After Lea-Ann Ellison was photographed weightlifting while pregnant, the photo was posted to the Facebook profile for CrossFit with the caption “8 months pregnant with baby number 3…believe that pregnancy is not an illness, but a time to relish your body’s capabilities to kick ass.”  Ellison’s photo was met with a barrage of likes, comments, and shares, stirring up controversy about the safety of her practices.

“Ummmm… oh my God you guys. This went up on the CrossFit FB page 2 hours ago. 451 shares MANY likes. Some haters of course but mostly love. I can’t believe this photo has caused this much stir but it makes me hopeful that it will inspire other strong healthy moms to continue on doing what they love. Pregnancy is not an illness! Get it Moms!” Ellison wrote on her own Facebook page.

In response to the photograph, CNN published an article discussing how much exercise is too much for pregnant women.  The general guidance has been 30 minutes of moderate physical activity most days of the week, but “moderate” is a variable term.  Depending on how active the woman was before becoming pregnant, moderate activity for her may be lighter or more intense than for others.  Ellison, a 35-year-old former bodybuilder, has been participating in CrossFit for over two years.  Her history as a professional athlete and her exercise regimen prior to pregnancy mean that it may be perfectly safe for her to continue intense exercise, slightly moderated and modified.

Comments on the Facebook page call the photograph “shocking and not in a good way” and asks of Ellison, “is she stupid or what?”  Numerous other comments come to Ellison’s defense, noting that she is an athlete, she has a history of intense exercise, and others should stay out of it unless they are a doctor familiar with her medical history.

According to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), each woman needs to be evaluated to determine whether or not she should engage in physical activity during pregnancy, as well as to determine the appropriate extent of that physical activity.  There are several conditions or symptoms that should indicate a prohibition on or avoidance of physical activity.  These include certain types of heart and lung diseases, incompetent cervix, risk for premature labor, ruptured membranes, persistent bleeding in the second and/or third trimester and placenta previa after 26 weeks of gestation.

ACOG also provides guidance on warning signs for pregnant women.  Experiencing certain symptoms during exercise while pregnant is an indication that the woman should stop and seek medical attention.  These symptoms include vaginal bleeding, decreased fetal movement, chest pain, headache, dizziness, dyspnea prior to exertion, muscle weakness, calf pain or swelling, preterm labor, and amniotic fluid leakage.

The CNN article goes on to specifically caution against weightlifting.  During weightlifting, blood flow is diverted from internal organs to muscles.  Among those internal organs is the uterus, meaning that the fetus may be prevented from getting oxygen.  However, experts conclude that this is a personal decision between the woman and her doctor.

Ellison’s photo has been “liked” by more than 18,000 people on CrossFit’s Facebook page.