A lot of runners don't know much about this subject, and as a male, I will try to be as informative as I can. Many women fear that running will harm their unborn child, not to mention what relatives and friends think! The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) state that running can benefit both the mother and baby during pregnancy and that any fears are unfounded. Research has shown that a woman who runs through pregnancy is no more likely to suffer birth complications than those who don't run, and this includes stillbirths and miscarriages. Women who continue running whilst pregnant are less likely to suffer from the symptoms and return to their prepregnancy state quicker. The ACOG advise women to let their own stamina and abilities be their guide to training.

So, can women return to running straight away? This seems to depend on the woman in question. Experts generally agree on 6 weeks, however, a Runner's World article has previously stated: "You can safely resume running when you can do so comfortably. If your baby is born vaginally, this may be as soon as 2 or 3 days, depending on whether or not you have an episiotomy. If you have a cesarean birth, wait at least a week or 2... Make sure all soreness and discomfort are gone before you resume running." This article was wrote by Dr. Shangold and so we assume the Dr. had reasonable authority and experience to support this statement. I would advise that women listen to their bodies, and be their own judge on their return to running.

Although this site is for beginners, I thought I would include some information on pregnancy and preformance. Fear not ladies, pregnancy may enhance your preformance. A study carried out showed that out of 15 runners who had given birth, 5 quit running whilst 2 maintained prepregnancy fitness levels, and the remaining 8 improved. Similar studies have yielded similar results. One study found that the aerobic capacity in postpartum runners improved by 7%. The control group's capacity remained unchanged.

It seems that there is no reason for a pregnant runner to stop exercising. Even if the woman does not want to run whilst pregnant, they could try swimming or other less strenuous activities. It seems however, you are more likely to benefit from running whilst pregnant than not. Therefore, if you have just fallen pregnant and are considering beginning a running program, I would strongly advise it, but you should run less distance and slower than most other beginners.