Exercising while pregnant may be another way to avoid a C-section birth.

A new study conducted by Spanish researchers at the Universidad Politecnica de Madrid finds reduced medical intervention during delivery among the many benefits of regular exercise throughout pregnancy.

The study followed nearly 300 women from the first trimester through delivery. Participants performed a routine of exercises designed by perinatal fitness experts specific to the various stages of pregnancy. Participants started the routine between 10-12 weeks gestation and continued until 38-39 weeks under the supervision of prenatal fitness experts. The routine lasted 50-55 minutes and was performed 3 times per week. Exercises included aerobic resistance, strength training for the muscles most affected by pregnancy, and pelvic floor muscle training. The control group did not perform any regular exercise routine.

While the study measured many factors, the most notable results according to researchers was a marked difference in the rate of instrumental and Cesarean births in the exercising group, leading them to conclude that regular exercise reduces the rate for medical interventions during childbirth. When publicizing their findings, researches stated the belief that a number of difficulties during pregnancy result from poor lifestyle choices: sedentary with poor nutrition and poor posture. The hope is that the study’s findings will encourage women to engage in safe and appropriate exercise throughout pregnancy to improve overall health and quality of life.

Remember these important factors when considering prenatal exercise:

1. Get your doctors approval before beginning any exercise program to be sure you do not unknowingly have a condition that would contraindicate exercise.

2. Look for credentials when starting a class or program. Only do exercise designed by experts for the prenatal population. Consider this: a personal trainer is not a medical professional. Ask for special training or credentials to be sure the recommended exercises are safe for the various stages of pregnancy.

3. Be sure to exercise regularly, a minimum of 3 times per week, in order to reap the cumulative benefits of exercise and to keep your body accustomed to activity, helping to avoid strain or injury.

4. Listen to your body. Your abilities will change throughout pregnancy as your body changes drastically over time. Scaling back activity to accommodate for normal body changes is not a sign of set-back or weakness, it is rather a sign of the progression of your pregnancy. Always stop any activity that causes pain or discomfort.

Did you feel your prenatal routine prepared you for a vaginal birth?

Plus, more from The Bump:

Best Pregnancy Workout DVDs

Your Guide to Pregnancy Nutrition and Exercise

What are the Exercise Dos and Don’ts During Pregnancy?

My weight has been going up (and up!) over the last couple of years. Here’s my history:

2009: Got engaged at my lowest adult weight ever
2010: Got married 10 pounds heavier
2011: Got pregnant 20 pounds heavier than that
2012: Delivered my son at 25 pounds heavier than that

After the birth of my son, I lost 22 of those pregnancy pounds very quickly — like in two weeks! I didn’t do anything specific; it certainly wasn’t my focus in those days. But the weight just fell off. Maybe it was the breastfeeding. Maybe it was because at the end of my pregnancy, I’d developed high blood pressure (and water weight to go right along with it), so I also lost a lot of weight when that water went away.

But after that, I started gaining again. And gaining. And gaining. I’ve always been a stress eater. And there were some stressful moments those first few months! I’ve also been a boredom eater. And there were some boring moments as well. (You can only stare at a sleeping baby for so long.)

So now, I’ve regained about 15 of those pounds. If I kept up this pace, I’ll be about 50 pounds heavier than I was in 2009 at my son’s first birthday. That’s not good! Part of me wanted to ignore the issue. Since we’re trying to conceive again, I thought it’s no big deal. I’ll just have a little more weight to lose after the next pregnancy. Part of me reasoned that I’m not as heavy as I once was (years ago), so it’s not time for panic yet.

But I came to realize that it isn’t something I can (or should!) ignore. Getting to a lower weight will probably make the next pregnancy easier. In fact, my last couple of menstrual cycles have been a little wonky and getting to a healthier weight may help with those, too. Plus, well, I don’t want to have to buy a bunch of new, bigger clothes! I am starting to ‘hide’ from the camera for fear of looking too heavy in pictures and I don’t want that either. I want to be in pictures with my baby, so that we can remember these moments.

