Resources

Sport Canada - English

Sport Canada Consultation

In 2023 Drs. Davenport and McHugh were contracted by Sport Canada to develop sport policy recommendations for Pregnant, Postpartum, and Parenting Canadian High-Performance Athletes. Below are the Consultation and Engagement Summary Report in English and French:

Sport Canada Summary Report - Policy for Pregnant, Postpartum and Parenting High-Performance Athletes

Sport Canada Rapport sommaire - Recommandations en matière pour les athlètes de haut niveau enceintes, en postnatalité ou qui élèvent des enfants

This infographic is available to download, free of charge. It is also available in French, Spanish, Portuguese, Mandarin and Polish. Please no alterations to the infographic without written permission first. If you would like a printed copy mailed to you, please contact us at pregnant@ualberta.ca

Videos

We have created short videos about exercise, pregnancy and the work we do here at the Program for Pregnancy and Postpartum Health! Please visit our YouTube channel to watch.

Program for Pregnancy and Postpartum Health YouTube Channel.

Healthy pregnant women without exercise contraindications are encouraged to exercise while pregnant. Regular exercise while pregnant may help control gestational weight gain, improve wellbeing and mood, and may play a role in the prevention of pregnancy-related complications.

Margie Davenport was the Chair of the Guideline Consensus Panel which developed the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada/Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology 2019 Canadian Guideline for Physical Activity throughout Pregnancy. This new Guideline was developed on an extensive review of the literature culminating in the Guideline and 12 systematic reviews recently published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine .

SOGC/CSEP 2019 Guideline for phyiscal activity throughout pregnancy

Methodology for the SOGC/CSEP 2019 Guideline for phyiscal activity throughout pregnancy

Prior to starting an exercise program, all pregnant women are advised to complete the Get Active Questionnaire for Pregnancy. Dr. Davenport led the development of the Get Active Questionnaire for Pregnancy with the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology. The Get Active Questionnaire for pregnancy was developed as a screening tool for pregnant women who wish to exercise. This questionnaire is self-completed and identifies if you should speak to your health care provider before beginning or continuing exercise during pregnancy. It should be repeated anytime that health status changes.

Get Active Questionnaire for Pregnancy

Margie Davenport was part of an international panel who developed the "Being Active During Pregnancy" information sheet for Exercise is Medicine and the American College of Sports Medicine. This document is available here: Being Active During Pregnancy

Safety Precautions for Physical Activity During Pregnancy

Absolute Contraindications to Aerobic Exercise During Pregnancy

Ruptured membranes
Premature labour.
Unexplained persistent vaginal bleeding.
Placenta praevia after 28 weeks’ gestation.
Preeclampsia.
Incompetent cervix.
Intrauterine growth restriction.
High-order multiple pregnancy (eg, triplets)
Uncontrolled type 1 diabetes.
Uncontrolled hypertension.
Uncontrolled thyroid disease.
Other serious cardiovascular, respiratory or systemic disorder.

Relative Contraindications to Aerobic Exercise During Pregnancy

Recurrent pregnancy loss.
Gestational hypertension.
A history of spontaneous preterm birth.
Mild/moderate cardiovascular or respiratory disease.
Symptomatic anaemia.
Malnutrition.
Eating disorder.
Twin pregnancy after the 28th week.
Other significant medical conditions.

The Program for Pregnancy and Postpartum Health (PPPH) is a multi-site research program developed in 2013, with the mission of conducting research to improve the life-long health of pregnant and postpartum women and their children.

The PPPH is directed by Dr. Margie Davenport who is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation. She received her PhD (2010) in Integrative Exercise Physiology from the University of Western Ontario and conducted a 2 year Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Calgary.

Her rearch program examines the metabolic and cardiovascular adaptations associated with normal and complicated pregnancies. Her primary interest is in the benefits of exercise prior to, during and following pregnancy for both mother and child.

“As a mother of two young daughters I understand the importance, difficulties and benefits of healthy living during pregnancy. Our goal is to provide women with the knowledge and guidance to achieve a healthy pregnancy. After all, a healthy pregnancy lays the foundation for a healthy future for you and your baby."

Margie Davenport PhD Director, Program for Pregnancy and Postpartum Health

The Program for Pregnancy and Postpartum Health is currently conducting research into how pregnancy and the postpartum period affects the short- and long-term risk of chronic disease for both mother and infant. We have studies that are as short as a few hours or as long as several months/years! If you are interested in learning more, please contact us at:
pregnant@ualberta.ca or call 780-492-0642

GET INVOLVED

Pregnancy is an exciting, but often overwhelming, time in a woman's life. Many pregnant women are more tired than usual, have swollen hands and feet, and have new aches and pains. It may seem like the perfect time to rest and relax but new research is showing that being active during pregnancy has many short and long term benefit for both you and your baby. Research has shown that exercise during pregnancy can:

Boost your mood and energy,
Improve sleep,
Help prevent excessive weight gain,
Improve circulation,
Increase tolerance to labour,
Decrease your risk for gestational diabetes, high blood pressure during
pregnancy and postpartum depression,
The list goes on!

NOTE: All pregnant women should speak to their health care provider about beginning or continuing to exercise during pregnancy. The PARmed-X for Pregnancy is used by health care providers as a screening tool for contraindications to exercise during pregnancy. You can use it to help start the conversation!

GET INVOLVED

Gaining an appropriate amount of weight during pregnancy is important for the health of you and your baby! In 2009 the Institute of Medicine updated their weight gain recommendations for pregnant women. These guidelines were designed to optimize outcomes for both mother and child. Research has shown that gaining too little weight increases the risk of having a low birth weight baby. Evidence also demonstrates that gaining too much weight while pregnant increases the risk of having a high birth weight baby and postpartum weight retention. Moderation is key!

All pregnant women are recommended to gain between 0.5-2kg (1.1-4.4lbs) in the first trimester or 12 weeks of pregnancy. The amount of weight women are recommended to gain in the second and third trimesters are based on body mass index before pregnancy.
IOM WEIGHT GAIN CHART: New Recommendations for total and rate of weight T gain during regnancy, by Pregnancy bmi

Prepregnancy BMI	BMI+ (kg/m2)	Total Weight Gain (lbs)	Rates of Weight Gain* 2nd and 3rd Trimester (lbs/week)
Underweight	<18.5	28–40	1 (1–1.3)
Normal weight	18.5-24.9	25–35	1 (0.8–1)
Overweight	25.0-29.9	15–25	0.6 (0.5–0.7)
Obese (includes all classes)	≥30.0	11–20	0.5 (0.4–0.6)

+ To calculate BMI go to www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/
* Calculations assume a 0.5–2 kg (1.1–4.4 lbs) weight gain in the first trimester
(based on Siega-Riz et al., 1994; Abrams et al., 1995; Carmichael et al., 1997)

For more information about weight gain during pregnancy.
Where does the weight go when you are pregnant?

Baby: 8 pounds
Placenta: 2-3 pounds
Amniotic fluid: 2-3 pounds
Breast tissue: 2-3 pounds
Blood supply: 4 pounds
Stored fat for delivery and breastfeeding: 5-9 pounds
Larger uterus: 2-5 pounds

Total: 25-35 pounds recommended for pre-pregnancy BMI of 18.5-24.9kg/m2

GET INVOLVED