Exercise is crucial to stay fit during and after pregnancy

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Finding out you’re going to be a mother is overwhelming, especially with the physical changes going on inside the body, but continuing an exercise routine allows women to benefit greatly throughout their pregnancy, local health professionals say. Most pregnant women can tailor their workouts to meet her physical needs and the health and safety of her baby. Discussing exercise plans with their doctor early on establishes what adjustments are needed to continue a normal exercise routine. For women who don’t regularly go to the gym, their level of exercise will depend on their level of pre-pregnancy fitness. “With patients with normal pregnancy, no pre-term labor, no risk of low implantation and no issue of bleeding (basically a normal pregnancy) we recommend to start exercising as soon as you’re pregnant,” said Dr. Jorge Aranda of Providence Women’s Health Partners.

Welcome to the world, Lucca! Happy first Mother's Day Natalia! Papa Beto looks like he will be a wonderful father. (Courtesy of Natalia Strobach Oronoz)

A Mother’s Day note

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EL PASO – With Mother’s Day upon us, I am reminded of how mothering skills are acquired.  Most of the world thinks mothering comes naturally, including women, until they have their first child and feel completely helpless. Pregnancy does convey some sense of connectedness to what will likely become a beloved child. Your body is invaded for nine months, so whether birth is the culmination of incubated love, or the relief of having your body back, it is truly a shocking miracle to be holding your first child. What you don’t yet know is that this tiny thing, now outside yourself, will engulf you for the rest of your life, and until you learn how to swim in these waters, the “you” that once existed may drown forever. In some countries and in some families, there isn’t even an expectation that your prior self is important enough to resuscitate.