Day 23 – No. You will not starve your fetus of blood during exercise.

Women who exercise through pregnancy have increased red cells, plasma volumes, and total blood volumes upwards of 45%. This means a higher circulatory reserve which improves their ability to deal with both anticipated (exercise) and unanticipated (hemorrhage, anesthesia) circulatory stress.

What this means is NO, you will not deplete your fetus of blood when you exercise.

It deeply upsets me when women hear from their doctor that they should not exercise because of an OLD, OUTDATED myth. Question everything you hear please, no matter the source.

A woman’s body does a brilliant job of protecting the fetus. If you don’t realize that, go back and start at Day 1! You will be surprised and in awe!

Yes, your body is going to protect that lil babe or babies with everything it’s got! So don’t worry, if you have a normal healthy pregnancy, you are encouraged to exercise; lift weights, use bands, perform kegels, stabilize your hips, increase your heart rate, and more! Just seek the guidance of a professional (ahem, me) to make sure you’re performing motions with proper form and feel free to ask questions!