We understand that many women may feel anxious when it comes to exercising during their pregnancy, even with all of evidence now available to support and promote physical activity during pregnancy and its benefits. The Get Active Questionnaire for Pregnancy (GAQ-P) is a great tool that can help. It's available free to download and women can complete it independently prior to starting or continuing exercise once pregnant. The GAQ-P has been designed to identify the small number of women who need to consult with a healthcare professional before they begin or continue to be physically active, and to help the majority of healthy pregnant women overcome any concerns they may have about getting or staying active. Download the questionnaire, complete it and if anything flags up take it along to your next midwife or healthcare professional appointment.

It depends. Are you healthy and experiencing an uncomplicated pregnancy? If so, you can choose to be active. If you are experiencing complications, or are in any way unsure, then take time to discuss activity with your doctor or midwife. To help you, we've published the Get Active Questionnaire - Pregnancy . The questionnaire is designed to reduce anxiety by helping to identify the small number of women who may have a complication where additional support is needed before undertaking moderate activity. You don't need permission to move, but there are medical conditions where moderate activity is not recommended. Regarding activity after you've had your baby - the same principles apply, although we haven't, as yet, published a Get Active Questionnaire for postnatal women, but we're working on it!

STOP! Pain is the body's way of saying something's not right. Take a moment to assess what activity you're undertaking and consider whether you need to slow down, adapt or stop completely. Many women experience pain during pregnancy and certainly after their baby's birth - this is why we strongly advise adaptations to activity to accommodate changes in the body, and also postnatal recovery. It's important to take time to recover after the birth of your baby and not return to physical activity too quickly. Please take a look at our advice on Postnatal Activity.

When we talk about moderate activity we mean an activity that makes you breathe a little harder - you should be able to talk, but not sing! Everybody's moderate will be a different depending on your base fitness, so it's important not to compare yourself to others.

First things first, don't worry! It's never too late to start. Walking is a simple way to get going - in fact our surveys tell us that it's many women's favourite activity. You may wish to enlist the help of a fitness professional, we strongly recommend that you ensure they have a pregnancy and postnatal qualification. Whatever your choose to do, go gradually. If you're pregnant, you'll need to adapt to your growing bump over time. If you've had your baby, give your body enough time to recover - we say at least 12 weeks - then start slowly and increase over time.

You can achieve your 150 minutes in any way you wish. There are no hard and fast rules because it's an accumulated total over the week. You may want to schedule in 21.4mins a day over 7 days (!) or be a little more flexible. It's entirely up to you. It's important to note that any activity is better than nothing at all, so if you struggle to achieve the minutes then don't sweat it. We all know life can get in the way sometimes.

No. Going for a brisk walk doesn't require any additional kit. If you go to the gym or classes then we do recommended a good quality sports bra. It may be worth keeping an eye on your foot health too, and therefore the shoes you choose. During pregnancy relaxin will increase the flexibility of your ligaments, including those in your feet.

No - your baby is well protected in the womb and running will not 'hurt' the baby. We do recommend that if you run regularly you adapt as your bump grows. Remember to care for your feet too - relaxin will increase the flexibility of the ligaments, even those in the feet. Also, remember to wear a good supportive sports bra, for running and other high impact activities.

Paying for professional help is entirely your choice - we do recommend you ask to see qualifications before hiring anyone. If you're keen to get started on your own, take a look at our Find Your Active guides for expert advice on the most popular activities women love to do - from Aquanatal to Yoga.

Unfortunately some women will have symptoms or conditions where activity should be approached with caution or moderate activity is not recommended. Let's start with the 'Relative Contraindications' i.e. conditions where activity should be approached with caution and discussion with a healthcare professional is advised. These conditions include: * Mild respiratory disorders * Mild congenital or acquired heart disease * Well-controlled Type 1 diabetes * Mild pre-eclampsia * Preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROMs) * Placenta praevia after 28 weeks * Untreated thyroid disease * Symptomatic, severe eating disorders * Multiple nutrient deficiencies and/or chronic undernutrition * Moderate-heavy smoking (>20 cigarettes per day) in the presence of co-morbidities. If you, or the mum-to-be you are caring for, has any of these conditions, the advantages and disadvantages of low-to-moderate intensity physical activity should be considered. Following discussion with a healthcare professional, activities may proceed subject to modifications, supervision and with continuous monitoring. Now, let's look at 'Absolute Contraindications' i.e. conditions where moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity is NOT recommended and the risks outweigh the potential benefits and could result in the adverse effect for the mother and/or foetus, however, activities of daily living may continue. These conditions include: * Severe respiratory diseases (e.g. chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, restrictive lung disease, cystic fibrosis, etc.) * Severe acquired or congenital heart disease with exercise intolerance * Uncontrolled or severe arrhythmia * Placental abruption * Vasa praevia * Uncontrolled Type 1 diabetes * Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) * Active preterm labour (i.e. regular and painful uterine contractions before 37 weeks of pregnancy) * Severe pre-eclampsia * Cervical insufficiency If you have any questions or concerns you must speak to your healthcare professional. We recommend you complete the Get Active Questionaire for Pregnancy (GAQ-P). It's free to download HERE

To be honest it's difficult to predict whether being active will help with labour - there are certainly plenty of old wives tails about sporty or athletic women having better births. Many factors will affect the body's ability to birth 'well', but being active and healthy will have a positive effect on recovery.

