Like Amanda Holden, expectant mothers can carry on doing most of their pre-pregnancy activities with no worries, says a Dubai-based obstetrician. "She's in that profession already, so it's no stress for her," Dr Jaimala Shukla, a specialist OB-GYN with EHL Group, told tabloid! on Saturday when she heard about Holden continuing with her role on the London stage. "There are no contra-indications with carrying on working or exercising — just see your stamina and listen to your body. Pregnancy isn't a handicap."
Modern mothers often have work requirements and families to care for, and giving it all up is often not feasible — or even necessary, says Shukla. "I see many of my patients slowing down in the first three months — a delicate period. The work has to go on, but they do cut down on socialising."
Once the first three months are out of the way, walking is a good form of exercise. "If you feel up to it, a 20-30 minute walk is OK", although treadmills are not advised unless they're kept to a strolling pace, she says. Shukla also recommends pregnancy yoga. That's a special form of the exercise that's tailor-made to address the needs of expectant mothers, says Bharat Thakur, tabloid! on Saturday's yoga guru. His private classes for pregnant women focus on spine flexibility, blood circulation and reducing mood swings and anxiety. The classes are given until the eighth month of pregnancy, he adds, a point in the pregnancy when Shukla says women will feel the need to slow down. "As the pregnancy advances, around 34 weeks, the level of tiredness goes up because the baby is moving towards the chest, reducing lung capacity. You breathe more frequently, the heart rate goes up so you get breathless faster. Also, joints and ligaments are loosening up, to prepare for the birth, so the mother can be unstable and fall."
