Exercise provides many benefits during pregnancy. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, it can boost your mood, prevent back pain, improve your sleep and reduce your risk of gestational diabetes. However, if you have been diagnosed as having an incompetent cervix, there are good reasons to avoid exercise. Follow your doctor's recommendations to the letter.
Incompetent Cervix
Your cervix -- the narrow tube at the base of the uterus connecting it to the vagina -- stays long, firm and closed throughout most of a typical pregnancy. A mucous plug seals the cervix's entrance, protecting your unborn baby. Toward the end of your pregnancy, the cervix begins softening and dilating in preparation for your baby's birth. However, if you have an incompetent cervix, the cervix begins to painlessly soften and dilate too early, usually between 16 and 24 weeks gestation.
Risks
Incompetent cervix is a serious pregnancy complication that threatens your baby's life. It may cause a miscarriage or your amniotic sac to rupture before you reach full term at 37 weeks. It may also cause an early preterm delivery where your baby is born before 32 weeks. You face an increased risk of incompetent cervix if you've had surgery on your cervix, have undergone a dilation and curettage, have uterine abnormalities or have a history of your cervix dilating too early in previous pregnancies.
Treatments
A common treatment if your doctor diagnoses you with incompetent cervix is a cerclage, a suture placed in the cervix to prevent it from opening. The suture may be placed through the vagina, as early as 13 weeks, or through an incision at the bikini line, between 10 and 16 weeks. Vaginal sutures must be removed at 36 weeks to allow a vaginal birth. Abdominal sutures require a cesarean section but may remain in the body and will effectively protect future pregnancies. Other treatments include bed rest, drugs that stop labor and frequent monitoring of cervical length with transvaginal ultrasounds.
Recommendations
You should never exercise if you have an incompetent cervix, according to the Center for Physical Activity and Health at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. Exercise can put pressure on your weakened cervix, increasing the risk that your cervix will begin to open, shorten and soften. If you've been placed on bed rest because you received a transvaginal cerclage or simply as a treatment for incompetent cervix, you will need to limit your activity level for some or all of the day.
References
- American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists; Exercise During Pregnancy; August 2011
- BabyCenter; Cervical Insufficiency (Incompetent Cervix); July 2011
- Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing: Diagnoses
- University of Chicago Medical Center: Frequently Asked Questions About Incompetent Cervix
- University of Tennessee Knoxville: Exercise for Expectations: Contraindications to Exercise During Pregnancy
- BabyCenter: Bedrest -- Does It Help?
