Bearing your baby in your womb is not easy. You need to be a little careful about what to eat, and what physical activity you perform throughout the day. You may be sitting, standing, sleeping, walking during pregnancy, or climbing the stairs. Many of you, out of all the things you’ve been doing, while you’re expecting, you may have been advised against using the stairs for your and your baby’s safety.
So, find out whether climbing stairs during pregnancy is safe.
Is It Safe To Climb Up and Down The Stairs During Your Pregnancy?
You may be in the first (1st) trimester, or in the second or third (3rd) trimester of your pregnancy, you might have to use the stairs during your pregnancy for many reasons:
- maybe to get the dry clothes from the rooftop
- just to take a walk on the terrace
- maybe to get an online delivery downstairs
In fact, climbing up and down the stairs at any time during your pregnancy is quite common for you. But before you use the stairs during your pregnancy, understand why is it not safe.
Reasons You Should Avoid Climbing Stairs In The First Trimester
There are a few instances during early pregnancy due to which it is not medically advisable for you to take the stairs for anything during the early stage of your pregnancy.
- If you are pregnant after one or two miscarriages
- If you are experiencing bleeding or cramping during the first trimester of your pregnancy
- If by chance you’re feeling dizzy and have a history of fainting
- If you’re carrying twins
- If you have blood pressure (high or low)
Reasons To Avoid Climbing Stairs During The Second and Third Trimester
With the progression of your pregnancy – in the second and third trimester, your baby bump is also growing, thus shifting your center of gravity. As a result of your growing baby, there’s a lot of pressure on your uterus, which also makes it difficult for you to walk. Let alone climbing up the stairs. If you even try to walk up the stairs, you might have to be careful of.
- Losing your balance and tumbling down the staircase (The majority of the fall and hospitalisations occurred in the third trimester (79.3%), with 11.3% in the second trimester and 9.4% in the first trimester)
- Feeling of breathlessness as you climb up and down
- Increasing pressure on your back
However, if you climb the stairs during the second and third trimesters you might have to take some precautions.
Precautions You Might Have To Take In The Second and Third Trimester
Whether you are in second, or third ensure that you take these precautions, while you’re climbing the stairs.
- Ensure that you walk slowly
- Ensure that you use the handrail while climbing
- Ensure that you don’t miss a step while climbing
- Ensure that you don’t walk on slippery stairs
- Ensure that you do not wear flowy dresses. There are chances that you might fall down the stairs if you’re wearing flowy dresses or sarees while climbing stairs
- Ensure that you’re careful on carpeted stairs. The carpet on the floor should not be loose
Follow your doctor’s advice before you take the stairs during your pregnancy. If you have your bedroom on the second floor and the doctor has advised you not to even walk up to the next floor due to some of your pregnancy complications, try to make arrangements in your house so that you can stay downstairs and save yourself from injuries.
You can go for a walk during pregnancy and do practice your breathing techniques to stay physically active during pregnancy. Along with this, don’t forget to follow our blog page to get more knowledge on pregnancy and cord blood banking.