Tennis champ Serena Williams recently announced she's pregnant at 20 weeks. Her revelation came months after she won the Australian Open, which meant she competed in a tough sports match while eight weeks pregnant last January.
Fans realized William's pregnancy highlighted how powerful and strong a woman's body is, even with another human growing inside her. Experts said people can learn a lot from the tennis star's pregnancy, such as the benefits of exercise and physical activity to a changing pregnant body.
"Pregnancy should not be looked at as a state of confinement," Dr. Raul Artal said, as per CNN. "In fact, it is an ideal time for lifestyle modification. That is because of more than any other time in her life, a pregnant woman has the most available access to medical care and supervision."
Williams showed the world pregnant moms can breeze through strenuous exercises and demanding physical challenges, especially for a pro and elite athlete. Doctors, however, advised other pregnant moms to always consult first before doing heavy physical routines to ascertain there are no risks and that the movements won't go overboard.
Williams' pregnancy also highlighted other challenges faced by pregnant moms. On top of the physical demands she needed to meet as a sports pro, she faced her older sister, Venus, during the Australian Open. The Guardian noted this match might have been a highly emotional time for her as well given her pregnancy hormones, but she managed to beat Venus to win the title.
Williams is also a first-time pregnant mom at 35, which experts said could make her pregnancy more challenging. The world champion and her growing baby belly, however, appear to be progressing as healthy as possible.
"Anything is possible": How Serena Williams can return to the top of tennis after giving birth https://t.co/G6VqYioBpj pic.twitter.com/JOzktVvyRS
— CNN International (@cnni) April 21, 2017
Williams' coach said pregnancy won't stop her from training and pursuing her sports career, as per Yahoo. She won't quit just because she's having a baby. She will return to tennis to defend her title in 2018.
Meanwhile, Williams joins a long list of pregnant athletes who pressed on even if motherhood came. "We're finding out what being a career woman and a mother looks like and there are so many avenues," pro athlete Alysia Montano said, as per USA Today.
"We have that opportunity and we are capable," she said, adding she too was pregnant while competing in the 600-meter indoor track and field. "We are so much more than able."
