What exercise to do in a twin pregnancy: our patient Begoña A.’s story

In this new installment of ‘Pelvic Floor Stories’, where I talk with women who are my patients and want to share their journey through birth preparation and postpartum recovery to help me raise awareness of the importance of an active pregnancy, I bring you Begoña A.’s story and how we worked on her twin pregnancy with exercise suited to these cases.

A twin pregnancy in itself means a greater chance of health complications for the mother than a single pregnancy. That’s why birth preparation and an active pregnancy are even more essential if you’re expecting twins. It requires special care, from gynecology check-ups to nutrition and exercise, among other things.

• You may be interested in: How to prepare physically for birth without leaving home

Physical activity during a twin pregnancy?

There are many myths about physical activity during a twin pregnancy. One of them is the idea that sport is contraindicated in a multiple pregnancy. That’s not true. Today there are many studies showing that physical activity during a twin pregnancy reduces the risk of gestational diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and also makes postpartum recovery faster.

As long as there are no general contraindications, we should see it as a must for getting into the best possible shape for birth.

The multiple pregnancy of our patient Begoña A.

That’s how Begoña A. saw it. She’s one of our patients at Clínica FEM, treated by my colleague Leonor Palmero and me. With her help, we tell you what her twin pregnancy involved in terms of physical activity, exercises, sport and pelvic floor treatment.

When it was confirmed you were expecting twins, did the medical professionals recommend you exercise, or was it your own initiative?

“When I found out I was expecting twins, I knew I wanted my pregnancy to be as active as possible. In my case, I was already exercising regularly before I got pregnant and kept it up throughout the pregnancy. I knew I’d have to modify some exercises and activities I did before, but I kept up my strength routine and regular training the whole time. My gynecologist told me that as long as I felt well, I could exercise. I did stop running and road cycling, because they’re high-impact and carry a risk of falls.”

From which week did you start physical activity while pregnant?

“I actually never stopped exercising. During the first trimester I kept training with my personal trainer twice a week. It’s true that because of the nausea I had in the first weeks, the intensity and frequency of exercise dropped a little. As soon as the nausea went away, I went back to all my workouts.

As I mentioned, two days a week I did one-hour functional training sessions led by a personal trainer. From week 14 I added prenatal Pilates once a week.

I tried to walk every day from the start of the pregnancy, for at least an hour. I always listened to my body, and if I didn’t feel well one day, I reduced the intensity of the exercise.”

Tell us what kind of exercise you were doing in each activity.

“In functional training I did strength exercises with weights. We worked all the muscle groups, prioritizing the shoulder girdle, arms, back, glutes and legs. They were exercises with kettlebells, TRX, weights, deadlifts, etc.

In the Pilates classes we focused on strengthening the abdominal wall, especially the transverse abdominis, which throughout pregnancy has to support the babies and all the internal organs. We did pelvic floor strengthening exercises, pelvic mobility exercises and stretches.”

And how did your pregnancy go? Do you think exercise benefited you during your twin pregnancy?

“I had a very good pregnancy. Apart from the nausea in the first trimester, I had no pain or discomfort at all. I think I had ‘quite a bump’, and thanks to exercise I never had back pain, breathing problems or cardiovascular problems. I think the Pilates classes for pregnant women helped me connect with the deepest muscles in my body and learn how to keep good posture and activate my ‘core’ correctly.”

What change in your body did you find most striking or most limiting during pregnancy?

“Without a doubt, the size of my bump. It’s very striking, because in my case my belly started to grow earlier than usual and gradually limited certain movements during the day and in my workouts. I also want to add that it didn’t cause me any discomfort, and by modifying certain exercises I could do my workouts completely comfortably. I also noticed that after doing the prenatal Pilates exercises, my bump felt ‘lighter’.”

Regular physical activity during pregnancy prevents gestational diabetes, cardiovascular problems and hormonal imbalances. Was this reflected in your blood tests each trimester?

“I’m very proud to say that all my blood tests each trimester came back very well. The glucose screening was perfect and I didn’t need the long test. I never had to take iron supplements, as I didn’t have anemia. I think it was thanks to eating well and exercising. I paid a lot of attention to what I ate so I’d have strength and energy for both me and my babies. My goal was to make every calorie I ate count and, at the same time, exercise my whole body under professional supervision.

I want to add that we’re pregnant, not sick, and all of us with multiple pregnancies can exercise just like women with single pregnancies.”

Today, Begoña A. has given birth to two beautiful boys. Thanks to her proper birth preparation, and once the six-week postpartum period was over, she has gone back to more intense physical activity.