So I’ve joined Weight Watchers. And so far, it’s been great for me. I didn’t realize the cost of each soda I sip. Or of the bag of chips I have while sitting at my desk. Or the extra portion of spaghetti at dinner. It all adds up. And it adds up rather quickly.

For me, it’s not so much the baby weight that I need to lose, but the mommy weight. And no, we won’t be putting our trying to conceive plans off until I’m at a goal weight. I think this will be good for me — and my fertility. You could say that I’m losing weight while I’m waiting.  Waiting for those two pink lines, that is.  Should I see them, I’ll have to give up the weight loss efforts, but I’ll still keep my healthy eating focus.

What have you done to lose the baby or mommy weight?

Photo: Public Domain Pictures

Between the celebrity magazine covers, endorsement deals and never ending praise, it seems like everyone is obsessed with post-baby weight loss. But while Jessica Simpson and Beyonce have recently vocalized their weight-gain woes, the rest of us (see: normal folk) have marveled at their ambition to get back on the treadmill immediately after birth.

That’s why we can’t help but applaud Hillary Duff for her real-girl approach. In a recent interview with Us Weekly, the new mom to Luca Cruz explained that while she’s excited to lose the baby weight, she’s currently focused on her son rather than the size of her waistband.

“The second I start to get down like ‘what happened to by body,’ I look at my beautiful baby and I’ve never been more appreciative for this body that I have.”

And while she may feel pressure from fellow celebs who publicly declare just how quickly they’ll lose the weight, Hillary doesn’t seem to be in a hurry.

“I think if you ask any pregnant mom, they’re like ‘I want my body back,’ but it takes time. It takes nine months for your body to get that way and it’s putting on that weight on purpose.”

Finally! A celebrity mom who is both relatable and honest about her post-pregnancy struggles. Bravo, Hill!

Plus more from The Bump:

Fun Ways to Lose the Baby Weight

Revamp Your Wardrobe Postbaby

How to Love Your Postbaby Body

Turns out I have something in common with Beyonce and Jessica Simpson, and it’s certainly not singing talent or a sense of style. We all had a bunch of pounds to drop post baby, and we needed help to do it. Beyonce enlisted the help of a personal trainer, and Jessica Simpson just announced she’s joining Weight Watchers.

I had 65 pounds to lose after each pregnancy. I ate constantly to keep my heartburn and nausea just barely at bay (I never want to see animal crackers again). And because I was so swollen, hot and grumpy, I didn’t exercise much. The moment my son slipped out of my body, I was elated. I immediately felt as thin as I was on my wedding day. Oh, the blessed feeling of being so light after months of bursting at the seams! Sadly, one look in the mirror revealed I still looked 6 months pregnant, and giving birth didn’t magically get rid of the log roll under my chin. I think I deserved at least that after 36 freakin’ hours of labor.

I was an overwhelmed new mom, and it was too much for me to do on my own, so I tightened our budget and enlisted the help of Jenny Craig. I needed something that I had to be accountable for, where someone would tell me what to do, what to eat, and I’d essentially be guaranteed weight loss. It took about a year to get the baby weight off after both pregnancies and feel “normal” again. As normal as any post baby body can be, that is. (Hello, Bonnie Belly-Flap).

Plus, more from The Bump

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New mom Jessica Simpson is ready to get back her pre-baby body. Her game plan? The singer tweeted recently, “so excited to be part of the Weight Watchers family.” Jessica told PEOPLE that she wants her diet to be more of a lifestyle, because she was a yo-yo dieter in the past. But while she wants to lose the baby weight, she’s being realistic about her goals. She told the magazine, “There’s not a goal weight – I just want to feel normal and fixate on inches. I really want to set small goals, so I’m constantly reaching goals and not looking at something far ahead.”

We wonder if we’ll be seeing some Weight Watchers commercials with Jessica and current Weight Watchers spokesperson Jennifer Hudson!

What do you think of Jessica’s weight loss plan? How did you lose the baby weight? Or how do you plan on getting back in shape?

Plus, more from The Bump:

Jessica Simpson’s Memorable Pregnancy

How to Lose the Baby Weight Without Really Trying

10 Minute Workouts to do While Baby Naps