Five-time national champion Alysia Montano finished the 800-meter race at a national competition in Sacramento, California on Thursday- while 8 months pregnant.
Montano, a 28-year-old former Olympian, could be seen running with her belly popping out as she crossed the finish line at the U.S. Track and Field Championships, CBS Los Angeles reported. She finished the 800-meter race in two minutes, 32 seconds, redefining perceptions about pregnant women who engage in physical activity.
"I know there is a lot of stigma and really, the word is ignorance, behind pregnant women and exercising. And the truth is, it's good for the mom and the baby," Montano, of Canyon Country, told CBS Los Angeles.
Montano said she and her husband, Eric Jonson, timed her pregnancy so she can compete in the 2016 Olympics in Rio and the World Championships.
Other pregnant women have drawn criticism for engaging in strenuous exercise while pregnant. Bodybuilder Lea-Ann Ellison was slammed on social media when she uploaded a photo of herself lifting weights while 8 months pregnant last September.
"This is shocking and not in a good way," Natalie Rose wrote according to CNN. "Lifting heavy things during pregnancy is dangerous to you and your baby."
Dr. Francis Chang, an OBGYN at Good Samaritan Hospital, said it's safe for some pregnant women to exercise as long as their bodies are used to it, which is the case for Montano.
"We tell them that whatever level of exercise they're used to, that they continue exercising at that level," Chang told CBS Los Angeles.
But that does not mean there are no risks.
"The only thing I worry about if its direct trauma to the belly or any falling," Chang said.
The fastest Montano ever finished the 800-meter run was one minute, 57 seconds in 2010. Though she came in last place on Thursday, she is happy for experiencing the moment with her unborn child.
"All the beautiful endorphins and emotions that are kind of coursing through me, I got to share that with my budding baby," Montano told CBS Los Angeles.