Yes you can! It's important to note that you may need to adapt what you're doing as your pregnancy progresses. There are also some sports and activities we don't recommend: Contact Sports Horse Riding Sky Diving Scuba Diving Basically "Don't Bump the Bump". We also advocate rest. Your body's physiology is being significantly challenge during pregnancy and it needs time to rest, repair and recover.

There is no evidence that being active will induce miscarriage or increase your chances of experiencing stillbirth. If you have a history of baby loss it's entirely understandable that you'd worry about the safety of you pregnancy. We do know moderate activity is hugely benefical for physical health, but also for mental health. We advocate choice. No woman should feel forced to participate in activity if she doesn't want to. We just want to arm you with the facts, empowering you to make your own informed decisions.

If you feel well enough to be active, and you're experiencing an otherwise uncomplicated pregnancy, then go for it! Even if you're feeling nauseous it's often helpful to get some fresh air and go for a walk.

We know access to active spaces is already pretty tough for people with disability, it's therefore doubly tough if you're pregnant and you're looking for support with being physically active. Nobody knows you body and your abilities better than you, so in the first instance our recommendation would be something is better than nothing. Also, your activity my look different but the principle is the same - engage in a moderate activity that gets you out of breath... so you can talk but not sing. You'll need to adapt as your bump gets bigger and after you've had your baby it's just as important to take time to recover and reintroduce your activities gradually. We're working to improve the information available for mums and mums to be with disability. Please bear with us... we're on it! We'd love to hear your story though.... and we're looking for role model mums too. Do get in touch if you're interested.

It depends... If you've had a straightforward birth, then try some light activities if you feel up to it e.g. walking, pelvic floor and deep stomach exerices. But, if you've had a c-section it's important to listen to your body and take time to recover. After your 6-8week postnatel check you should aim to gradually build up to 150 mins of moderate activity throughout the week - and build up muscle strengthening activities twice a week. If you were active during your pregnancy, that’s great, gradually reintroduce physical activities - but you may have to adapt them to start with. If you weren't active during your pregnancy, don't worry, you can also start gradually. Remember if you don't reach 150 mins, please don't worry. Something is better than nothing. We do recommend daily pelvic floor exercises as soon as you feel able. Ask a qualified practitioner about the best and most effective way to do these. If you choose to take part in intense physical activity we recommend you build up moderate intensity physical activities over a minimum period of three months and then, in the absence of any signs or symptoms of pelvic floor or abdominal wall dysfunction, introduce more intense activities gradually.

The great news is there's no evidence of harm for postpartum women to begin a gradual return to moderate intensity physical activity and strength training. The key is to listen to your body and start gradually, whatever your levels of activity before or during pregnancy. There are some symptoms you do need to look out for, and if you have any of the following then intense physical activity should NOT be resumed. * Urinary and/or faecal incontinence * Urinary and/or faecal urgency that is difficult to defer * Heaviness / pressure / bulge / dragging in the pelvic area * Pain with intercourse * Obstruction defecation * Pendular abdomen, separated abdominal muscles and/or decreased abdominal strength and function * Musculoskeletal lumbo-pelvic pain If you not sure what these are and you are experiencing pain, then please seek advice from a healthcare professional or Pelvic Health Physiotherapist. We recommend that postpartum mums should aim to gradually build back up to accumulating 150mins of moderate physical activity throughout the week - this should also include muscle strengthening activities twice a week. If you've had a straightforward birth, women can start gentle exercises as soon as you feel up to it. This could include walking, gentle stretches, pelvic floor exercises and deep stomach exercises. After your 6-8week postnatal check 'your active' will depend on your activity levels before and during pregnancy. If you were active then gradually reintroduce physical activities, but you may need to change or adapt things initially. If you weren't so active then start gradually. It is recommended to all women, regardless of delivery, start pelvic floor exercise as soon as possible. You can begin as early as day 1 after birth to start the recovery process. Women who have had a c-section should wait until after their catheter is removed. Do ask for advice from a healthcare or Pelvic Health Physiotherapist if you're not sure how to do pelvic floor exercises.

Yes, absolutely! There's no evidence to suggest that activity will affect your ability to breastfeed. We do recommend you get a bra with enough support to ensure your breasts don't feel uncomfortable. Breast pads are also a great idea, as they help with any leakage.

