What the Pros are saying about exercise and pregnancy!

Why Moms Should Run

Too often, doctors have cautioned pregnant women against exercising for fear it would hurt the developing fetus. They even discouraged new mothers, saying exercising would negatively affect breast milk and make moms to stressed. But a growing body of research now suggests the opposite approach. Here' the latest:

A University of Michigan study of more than 1,000 postpartum women has found that those who exercised three or more times a week during and after pregnancy experience easier labor and delivery, retained less weight, enjoyed more family support, felt more confident about their ability to mother and generally were more satisfied with their partners and their lives.

No one knows exactly why exercise eases the strain of pregnancy and early motherhood, but researchers suspect the mood-boosting endorphin surge that accompanies exercise probably has a lot to do with it, says Carolyn Sampselle, Ph.D., a professor of nursing and a certified women's health practitioner at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.