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If you’re exercising at home (to a video, say) do so on a relatively soft surface, such as a yoga mat, to minimize the impact on your joints.

Falling down/being bumped in the belly: almost always the baby is fine when this happens. If, however, you feel the baby is moving less, or you are worried about pain or concussion, call your doctor/midwife.

PREGNANCY FITNESS

Specific forms of exercise

If you’re doing a specific form of exercise already, it may be perfectly safe to continue though modifying it as the pregnancy progresses. But always discuss your exercise routine with your doctor as your pregnancy may have issues of its own that rule some things out.

 Spinning This can be great, but as your pregnancy progresses move from standing to sitting and don’t crank up the knob up as much as you did. Talk to your doctor about maximum heart rates.

 Running Follow rules on intensity, watch the surface you are running on (not too hard or uneven) and beware your changing centre of gravity. If it hurts or feels uncomfortable, slow down. Walking may feel better.

 Weight training This should be fine if you did it before you were pregnant but you’ll need to drop some weights as the pregnancy progresses (you’re carrying weight already, don’t forget). Avoid exercises that involve lying on your back after 12 weeks. Weightlifting with a partner who is looking out for you will keep your back straight and be another set of eyes keeping you safe. Always discuss your particular programme with your doctor.

 Aerobics As with any class, let your instructor know as soon as you know you are pregnant. Slow down, avoid high impact moves and watch your heart rate. If it starts to hurt, or you get any other danger signs, stop.

 Yoga Yoga is terrific in pregnancy. Drink lots of water and stop if you feel at all faint. If it’s not specific antenatal yoga, tell your instructor you are pregnant.

 Pilates Great for pregnant women as long as you’ve got an experienced teacher. Most instructors will say it’s not a good idea to begin Pilates when pregnant, but if you’ve done it before, it can help you stay toned in pregnancy, and bounce back more quickly. According to Jenny Miller, a certified Pilates instructor and mother of two: ‘Pilates increases bone density, focuses on the ever-changing centre of gravity of a pregnant body and strengthens and maintains the muscles that support the growing belly.’

Sports generally

A bad fall or strong impact to the belly – rather than your average bump against a chair, tumble or kick from a toddler – could harm the baby so make sure you’ve really thought through the risks and talk to your doctor before you continue.

A WORD ABOUT INSTRUCTION | Make sure the instructor is really knowledgeable and not just giving you her best guess. And always talk to your doctor about the specifics of your exercise programme first. Pilates instructor Jenny Miller says: ‘In pregnancy the goals change from no limits to set limits. A good trainer will respect those limits. When a non-pregnant woman tells me she can’t do a position, I may urge her to push through her pain and tiredness. When a pregnant woman says the same thing I back off entirely and we rest.’ That’s the major difference with pregnant workouts: don’t push through the pain – stop!