Recent studies have shown that over half of women who run regularly stop when they become pregnant ….. and a third of them don’t get back into running in the first year of becoming a mum.

We’d love to reverse this trend and encourage every pregnant woman that it’s perfectly safe to continue running just as long as you feel comfortable doing so.   Why would you want to give up doing something that is good for your body, helps you sleep, improves your stamina and fitness as you prepare for labour and helps keep you sane and happy? Your fit and healthy pregnancy will benefit your baby too, it’s win win all round!
If you’re still not convinced and think you should be hanging up your trainers for the next year or so, check out these motivating stories from some of the many women that DO carrying  on running during pregnancy.

Do’s and don’ts about running during pregnancy (most of them are common sense!)

• Don’t expect to beat or even achieve the same speeds or distances you were reaching before you became pregnant – just be glad you’re still running and enjoying it.
• Remember the talk test – or, more formally, follow the Borg scale of the perceived exertion. Basically, this scale measures your levels of exertion in relation to how hard you feel you are working, from’ very, very light’ (tying the laces on your trainers for example) to ‘very, very hard’ (an unsustainable burst of activity, such as finishing a race).  So, if you aim for somewhere in the middle, ie ‘somewhat hard veering towards hard’, or the level at which you can still hold a conversation, you’re doing ok.

If you can’t talk it’s time to ease up or take a rest.

• All the usual recommendations, such as ‘stay hydrated’, ‘warm up and cool down’, ‘stay fuelled’ and ‘make sure your trainers fit properly’ are even more important when you run during pregnancy.

We would also recommend you support your baby bump when you run during pregnancy.
Let’s face it, would you run without a bra?  We all know there’s a massive increase in comfort if you stop your girls from bouncing around ….and the same principal applies to your baby bump.  Lift, hold and support your bump and you’ll find it eases the pressure on your pelvic floor too.

Love running?  Pregnancy isn’t a reason to stop!

It’s not just the gently curving shape that makes an avocado feel appropriate for pregnant women, avocados are packed with perfect nutrients for your pregnancy diet.   They are also a great addition to your diet when you are trying to conceive and perfect for breastfeeding mums too!
Need some additional avocado facts to encourage you to add even more of our favourite fruit to your pregnancy menu?  Here goes …..

1. Avocados are an excellent source of monounsaturated fat – which can help protect against heart disease and lower blood pressure. The oils found in an avocado include oleic acid and linoleic acid, recommended to help prevent high cholesterol.

1. Avocados contain high levels of folate and potassium, both of which are essential for your pregnancy diet. They also have more soluble fibre than other fruits.

1. According to a study published in the US journal Nutrients, ‘avocados precisely fit the description of a federally recommended food for a pregnant or lactating population,’ stating that they ‘offer a range of beneficial nutrients that can make a substantial contribution to a nutrient-rich diet, when offered as a staple food for the periconceptional period, as well as during pregnancy and lactation’ * Which loosely translates as avocados are good when you’re trying to conceive, beneficial during pregnancy and good when you’re breastfeeding as well!

1. Avocados do have quite a high calorie content….but just half an avocado counts as one of your five a day and you can weigh up the health benefits during pregnancy versus the number of calories

1. Avocado oil has a similar composition to olive oil. Use it for cooking or replace olive oil with avocado oil in a salad dressing.

1. Putting your avocados in the fruit bowl next to your bananas can help encourage them to ripen.

1. Add your avocado to salads, serve it sliced on toast or mash it into a guacamole.

1. Did you know you can cook avocados too? Try placing your two avocado halves on a baking tray, crack open two eggs and filling the handy little hollows where the stone was with the egg yolks.  Top up with as much white as you can fit into the space.  Pop them into the oven  (220⁰C) and bake until the egg has set (about 15 minutes).  Season with salt, pepper, chives or a dash or tobacco sauce.  An easy lunch option for pregnant women!

1. The two main varieties available in the UK are the thicker skinned Hass avocado and the Fuerte avocado which has a smooth, brighter green skin. The Fuerte contains less oil, which makes it slightly less creamy and can take longer to ‘ripen at home’ (and sometimes never actually makes it to full ripeness) so unless your smooth-skinned avocado is perfect at the point of purchase the rough-skinned Hass avocado is often the more reliable choice.

1. Avocados make a great weaning food too! Those healthy fats can boost your babies brain development and you can introduce avocados to your babies diet from around four months old.

*https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/8/5/313/htm

Have you had people commenting on your fit pregnancy? Or had people offer negative opinions about your pregnancy workouts? Sometimes it can be hard to counter what seems to be well-meaning advice, but trust us, staying fit and active during your pregnancy is absolutely the best thing you can do for you and your baby.

We thought we’d share some of the most common comments and misconceptions about staying active and eating well during pregnancy so you’re prepared and ready to reply!
Here are our top 10 pregnancy exercise myth busters!

Many women continue to work for as long as possible when they are pregnant, saving the maximum maternity leave to enjoy after their baby is born.  Studies have shown that there are no negative effects from working up until 36 weeks into your pregnancy, especially if you are happy in your work.
But if you’re on your feet all day working when pregnant can be tiring, exacerbating many common discomforts such as pregnancy varicose veins, pelvic girdle pain, pregnancy backache, or swollen feet and ankles.  A recent study from the Netherlands has shown that women who stand for long periods during pregnancy experienced  a slightly slower fetal growth rate – although the study did not make it clear whether this has any long  term effects on the health and size of the baby.

Sitting down all day can be just as uncomfortable, especially as your bump gets bigger and it becomes harder to reach over it to get to your desk.  Sitting for prolonged periods can compromise blood flood and has been linked to an increased risk of unhealthy weight gain and gestational diabetes.

Be conscious of the need to move regularly.  Use your lunch break to take a brisk walk whenever possible, you’ll feel much better!
If you’re spending a lot of time at your desk, considering swopping your usual chair for a fitness ball.  Make sure it’s the correct height but you may find it a lot more comfortable and less static than an office chair – or use a balance ball chair, which is combines a wheelie chair base with a swiss ball.

More FittaMamma tips for pregnant women at work!