Mother Continues Excercise Regiment, Incl Lifting, Thru Pregnancy

Megamel29 · #1 ● 11-29-2013, 05:47 AM

http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/hea...-1226767564635

'Bad' crossfit mother gives birth and heads back to the gym

THE woman who ignited a social media storm with photos of herself heavily pregnant and engaged in intense crossfit training is again the centre of attention after giving birth.

Lea-Ann Ellison has taunted her detractors on Facebook after having a healthy baby boy, Skyler, delivered in a natural home birth surrounded by her husband and two children.

She was in labour for an hour, said the birth was the easiest of her three children, and required no pain killers.

Ms Ellison, 35, also boasted she is only three kilograms above her pre-pregnancy weight and "the haters ... can KISS MY CROSSFIT A*S".

She posted on Facebook that her critics in America and elsewhere were "LAAAAZY!"

Ellison was less than a month away from the maternity ward when she sparked controversy by having professional photos taken of herself pregnant in CrossFit poses which she uploaded to her profile.

A huge online debate broke out between people outraged a woman in her third trimester of pregnancy would be exercising so intensely, and those who celebrated her healthy lifestyle and encouraged her to keep it up.

Just weeks before the birth, Ms Ellison posted her routine on Facebook, encouraging other pregnant women to exercise: "went to CF today feeling so strong! Did 130# back squats with ease ... try push ups and jumping lunges. You will do 1 push up and 1 jumping lunge. Then 2 of each and so on until you finish the sequence. With these two exercises you are hitting big muscle groups!"

Her husband has posted on Facebook a description of Skyler's birth in an inflatable swimming pool in the family home.

Ms Ellison says she will be allowed to return to crossfit training just four days after giving birth, saying the exercise routines helped her recovery and had "totally" paid off.

She also says her intense CrossFit routines have helped her recovery, encouraging other women on Facebook to, "follow my page as I will post my pregnancy and post pregnancy workouts so mums of all levels can feel healthy and hot!"

Ms Ellison said she welcomed both positive and negative response to her story.

"I am happy for ALL of the feedback ... all publicity is good publicity when you are trying to take an unconventional idea more mainstream," she wrote.

"So more power to the ladies focused on staying strong regardless and more power to the guys who support them!"

Ms Ellison's original picture on Facebook had 16,685 likes and attracted comments from more than 1500 Facebook users.

One furious commentator said, "if anything happens to your baby due to your stupidity, I hope you'll be able to handle your guilt. Pregnancy is NOT the time to be taking stupid risks."

Positive comments following baby Skyler's safe birth included one woman who said, "people who don't lift heavy simply do not understand lifting heavy to begin with, let alone a pregnant woman doing it".