Take care of you, Take care of bub

In a randomised controlled trial, 166 pregnant women were assigned to either an exercise group (EG) or control group (CG). Women in the EG participated in 55 to 60 minute sessions, 3 days per week comprising aerobic dance and specific exercises targeting the legs, buttocks, abdomen and pelvic floor muscles. The results demonstrated physical exercise during pregnancy was associated with a significantly shorter first stage of labour. Recommending strategies for regular exercise throughout pregnancy may prove beneficial for mothers-to-be; after all, who wouldn’t prefer a shorter labour?

In a 2017 study, two cohorts of pregnant women and their children (comprising 1,566 mother-child pairs) were studied to establish a link between the consumption of a Mediterranean diet during pregnancy and childhood metabolic health. The study demonstrated lower childhood adiposity, blood pressure and leptin levels in the 4 to 7 year olds. Prescribing a Mediterranean diet during preconception and pregnancy not only supports the health of mothers’, but may also promote long-term cardio-metabolic health in their offspring.

To assess the effects of a mother’s meditation on their infant’s social-emotional development, 156 pregnant women and 109 infants were studied. Children of mothers who practiced mindfulness meditation displayed more positive social-emotional behaviours and greater adaptive functioning and social competencies, compared to those with less mindful mothers. Interventions to increase mindfulness during pregnancy not only help mums feel calmer and cope better, but may also promote greater social-emotional development in their children