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Mom Lifts Through High-Risk Pregnancy
27 Oct
Summary
- Midwife advised returning to gym for upper-body exercises.
- Exercise aimed to improve blood flow through the umbilical cord.
- Daughter is now healthy despite a difficult start.
A Utah mother named Isabelle Fisher faced a high-risk pregnancy with her unborn daughter experiencing intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). Concerns centered on a calcified placenta and poor umbilical cord blood flow, leading to bed rest at 32 weeks. However, her midwife suggested a unique approach: returning to weightlifting at 35 weeks, focusing on upper-body exercises to potentially improve blood flow.
While exercise isn't a standard treatment for IUGR, medical professionals noted that activity can aid blood flow and prevent complications. Fisher's blood flow measurements improved after resuming lifting, though experts caution that such changes can be variable and require consistent monitoring. Despite this, the baby later failed a non-stress test, prompting an emergency C-section.
After a challenging start, including three weeks in the NICU and needing oxygen for two months, Fisher's daughter is now a healthy, active child. Her midwife believed the exercise contributed to the improved blood flow in the crucial final weeks of pregnancy, challenging the notion that pregnant women must cease all pre-pregnancy activities.
