Weightlifting mother carry on extreme exercise routine at nine months pregnant

For most women, being eight and a half months pregnant means taking it easy, but for Lea-Anne Ellison, the reverse was the case.

The 35-year-old bodybuilder from Los Angeles has sparked an online storm after posting photos of herself lifting heavy weights on Facebook - with her due date just two weeks away.

Ellison, who also has a son aged eight and a daughter aged 12, says: 'I have always loved athletics and fitness.

'After the birth of my second child, I knew I needed to step it up big time! I loved being a Mom but I wanted to be a HOT Mom. 

'This is just the beginning for me and I assure you there are big things to come for this Hot Mom.' 

Elllison's photo has already had more than 16,000 comments posted beneath it since it first appeared on 15 September.

While some appeared to support her decision, including several who claimed to be doctors, others were horrified.

According to The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), fitness aids labour is backed up by studies that have found that babies of women who exercise are better off when it comes to their birth because 'foetuses of exercising women may tolerate labour better than those of non-exercisers,'

Along with official NHS guidelines that recommend 30 minutes of moderate exercise a day for expectant mothers, the RCOG also advocate exercise where there are no complications in the pregnancy and precautions are taken such as not exercising at a high intensity to raise the heart rate to its maximum and not running while it's too hot due to a risk of overheating.

They state: 'In most cases, exercise is safe for both mother and fetus during pregnancy and women should therefore be encouraged to initiate or continue exercise to derive the health benefits associated with such activities.'

They add that it's a fallacy that exercise increases the risk of miscarriage or damage to an unborn baby stating 'women should be advised that adverse pregnancy or neonatal outcomes are not increased for exercising women.'

They explain that exercising while pregnant has numerous benefits for the mother's health and well being: 'Maternal benefits appear to be both physical and psychological in nature. Many common complaints of pregnancy, including fatigue, varicosities and swelling of extremities, are reduced in women who exercise. 

'Additionally, active women experience less insomnia, stress, anxiety and depression.'

Women who exercise while pregnant will also gain less excess weight, lowering the health risks associated with obesity.

She was branded 'selfish' for carrying on extreme exercise routine at nine months pregnant.

So, are the critics right or is her pre-natal lifting perfectly safe?