PREGNANT WOMEN ARE ATHLETES

Just in case you need a reminder of how incredible you are - this is my favourite ever research on pregnancy and how tough it is on our bodies.

Researchers studying the limits of human endurance have determined that the physical intensity of pregnancy is basically like running a 40-week marathon.

When Duke University studied endurance athletes - people who ran 3,000 miles over 140 days - they found that their body's maximum energy expenditure over a sustained period was 2.5 times the body's resting metabolic rate (so our body's energy expenditure at rest, i.e. functions to survive - breathing, circulation, digestion, cell production etc). However when they also looked at pregnant women they found that at our peak we operate at 2.2 times this rate, which is incredibly close to the limit the human body can cope with, particularly over such a sustained period of time.

So next time you think 'wow pregnancy is exhausting' you’re damn right it is, think of it as the ultra-ultra marathon of your life, and remember how incredible you and your body are.