Physical activity during pregnancy would reduce the time from labour to childbirth

Montreal – The duration of active labour during childbirth would be significantly shorter in women who maintained a higher level of physical activity during their pregnancy, indicated researchers in a study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. In the study, the researchers claim that higher levels of physical activity during pregnancy are associated with a shorter active labour phase and the reduced likelihood of a prolonged first phase. However, their results did not allow them to establish a “difference in the duration of the second stage of labour between patients with and without a higher level of physical activity.” According to the researchers, this suggests that exercise during pregnancy may play a greater role in uterine contractility rather than pelvic floor strength, which ensures success in the second phase of labor. However, the rates of prolonged second phase, cesarean section, operative vaginal delivery and perineal lacerations were similar between the different groups distributed according to the level of physical activity performed. “While our study showed no difference in the rates of onset of labour between groups,” say the scientists involved in the study, it showed that patients with high levels of physical activity were significantly less likely to receive oxytocin during labour.” READ: Requests for caesarean birth brushed aside, despite guidelines to respect maternal choices To complete their study, the researchers did a secondary analysis of a prospective cohort study in which patients, with a single pregnancy without a major fetal abnormality, were subjected to the Kaiser Physical Activity Survey (KPAS ) every quarter. The KPAS was designed to measure different types of physical activity in women, based on four indices: housework / caregiving, active lifestyle, sports and occupation. “It’s important to remember that the physical activity data in this study is self-reported and not measured,” says postdoctoral fellow Victoria Meah, specialist in pregnancy and postpartum health at the University of Alberta, which did not contribute to the study. This means that more research is needed to investigate this relationship using actual measures of physical activity, for example using an accelerometer or a tracking device.” Previous studies that analyzed the effects of a standardized exercise program on active work had found mixed results. Until now, none had considered the impact that habits linked to an active life could have on childbirth. “This study is new in that it is one of the first to use a quantitative analysis tool that takes into account activity that is not necessarily intentional exercise and that measures physical activity under many forms,” the researchers said. The practice of physical activities during pregnancy is already associated with a reduced risk of complications for both mother and fetus, such as gestational diabetes, prenatal depression, macrosomia and preeclampsia. The impact on childbirth of the amount and type of physical activity during pregnancy remained to be clarified. This study therefore reinforces the idea that “regular exercise should be strongly encouraged throughout pregnancy, in the absence of medical or obstetric complications,” explains the Association des obstétriciens et gynécologues du Québec in its recommendations. Moreover, she points out that “the data from the current medical literature only show benefits to regular physical exercise in pregnancy.” Activities such as walking, brisk walking, stationary cycling and swimming are rated “very appropriate” by the AOGQ. The Canadian guidelines for prenatal physical activity were updated in 2019 and published jointly by the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology and the SOGC. They indicate that all healthy pregnant women should be active and aim for 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week, including a combination of aerobic and resistance exercise. It is also recommended that they also do daily pelvic floor muscle training. “I think the message that physical activity is ‘more’ than just exercise is very important,” adds Meah, from the Faculty of Kinesiology at the University of Alberta. Women can still meet physical activity guidelines by walking a few more feet, for example, or taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Any activity is better than nothing!”

Physical activity during pregnancy would reduce the time from labour to childbirth

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