Pregnant, they continued the sport until the end…despite unpleasant comments and preconceived ideas

2024-07-13 14:19:01
British photographer Gabby Laurent’s work “Blocks” (2020), from her book “Falling” (Loose Joints, 2021). GABBY LAURENT Courtesy of Flower Gallery

Alexandrine Martine arrived for a meeting at a café on Place d’Italie in Paris, wearing military-print athletic leggings and a colorful T-shirt emblazoned with her CrossFit gym. Until then, this will come as no surprise to fans of the sport, which consists of a series of bodybuilding, endurance and gymnastic exercises. However, when we met the 32-year-old nurse in early June, she was eight and a half months pregnant. And, to hear her tell it, she’s in Olympic shape — especially compared to her two previous pregnancies: “I no longer have gestational diabetes, I only gained 11 kilos and I didn’t even feel it. Because I stayed active. Doing nothing, sleeping on the couch, eating anything… No! I prefer to go Gym. “

The healthy lifestyle this young woman adopted following her second pregnancy. Claim to be caring “Good food and party”she didn’t do any exercise at that time—— ” zero”. But constantly holding the baby triggered severe back pain and the realization that she was missing “muscle power”. That time seems so far away now: Alexandrine Martine spent her third pregnancy doing clean and jerks — a weightlifting exercise in which a barbell is lifted. As she scrolls through the photo gallery on her phone, this video plays and we see her competing in a weightlifting competition, when she was six months pregnant. “I even improved my performance: I went from squatting 120kg to 130kg, Relevant-t-elle. Exercise has helped me learn more regarding my body and manage my muscles better. (…) I never felt in danger when I practiced. »

On the other hand, Alexander Martin, encouraged by his midwives, sometimes encountered comments from the medical community: “A doctor told me I might have a glass of champagne during pregnancy, but No exercise. » Even if the mentality changes “Since For four or five years, professionals, including experts, have often had a misplaced fear of physical activity.” During pregnancy, says Dr. Jessica Dahan-Sall. The obstetrician-gynecologist, director of the department at Les Bluets Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital in Paris, has even committed to co-organizing trainings to increase awareness of the topic among perinatal professionals.

Many benefits

However, there is a consensus: Medical research has widely reported the numerous benefits of staying physically active during pregnancy. As long as exercise is not considered risky and you stop exercising at the slightest suspicion, exercise can help reduce gestational diabetes, thereby reducing the occurrence of gestational diabetes. “All risks associated with the placenta – preeclampsia, hypertension, growth restriction and fetal death”, Jessica Dahan-Saal makes this list and also mentions controlling weight gain, better venous return, and “Benefits for mental health. Often attributed to exercise, the risk of miscarriage and organ descent can be avoided: As long as you contract the perineum sufficiently, the risk of miscarriage and organ descent can be avoided. “Unreal fear”, said the gynecologist.

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