Swimming can provide an enormous relief during pregnancy, particularly in the midst of hot summer weather. Swimming not only provides a refreshing break from the summer heat, but it also brings much needed relief to achy joints.
I first found the joys of pregnant swimming while I was pregnant with our son. I was nearly eight months pregnant and was experiencing lower back pain (most likely caused by wearing high heels to a special event). I was not overly excited about the prospect of swimming when I was so far along,but after we discovered that our unborn child had positioned himself in the upright position, we thought that swimming (in addition to many other things like chiropractic adjustments) might provide the buoyancy to encourage our baby to turn into the preferable position. With a few hand stands in the water, I immediately felt the baby make drastic movements. Additionally, the freedom from all the pressure on my joints and the reprieve from the heat, provided a much needed break during one of the most uncomfortable times during pregnancy (eight months huge plus hot summer weather).
While the summer weather is certainly hot (and humid) this time around, I am not eight months pregnant yet; I am only about four months pregnant. Still swimming has been a godsend especially with the week long of heat advisories we have been having in our part of the country. It is also a marvelous way to get in some aerobics that are easy on my relaxin released hips and pelvis. There is also something calming about spending the day at the pool soaking up the sun and enjoying the movement of the water (luckily for me two of my sisters live in apartments in town that have nice pools that are not too busy).
Swimming during pregnancy is certainly enjoyable at any stage of pregnancy. It provides much needed relief from both the heat and the joint discomforts.