun, I can honestly say I didn't really think my labour with DD was "that bad"!

While I wouldn't discount looking after yourself physically, I personally think mental fitness is far more important.

[Fleur]

I have got bigger body wise after each pregnancy

Me too. I was a bit worried about my fitness with DD2 but it was fine - although I was confined to the bed so wan't moving around too much. From what you have said I wouldn't be orried.
Goodluck