I lifted 200kg weights two days before giving birth – trolls claim I’m endangering my baby, but she’s perfectly healthy

Britain’s former Strongest Woman has revealed how lifting weights during her pregnancy helped her maintain high levels of fitness – despite a barrage of hate.

Shannon Smith, 30, from Royton, Oldham, has been lifting weights throughout her pregnancy, from the day she found out she was expecting until two days before her due date.

The professional weightlifter even competed during her pregnancy, lifting a remarkable 200kg two days before her daughter Nancy was due to give birth.

Shannon said: ‘It doesn’t make sense for me to stop during pregnancy. This is something I’ve been doing for the last 10 or 11 years of my life – it’s pretty much my life. I felt safe doing it.

‘When I was 36 weeks pregnant, a lot of people said to me, I could barely put on my shoes at this point, or I could barely walk. While I was just living my normal life.’

When Shannon found out she was pregnant, she had no intention of pausing her weightlifting journey and tried to maintain her fitness by continuing in the gym.

Throughout the pregnancy, the ever-competitive Shannon continued with her deadlifts and powerlifting and even competed in local competitions – training for hours about five times a week.

As she neared the end of her pregnancy, Shannon lifted about 400 pounds, but two days before her due date she said she felt “strong” and pushed for a 400-pound deadlift — and she succeeded.

The weightlifter then posted her feat on social media, causing a firestorm online with millions of views, but she also received hate for the post.

She said many people were concerned about the safety aspect of her weightlifting and criticized her for lifting so late in her pregnancy.

However, she claimed that it was completely safe for her to continue lifting weights during her pregnancy as she had been doing so all her life.

Shannon gave birth to her daughter Nancy less than a week after lifting 200kg. She is completely healthy and has already been to the gym for the very first time.

Newborn Nancy was taken to the gym at four days old to get used to the environment, as Shannon and her husband Paul are both professional weightlifters.

Looking back on her pregnancy, Shannon said weightlifting helped her body cope with the stress of carrying a baby.

Now Shannon hopes Nancy grows up and follows in her footsteps as a weightlifter, and she said her genetics would be suited to the gym.

She said: ‘She will grow up in the gyms and because my partner and I are both strong, she will have good genetics for it.

‘Four days after giving birth I went back to the gym, but it was light because I had to get my pelvic floor and my abs back to where they were. So it will take a few months to get back to that strength level.

‘I also took part in a powerlifting competition when I was eight months pregnant. So that gave me a bit of a goal to continue to increase my strength, but within a level that I was capable of.”

Shannon continued, “I still had some kind of purpose and some kind of competitiveness with myself and to push everything forward, but as the months went by, there were certain exercises that I had to phase out and I kept doing the exercises that felt the safest. for me.

‘The heaviest weight I lifted while pregnant was a deadlift of 200 kilos. I did 155 kilos on a squat and then some overhead presses of about 85 kilos. Most of them were about 90 percent of my previous records before I was pregnant.

‘I think it also helped with the post-birth recovery because now, five days after giving birth, a lot of people wouldn’t really leave the house or do much at this stage, and I’m already back in the gym.

‘It felt comfortable with deadlifts and squats. It just took some time to get used to the change in center of mass.

‘For women who have always taken it, it’s fine to continue with it, especially if you have an uncomplicated pregnancy. If you have problems with high blood pressure, preeclampsia, or if you have a placenta that is under a baby, this can cause problems.

‘Most women will know when they’re going too far and I know when to dial it back a little. The gym was the safest [place] I felt that my entire pregnancy!’

Speaking on the subject, Doctor Lawrence Cunningham from the UK Care Guide said: ‘In my experience, pregnancy does not necessarily stop women from carrying out their regular fitness routines, even at an advanced level such as lifting 200kg.

‘However, lifting more than 200kg just a few days before your due date is not something common or advised without very specific considerations.

‘Safety will depend greatly on their pre-pregnancy fitness level, their weightlifting experience and their health during pregnancy.

‘I have seen cases where professional athletes managed to maintain a high level of activity during their pregnancy without any ill effects.

‘However, this should not be considered the norm and should not be interpreted as a blanket endorsement for all pregnant individuals.

‘I always recommend that anyone who is pregnant, especially those engaged in high-intensity activities such as weightlifting, have a thorough consultation with their GP.

‘This includes continuous monitoring of their health and the health of the fetus, in addition to adjustments to their routine as the pregnancy progresses.’

He concluded: ‘It is essential to listen to the body’s signals and reduce intensity if necessary. In addition, maintaining proper form and technique becomes even more important to prevent injuries.”