Worried about Labor Pain? Try Water Aerobics.
From an article from Tuesday's New York Times' Health section, a new study shows that moderate exercise during pregnancy can help to lower a woman's need for epidural pain relief during labor.
The article focuses on the pros and cons for using an epidural during labor. It then goes on to talk about a new, small study published in "Reproductive Health" that shows that women can influence their "risk for needing pain relief long before labor starts." The women who participated in their study were assigned to a group who participated in water aerobics or to a control group who did not do any type of exercise. The women in the group who participated in water aerobics were less likely to ask for an epidural than those in the control group.
The article mentions that there were various limitations to the study, including a small sample size and a seemingly high drop-out rate.
Comments
This was a really interesting article. I hope more research comes out about physical activity during pregnancy and how it can affect the need for epidural pain relief.
Posted by: Heather | December 2, 2008 5:14 PM