Effects of physical exercise on a multiparous patient in the prepartum period. Case study

Starting from the premise that physical exercise in the prepartum period is associated with benefits for both the mother and foetus, the purpose of this paper is to highlight the evolution of gestational periods of a patient during two different pregnancies. The proposed case study presents a comparative analysis of the prepartum and postpartum periods of a 33-year-old patient, considering that she had a sedentary lifestyle during the first pregnancy, while in the prepartum period related to the second pregnancy, the patient actively participated in a physical exercise programme adjusted to each trimester of pregnancy. The main objectives of the training programme focused on correcting postural defects caused by the first pregnancy, maintaining bloodglucose levels within normal limits and preventing the recurrence of gestational diabetes, but also reducing blood pressure fluctuations. Patient evaluation took place 12 weeks after both the first and second childbirth and consisted in assessing her quality of life during the two gestational periods through questionnaires, anthropometric measurements and specific fitness tests. The obtained results showed that, following the practice of physical exercise during the gestational period of the second pregnancy, the patient managed to maintain her blood glucose levels within normal limits without suffering this time from gestational diabetes (a pre-existingcondition at her first pregnancy) and no longer had either fluctuations in blood pressure or lumbar pain caused by the exacerbation of her lumbar lordosis during the first gestational period.