r/fitpregnancy • u/Head_Tumbleweed_7244 • 1d ago

Research backs that heavy lifting is safe for pregnant women!!!!!

This is for any other research-loving mamas out there. Current evidence-based practice is now providing proof that lifting heavy while pregnant is SAFE for the baby. For a graduate school student and new mama like me, this is extremely exciting, and I just wanted to share the study (linked below).

If anyone tells you not to lift weights (like my undereducated OBGYN did), send them this link. https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/bjsports/59/3/159.full.pdf

90 Upvotes

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14

u/Defiant-Sentence-303 1d ago

My OB upset me so much yesterday! I was asking how to modify my exercise program (I'm a triathlete and have been lifting since high school) and she told me no triathalons, no lifting anything over 25 lbs, no exceptions. Told me that was the best empirical evidence and moved on. I knew she was wrong but it really got under my skin.

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u/thecaptn16 10h ago

My OB said the same thing - no lifting over 25 lbs. At the time I was doing well over my body weight in squat and deadlift. I told her what I was lifting and how long I had been doing it for and she didn't care. I ignored her and continued lifting, biking, skiing, running and wakesurfing under guidance of a pelvic floor PT and a general PT I was seeing for my knee. They at least helped me understand what to modify and when.

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u/Defiant-Sentence-303 8h ago

Yes! Exact same thing happened to me. I don't know why any doctor thinks not exercising is better for you. My understanding is that the 25 lb limit is based on women doing manual labor all day, not exercise, especially not athletes that are used to the exercise.

I asked my OB if she meant 25 lbs for compound lifts or isolation lifts and she just stared blankly at me then repeated the 25 lb limit 🙄

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u/adribd 12h ago

Ugh that’s so frustrating. Honestly I would see if you could find a new OB or midwife.. providers who can’t keep up with the latest research are actively doing harm with this type of misinformation.

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u/Defiant-Sentence-303 10h ago

I completely agree. I'm never going back to her. She also made me feel awful about having a BMI of 26 when I have a healthy waist size, labs, and body fat %. She was also not happy that I 'gained' 10 lbs in a week (I haven't had a bowel movement in days!) and advised me to watch my weight. Just so out of touch. Even knowing she was wrong, I felt like I had to adjust my diet. I'm so tired of doctors who stopped learning after med school!

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u/adribd 10h ago

I’m so sorry you’ve had this experience!!! Can’t stand doctors like this. I’m glad you can zoom out and see your health and wellness outside of these completely outdated and ridiculous parameters

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u/awcattreats 5h ago

I'm on my third pregnancy and my other kids are both about 35 lbs. I pick them up and carry them all of the time. Even if I didn't lift much heavier during workouts, I wonder what they think moms of toddlers/preschoolers actually do?

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u/Aeleana117 2h ago

As someone in health, it drives me nuts because it just makes it plain as day to me that too many physicians do NOT do continuing education. I'm just a board-certified health coach, but I'm reading medical journals pretty routinely to learn the newest on nutrition, exercise, sleep, stress, women's health, etc.

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u/hollybrown81 1d ago

Ah! I love this! Thank you!

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u/Imaginary-Market-214 10h ago

Pretty small study but I'm really not surprised by the results and it's great that some research was done on this topic! 

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u/Aeleana117 2h ago

I just want to show all OBs that say this nonsense, disrespectfully of course, me doing +400lb hip thrust at 4mo pregnant (before my belly starts to get in the way). I'm 27w now with my 3rd baby, and I do banded hip thrusts of over 200lbs, leg press over 500lbs, curl 30lbs in each hand, do 170lb leg extensions, etc. Every single baby comes on their due date, fast, easy birth. I stop bleedineeding postpartum in record time, return to full activity at 4 weeks postpartum. I couldn't even lift my son or daughter when they were 6mo if over 25lb was dangerous (my babies get so chunky so fast lol, 99th percentile for weight their first year of life, triple birth weight by 2mo both of them lol)

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u/Defiant-Sentence-303 2h ago

It's very reassuring that mom and baby are ok when mom works out. I hate feeling like I'm going against doctor's orders, god forbid anything went wrong

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u/Comfortable_Chest_40 52m ago

That’s why I love my OB, he encouraged me to continue lifting throughout my pregnancy