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Move Through Pregnancy

Is it safe to keep running? Can I still lift? Why does my back ache by mid-afternoon, and am I allowed to lie on my back for that stretch? Move Through Pregnancy answers these questions once, calmly and clearly, from the guidance of ACOG, the World Health Organization, the NHS, NICE and the UK Chief Medical Officers. Then it gives you a plan you can follow, week by week, from your first trimester to the birth.

What's inside

About 16,000 words across 18 chapters, written for the US and the UK, with differences noted where they matter.

  • What the guidelines really say. The US, UK, WHO and Canadian recommendations side by side: the 150 minutes a week, the two strength sessions, daily pelvic floor work, and what changes if you were very active or not active at all before pregnancy.
  • Is exercise right for you? The published lists of conditions that mean "do not exercise" or "discuss and adapt", and the questions to bring to your next appointment.
  • When to stop. ACOG's warning signs, in plain words, plus the urgent symptoms the NHS asks you to report straight away, all gathered in one box with the numbers to call.
  • How hard should it feel? The talk test, the Borg scale of perceived exertion and ACOG's "safe and effective regimen" table.
  • Your changing body. Joints, balance, breathing, heat, food and fluids, why lying flat on your back is avoided later on, and clear tables of activities considered safe and activities to avoid.
  • The exercise library. 30 movements described step by step in words: starting position, numbered steps, breathing, what you should feel, common mistakes, and easier or later-pregnancy versions. Warm-up, low-impact cardio, lower and upper body strength, trunk and posture, stretching and relaxation, plus the pelvic floor technique from NHS guidance.
  • Three trimester programs. Each one has two tracks (new to exercise, or already active), a strength session built for that stage of pregnancy, weekly tables, a stretch or yoga session and an end-of-trimester check.
  • Back care and pelvic girdle pain. Everyday habits for lifting, sitting, sleeping and carrying, how to adapt the program if your pelvis hurts, and when back pain needs a call.
  • Sleep positions. Why side-sleeping from 28 weeks is advised, what the research found, and a simple pillow setup.
  • Special situations. Gestational diabetes, twins, being 35 or over, pregnancy after a loss, IVF, athletes and physical jobs, with only what the guidelines actually say, and the questions to ask your care team.
  • "Is this normal?" and "When to call" boxes throughout, with US and UK numbers.
  • A page for your partner or support person. How to move together, how to help without pressure, and the warning signs to recognise.
  • A 12-week tracker and fill-in pages. Tick-box weekly tracker, your personal plan, kit and before-during-after checklists, a symptom and question log for your appointments, and a page for your important numbers.
  • A full bibliography. 24 sources, every one opened and checked, including five peer-reviewed publications with their DOI.

Who it is for

You are pregnant, your pregnancy is going well, and you would like to stay active without second-guessing every move. Perhaps it is your first pregnancy and you are new to exercise; perhaps you were training regularly and want to know how to adapt. Either way, this guide gives you a calm, reliable reference you can share with your midwife or doctor.

Whoever is by your side, a partner, a support person or no one at all, and however this pregnancy began, you will find yourself here. And there is no guilt in these pages: if you are exhausted or advised to rest, the book tells you that doing less is fine, and every kind of birth is respected.

It does not replace your care team. Every recommendation starts with a conversation with the person who follows your pregnancy, and the book shows you exactly what to ask.

How you receive it

A beautifully laid-out PDF with a cover personalised with your name, delivered instantly after payment. Read it on your phone, tablet or computer, or print the tracker and checklists.

Move Through Pregnancy is also part of the Pregnancy Pack ($59) and of the Complete Mamavela Library, every guide from pregnancy to the toddler years ($99).