The pregnancy ball, or swiss ball, is an accessory that has many benefits for pregnant women. It helps in particular to relieve certain pains and to open the cervix. When to use it? What are the exercises to do? Where to buy it? Our advices.
During pregnancy, the pregnancy ball, also called gym ball, fit ball or swiss ball, Is usefull. This inflatable and flexible accessory has been around since the 1960s. At that time, Suzanne Klein Vogelbach, Swiss physiotherapist, used it to help his patients relieve their back pain. Subsequently, sports coaches took over this method to adapt it to other uses. Today, it is recommended by physiotherapists but also midwives in the case of pregnancy. What are the benefits for pregnant women? When can a pregnancy ball be used? How to use it ? Answers.
What is a pregnancy ball?
Originally, the Swiss ball was not reserved for pregnant women, but its virtues for pregnancy are such that it has been commonly renamed: from gym ball to “pregnancy ball“. It is a large inflatable gymnastic ball, which remains flexible once inflated. It is made of rubber, and can measure between 55 and 85 centimeters in diameter and is very resistant.
What are the benefits of the pregnancy ball?
The benefits of the pregnancy ball are numerous. He is very effective against back pain driven by the weight of the baby. He also lightens the legs, which often seem heavy during gestation. It generally helps to relax the body, which can be tense as it is mobilized and constantly changing when you are pregnant. By doing more or less dynamic exercises and relaxation, the pregnancy ball also plays on the improvement of the blood circulation of the future mother. Other exercises can also rock baby and soothe him. In addition, the pregnancy ball can be used for sports purposes or simply for stretching.
Does the pregnancy ball help open the cervix?
When labor begins, the pregnancy ball can be very useful for relaxing and dilating the cervix little by little, which helps to open it and lower your baby.
When to use a pregnancy ball?
The pregnancy ball can be used throughout the 9 months of pregnancy, but generally it is around the third trimester that expectant mothers find it most useful. At the end of pregnancy, tensions and certain pains, in the back or in the legs, are often more frequent and are felt more.
The pregnancy ball can be useful in different ways:
► You can carry it at arm’s length to strengthen your back muscles.
► You can sit on it, which makes it possible to contract the abdominal muscles to work on your posture.
► You can place it in the backyour feet on the ground, and roll it gently to relax.
► Other possibility: position the ball under your calves while lying on a floor mat and roll it to massage your legs. Many exercises with different objectives are practicable.
What exercises to do to relieve the back with a pregnancy ball?
Before using the pregnancy ball, it is better to seek medical advice to use it correctly.
Relieve the lower back with a pregnancy ball
Often, when you are pregnant, the lumbar area is compressed. To act at this level, you can simply sit on the ball with your feet braced about shoulder-width apart. Place your hands on your hips, or stretch your arms out in front of you, as desired. The exercise consists of tilting your pelvis back and forth while maintaining the position at the extremes for a few seconds. Repeat this movement fifteen times.
Work your back muscles with a pregnancy ball
Sometimes, to relieve back pain, you have to do muscle strengthening. This exercise restores flexibility to the spine and strengthens the back. You will mainly act on your posture by strengthening your transverse muscles. Carry the ball in front of you and turn from right to left, slowly, ten times. Then, go up and down, always arms outstretched a dozen times.
Soften your back with a pregnancy ball
For this exercise, you need to be on a non-slip floor. Position the ball under your back, at the top. You will be in balance with your legs bent. You raise the pelvis and lower it 5 to 6 times while breathing well. Another option: move back and forth to gently roll the ball along the spine.
What exercises to do to open the cervix with a pregnancy balloon?
In general, it can be useful to spend time on your mobilization ball throughout the third trimester of pregnancy. This is when your back will need the most relaxation. But also the time when your pelvis will most need to prepare for the passage of your unborn baby. Several options are possible:
► You can sit on the ball with your legs bent and apart and perform circular movements with the pelvis.
► You can also place yourself on all fours on the ground and rest your forearms on the ball, this will allow your stomach to rest in a vacuum.
► To dilate the cervix, you can also stand with your back to a wall. Between the wall and you, position the ball and lean against it before gently rolling it.
Where can you buy a pregnancy ball?
The pregnancy ball can be purchased almost anywhere in the sports stores or e-commerce sites. La Redoute, Nature & Découvertes and Amazon offer them. Sports brands like Go Sport, Decathlon also sell it, because it is above all a fitness accessory.
What size pregnancy balloon should I choose?
There are pregnancy balloons of different sizes. To choose it, it is important to test it. It can measure between 55 and 85 centimeters in diameter. The physiotherapist who developed it felt that for it to be effective and comfortable, once sitting on it, the knees are at the same height as the hips. So there is no absolute rule, it depends on the size of your legs!