A certain study shows that there are healthy habits that are likely to reduce chances of certain obstetric complications. The Healthy Day News reported back in WEDNESDAY 19th July 2017 that a healthy diet plus exercise is not only good for the baby in the womb, but it also lower the chances of undergoing a C-section during delivery.

A recent analysis for about 36 studies with over 12500 women also confirmed that the healthy diet and exercise reduces the chances of undergoing a Cesarean-section during delivery & lower the probability of developing diabetes when expectant.

According to the author of the study Shakila Thangaratinam, all healthy habits lower the chances of C-section by roughly 10%. The said person is a professor of prenatal health & maternal at the University of Queen Mary in London.

How to lower gestational diabetes

Healthy lifestyle according to the findings lowered gestational diabetes risk when a mother is expectant by 24%. More so, such healthy habits prevented excessive weight gain when one is pregnant.  However, the researchers pointed out that is quite hard to define clearly what it means by a healthy diet or the most ideal moderate exercise for an expectant mother. This is because every study had a different view on exercise and diet.

Generally, the diets advocated more fiber, olive oil and fish excluding the sugary drinks. The studies also focused on expectant mother who engaged in stationary bicycling, dancing, swimming and toning exercises.

Thangaratinam is advices pregnant women to engage in moderate activity 150 minutes on weekly basis plus aerobic exercise & 2 muscle-building sessions.

Regular exercise combined with a healthy diet cannot give outcomes like miscarriage, stillbirth or C-section, underweight and overweight babies. This is in regard to the research team. Thangaratinam adds that such is a great assurance as a number of women fear exercise when pregnant fearing that it might be dangerous to the baby, but that’s not the case.

An assistant professor in physical education & recreation at Albert University in Canada Margie Davenport says that those finding are of great importance. According to her, most pregnant women gain below or above the recommended weight increasing the risk of gestational diabetes & C-section. If unchecked, this could lead to them requiring care from someone with BLS certification.

Davenport emphasizes that the study focuses on the benefits of adopting a healthy, safety & an active lifestyle when expecting. However, she advices women to first consult their health care providers before starting or proceeding with exercise when expectant.

Study limitation

Despite the factual information provided by the study, one expert Marlene Goldman managed to point out a limitation in this study.

80% of pregnant mothers included in the study evaluation were white & more than half of the respondents came from a high social status. According to her, such studies are not so effective and are just suggestive. However, she still gives some credit to the study and said that they provide some form of assurance to expectant mothers that a healthy diet and moderate exercise can bring all the difference.

Marian Knight, a professor of child health and maternal in Oxford University and an accompanying journal editorial pointed out that excess weight gain and maternal obesity are related baby and mother complications. One challenge remains according to editorial writers to research the best form of physical activity for pregnant mothers.