Active Maternity
Being active during pregnancy and beyond brings with it a host of physical and mental benefits, including a reduction in hypertensive disorders, lower gestational weight gain, a reduction in the risk of developing gestational diabetes, and a reduction in depression, improved emotional wellbeing and a quicker return to pre-pregnancy weight in the postpartum period.
Being physically active during pregnancy is safe. In fact, the more active and fit a woman is during pregnancy, the easier it will be for her to adapt to her changing shape pre and post pregnancy. There is also evidence to show that active women are less likely to experience problems in later pregnancy and will be better able to cope with the physical demands of labour.
Of course, certain considerations must be kept in mind to support discussions and modifications throughout pregnancy and beyond. We know that women frequently come into contact with a range of professionals during pregnancy and following childbirth, but research has shown that there is a lack of clear and consistent physical activity information which often lead to women stopping activity completely, which will go on to influence the activity levels of their children.
Moving Medicine and This Girl Can have partnered with the Active Pregnancy Foundation to develop a suite of the most useful resources and training for healthcare professionals in an initiative to give them the knowledge and confidence to proactively have conversations about being active during pregnancy and beyond. The evidence-based resources have been written in collaboration with experts and are endorsed by the Institute for Health Visiting.
Links to all the nationally produced resources can be found on a dedicated page on the Moving Medicine website. This includes consultation guides to support conversations about physical activity with patients.
‘Find Your Active’ Activity Guides
Activity-based resources written in collaboration with experts, packed with advice and guidance for mums and mums-to-be about which physical activities are safe and suitable with top tips, dos and don’ts to guide to guide them through their chosen activities during pregnancy and beyond.
e-Learning for Healthcare Training Module
A short but informative free e-learning module covering current national physical activity guidelines and how to empower pregnant women and new mothers to make informed choices about physical activity.
The Active Pregnancy Foundation
A collection of useful resources for healthcare and fitness professionals including research papers, medical guidelines, and toolkits of physical activity including mental health.
We are keen to connect with any healthcare professionals working with antenatal and postnatal patients in Dorset to discuss how we could provide additional support about physical activity, particularly for inequality groups and diverse communities. This might include producing additional resources, delivering training and supporting signposting to local opportunities.
Contact Katie Davies
E: kdavies@activedorset.org
Please Note - Where referring to 'women' and 'mothers', this should be taken to include people who do not identify as women but who are pregnant.
Similarly, where the term 'parents' is used, this should be taken to include anyone who has main responsibility for caring for a baby.
