Weightlifting mother is branded 'selfish' for carrying on extreme exercise routine at nine months pregnant. So, are the critics right or is her pre-natal lifting perfectly safe?

For most women, being eight and a half months pregnant means taking it easy, sitting back and hoping that Junior will put in an appearance before too long.
Not Lea-Anne Ellison. The 35-year-old bodybuilder from Los Angeles has sparked an online storm after posting photos of herself lifting heavy weights on Facebook - with her due date just two weeks away.
Elllison's photo has already had more than 16,000 comments posted beneath it since it first appeared on 15 September - and the feedback has been very mixed.

Dangerous? Lea-Ann Ellison, 35, caused much debate when she posted photos of herself lifting weights

Regime: Lea-Ann describes herself as a huge fan of athletics and has been training throughout her pregnancy

While some appeared to support her decision, including several who claimed to be doctors, others were horrified.
'This is actually sickening,' wrote Amanda Cinq-Mars. 'I hope pregnant [women] around the world do not do this kind of cr**.

'I am a crossfit enthusiast but I DO NOT recommend this at all. Doctors always strongly suggest to not lift heavy because you can sever your placenta and cause major damage an early labour and miscarriage .... 'Posting this picture goes people the wrong message that this is OKAY when it's not!!!!'
Another, Josh Giannapolous, wrote: 'Cross fit? This goes way beyond a way of life, and right into an obsession.
'She is very selfish for endangering a life for her own personal gains and achievements. This is not a proud picture to post.

Controversial: Lea-Ann's decision to continue weightlifting caused outrage among some commenters

Unrepentant: Lea-Ann took to Facebook to answer her critics and thank supporters for their 'love'

'That amount of weight lifted above the head is extremely dangerous while pregnant. Cross fit is a hobby, not a necessity to life. It's becoming unconscious to the dangers of reality.'
Others sprang to her defence, with Katy McNiff Nicholas writing: 'You go girl! Looking great!!! Much better than a lot of obese pregnant ladies with high blood pressure and diabetes who get short of breath walking up a flight of steps.'
Ellison also took to Facebook herself, commenting: 'I want to thank everyone for their kind and supportive responses!
'Haters will hate and it's ok. My life is not their life thank goodness! Lol! Again, thank you! It means so much to feel this much love from a community I adore.'
Her comments echo previous remarks made on her profile page on the website Bodybuilders.com.
On it, Ellison, who also has a son aged eight and a daughter aged 12, says: 'I have always loved athletics and fitness.

Hot mama: Lea-Ann has declared her intention to be a 'hot mom' and plans to continue with her workouts

SHOULD MOTHERS-TO-BE LIFT WEIGHTS DURING PREGNANCY?

Janet Fyle from the Royal College of Midwives said: 'She's quite far along in her pregnancy so there can't really be any problem with it, and if she's always done weightlifting I don't think it would suddenly bring on early labour.
'Obviously we aren't advising pregnant women to take up weightlifting if they've never done it before, but if she's used to the exercise it's OK.
'We always say if women were riding bikes or going to the gym before they were pregnant they can continue to do so, they just need to tell their instructor they are pregnant and then they can adjust the exercises.
'I understand why people might be concerned, but if the woman doesn't want to stop doing her exercise that's fine.'

'After the birth of my second child, I knew I needed to step it up big time! I loved being a Mom but I wanted to be a HOT Mom.
'This is just the beginning for me and I assure you there are big things to come for this Hot Mom.'
Ellison isn't the only workout loving mother-to-be to make headlines after her pregnancy regime came to light.
Four years ago Cambridgeshire fitness enthusiast Sarah-Jane Cousins hit the front pages after being pictured lifting 15kg dumbbells with just 11 days to go before her due date.
Another mother criticised for continuing a tough fitness regime throughout her pregnancy was model Nell McAndrew who was stunned at the backlash she received after competing in a gruelling marathon while 20 weeks pregnant.
Speaking to MailOnline after the marathon in November last year, McAndrew said: 'When I tell people I'm still exercising, they react as if I've told them I've been smoking or drinking alcohol while pregnant.
'But what I'm doing is actually good for me and my baby.'
Nell's belief that fitness aids labour is backed up by studies that have found that babies
of women who exercise are better off when it comes to their birth because 'foetuses of exercising women may tolerate labour better than those of non-exercisers,' according to The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG).

'Exercise is safe for both mother and fetus during pregnancy and women should therefore be encouraged to initiate or continue exercise to derive the health benefits associated with such activities.'

Along with official NHS guidelines that recommend 30 minutes of moderate exercise a day for expectant mothers, the RCOG also advocate exercise where there are no complications in the pregnancy and precautions are taken such as not exercising at a high intensity to raise the heart rate to its maximum and not running while it's too hot due to a risk of overheating.
They state: 'In most cases, exercise is safe for both mother and fetus during pregnancy and women should therefore be encouraged to initiate or continue exercise to derive the health benefits
associated with such activities.'

Mixed response: Lea-Ann posted her photographs on the Crossfit Facebook page and was met with both support and anger

They add that it's a fallacy that exercise increases the risk of miscarriage or damage to an unborn baby stating 'women should be advised that adverse pregnancy or neonatal outcomes are not increased for exercising women.'
They explain that exercising while pregnant has numerous benefits for the mother's health and wellbeing: 'Maternal benefits appear to be both physical and psychological in nature. Many common complaints of pregnancy, including fatigue, varicosities and swelling of extremities, are reduced in women who exercise.
'Additionally, active women experience less insomnia, stress, anxiety and depression.'
Women who exercise while pregnant will also gain less excess weight, lowering the health risks associated with obesity.

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