A postnatal check up is carried out by a women’s pelvic health physiotherapist and is soley focused on checking up on mum postnatally - it is not the same as the baby's 6 week check up which is undertaken by your GP. During your postnatal check up, you will be asked all about your pregnancy and delivery as well have your body checked for alignment, diastasis recti (tummy gap), pelvic floor, C- section scar and much more. You will be given the support and guidance to help you and your body recover, as well as identify any possible pelvic conditions. The physiotherapist may also offer advice and support with breast feeding, mental health and return to exercise and sport. You can have a postnatal check up from 4 weeks, or once you have stopped bleeding, and you do not have to wait for your baby’s 6week check up. There are so many benefits to having a postnatal check up, including getting that 1-2-1 care, attention and support.

In a word "yes"! It is important to start your pelvic floor muscle exercises as early as possible in the antenatal period and continue to do so after the birth of your baby when you are feeling well enough. We recommend you seek advice and support about this from your named midwife, who can show you how to do this safely and effectively. If you have access to a pelvic health physiotherapist, they can also advise you.

The Pelvic Floor Muscles are a group of muscles that sit like a hammock across your pelvis side to side and front to back. Their role is to support your bladder and bowel, they also work with other muscles to support your core and are important for sexual function. During and after pregnancy these muscles can become weak due to the load placed on them over the duration of your pregnancy and as a result of giving birth. It is important to do your pelvic floor exercise regularly throughout your pregnancy and as soon as you can after giving birth regardless of delivery. It is recommended to all women, regardless of delivery, to start pelvic floor exercise as soon as possible. This can be as early as day 1 after giving birth and this will start the recovery process. Women who have has a c-section should wait until after their catheter is removed. If you need support or guidance reach out to your healthcare professional or pelvic health physiotherapist.

Your pelvic floor exercises should be carried out regularly throughout your pregnancy as well as daily throughout your fourth trimester (12 weeks after giving birth). There are two types of pelvic floor muscles which are important for movement and posture as well as for jumping, sneezing and running, so you should practice squeezing and holding your pelvic floor muscles for ten seconds at a time and repeat thirty times as well as practice squeezing and relaxing quickly, like turning on and off a light switch, and repeat thirty times. This can be split throughout your day and you should also practice your pelvic floor exercises in variety of positions including lying, sitting and standing.

A Pelvic Health Physiotherapist is a physiotherapist who specialises in women’s pelvic health. Their job is to support women as they prepare for birth, help women suffering with issues of the pelvis for example, pelvic girdle pain during pregnancy, as well as support women through their postpartum recovery by carrying out a postnatal check up. They also treat any women who are experiencing issues like incontinence, prolapse and pelvic pain through physiotherapy techniques, exercise and education.

If you are already active at a moderate intensity and frequency, then you can continue throughout your treatment cycle as long as you feel comfortable. If you're not as active, or you're active to a lesser intensity, then you may wish to increase activity and/or intensity. It’s important to listen to your body as all women have different experiences during fertility treatment. For example, during stimulation some women feel bloated and have difficulty moving their bodies, the injections sites may become sore, or you have less energy to engage in additional physical activity. Others may feel no differences. Remember, every movement matters.

Research studies show mixed findings about the effects of being physically active during fertility treatment. Some research suggests that being active can negatively impact fertility treatment outcomes if women are inactive or extremely active. ​ Most women are already active, many at a moderate intensity and frequency. This is great news because results suggest this can positively impact fertility treatment outcomes. It's interesting to note that some studies found no difference, therefore we encourage women to be active because of the many wider associated benefits.

Have you heard of ovarian torsion? You may have read about it online, or heard your healthcare mention it, it's when the ovary, and sometimes the fallopian tube, twist on the tissues that support them and stops the blood flow. There are conditions which may increase the risk of having ovarian torsion and these include women who have ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS), endometriosis, and ovarian cysts. Undergoing fertility treatment increases the risk due to the size of the ovaries. However, this most commonly occurs following egg retrieval, and in only 0.024-0.2% of cases. There are even fewer cases during the time between trigger shot and before retrieval. During stimulation phase, it is recommended that women do not engage in heavy lifting and twisting because of the risk of ovarian torsion.

Absolutely. The guidance is evidence based and we have a highly qualified Scientific Advisory Board who provide oversight on any guidance we publish. We also have a board of Trustees who ensure the charity is run in accordance with the Charities Commission regulations.

We support women to stay active throughout pregnancy and beyond. We do this by providing expertise and advice to mums and mums to be, but also to fitness and healthcare professionals. We want to change and challenge the culture around being an active mum, by dispelling myths and providing education. We want to give women the power to choose to be active if they want to be. We do this by breaking down the barriers to being active - be it a lack of information, lack of access to expertise or societal prejudice. We also challenge the policies that may be holding women back - this could be a lack of funding for local facilties.