A Joint Effort

Keeping Fit as a Couple While Expecting

By Catherine Cram

Experiencing pregnancy and parenthood is an incredible experience for mothers and it includes an all-encompassing focus on doing everything possible to ensure a healthy baby. Often partners of pregnant women feel left out of the experience and unsure of how to best support and be part of their pregnancy. The woman is going through all the changes and quite naturally she is the focus of everyone's concern and interest. This can cause the partner to feel detached and uneasy about voicing his own concerns and needs.

One of the best ways to make pregnancy a joint effort is to find ways to make couples feel they are working together to ensure that they have a healthy baby. Partners can be more involved with the pregnancy by attending healthcare provider visits and asking any questions that they may have during the appointment. Couples can join birthing class to help prepare both for the labor delivery and first weeks of parenthood.

A great way for couples to get closer and at the same time improve their health is by exercising together. It's a perfect way to encourage each other to include fitness, and it can provide the incentive for a pregnant woman to keep fit during the span of her pregnancy and beyond. Although the non-pregnant partner may need to modify their usual fitness program to make sure that their exercise is safe for pregnancy, it is a great way for a couple to bond and provide support to each other.

Want to see more?

• Up, Down and All Around: Fitness for All Levels of Energy During Pregnancy
• Strolling Your Way to Fitness: Make Baby Your Exercise Partner
• Balls, Bands and Bikes: Exercise Equipment for Pregnancy
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