Is it safe to tighten stomach muscles when pregnant while working out?

[bhennessey]

Is it safe to tighten stomach muscles when pregnant while working out?

[LindseyLindsey]

I wouldn't recommend it. I know for a fact your not suppose to do sit ups or crunches while pregnant so it would make sense not to be tightening your abs either. I would check with your Ob Gyn specifically since they are the pregnancy experts. I hope that helps. Try calling the baby care line at healthpartners or the equivalent with your provider.

[slysam]

Ask your ob-gyn. My understanding is you only need to stop doing on the back exercises like crunches at a certain point (I think second trimester?). This is more of a blood flow issue after the baby gets a certain size though it isn't the ab work itself that is the problem. Prenatal workouts often have ab work but usually not the exercises where you lie flat on your back. The same applies for other exercises where you would be flat on the back like say a bench press. Some ab work is thought to increase risk of Diastasis recti during pregnancy after the belly grows a certain amount (the ab muscles split) though sometimes experts disagree on this. Do talk with your ob-gyn as sometimes they will give different advice than usual based on your specific details.