The bigger your belly has gotten, the more you’ve probably altered your workout routine to accommodate it. But now that you’re in the home stretch, should you stop exercising all together? The short answer is no. Exercise and movement are good for your body, as long as your body is feeling good. The long answer has a few more caveats, and is really dependent on your current exercise routine, your specific pregnancy, and most of all, how you feel when you’re doing it. 

If you’re having a healthy pregnancy, and have been exercising all along, by all means keep at it right up till the end, as long as your doctor doesn’t tell you otherwise. Just be sure to listen to your body, stay hydrated, refrain from pushing yourself, and quit immediately if any issues arise.

Here are a few things to look out for:

• Shortness of breath
• Dizziness
• Chest pain
• Bleeding
• Pain in or around your belly or pelvis
• Fatigue
• Leakage
• Chest pain

If you experience any of those symptoms, stop immediately and check with your doctor if they don’t subside. Now is the time you should be as gentle and loving with your body as possible, so if you don’t feel like exercising, don’t. You’re on the brink of giving birth, feel free to give yourself a break! If you do crave some gentle movement, swimming, walking, and prenatal yoga are some safe and healthy ways to exercise. But just because they’re gentle doesn’t mean you can check out; tune in to your body and how it feels and adjust your movement as necessary.