Özet:

Objective: Physiological and psychological changes are observed in the female body during pregnancy. These changes can lead to some changes that can affect the pregnancy process in women. Our study aims to understand how pilates training affects core stability, balance, and fear of childbirth levels in pregnant women. Method: In our randomized controlled study, fifty-eight volunteer pregnant women aged 18-35 years, who completed the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, 31 in the Pilates and 27 in the control group, were included. The Pilates group was given pilates exercises for eight weeks, two days a week, 1 hour a day, by a physiotherapist. An 8-week home program consisting of breathing exercises was given to the control group. Core stability, balance, and fear of birth were assessed before and after eight weeks of training. Results: Statistically significant improvements were observed in the Sahrman Core stability test scores in the Pilates group (p<0.05), while a decrease was observed in the control group results (p < 0.05). Postural stability was preserved in the Pilates group even improved in the right foot test (p<0.05). No change was observed in the control group (p > 0.05). When the The Wijma Delivery Expectancy/Experience Questionnaire A measurement results were compared, a statistically significant difference was found in favor of the pilates group with a large effect size (F=27.693; p<0.001, ηp2=0.374). Conclusion: The results showed that pilates exercises applied during pregnancy could improve women's core stability and balance levels and reduce their fear of childbirth.

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