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Studies Point to 2 Incredibly Simple Ways to Reduce C-Section Risk

Here's a really good reason to follow the advice your doctor's been giving for years.
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By Anisa Arsenault, Associate Editor
Updated July 21, 2017
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You probably know the stat by now: 1 in 3 babies are delivered via c-section. While labor complications and high-risk pregnancies can make this totally out of your control, researchers from the largest research project in the world to look at pregnancy lifestyle interventions found two c-section reducing interventions, in particular, that aren’t so hard to adapt.

After looking at 36 studies of 12,526 women, researchers determined that diet and exercise play a major role in c-section odds. By backing off sweetened beverages, eating more fruits and vegetables and switching to low-fat dairy, pregnancy weight gain drops by about 1 ½ pounds when paired with moderate exercise (the studies involved aerobic classes, stationary cycling and resistance training). In turn, c-section rates dropped by 10 percent. And the risk of gestational diabetes dropped by 26 percent.

“Our findings are important because it is often thought that pregnant women shouldn’t exercise because it may harm the baby,” says study researcher Shakila Thangaratinam of Queen Mary University of London. “But we show that the babies are not affected by physical activity or dieting, and that there are additional benefits including a reduction in maternal weight gain, diabetes in pregnancy and the risk of requiring a caesarean section.

Of course, the recommendation for exercise and a healthy diet during pregnancy is nothing new. Thangaratinam just hopes that this proof of specific benefits will make women more likely to follow it.

“This should be part of routine advice in pregnancy, given by practitioners as well as midwives,” she says. “Now that we’re able to link the advice to why it’s beneficial for mothers-to-be, we hope mothers are more likely to adopt these lifestyle changes.”

The analysis, published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), is calling for futher research to see if there are even more benefits for both mom and baby long-term.

Please note: The Bump and the materials and information it contains are not intended to, and do not constitute, medical or other health advice or diagnosis and should not be used as such. You should always consult with a qualified physician or health professional about your specific circumstances.

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