I imagine that one of the hardest parts of pregnancy is having to give up the things that you love. Partying and heavy drinking have to be left behind, as you let the little spawn inside of your womb grow into a howling, crying, ugly bundle of joy.
However, one mother is going out of her way to show that, while you have to give up a lot, you don't have to give up everything during those nine months.
Allison Sipes from Orlando, Florida, is on a mission to show that just because you're pregnant, it doesn't mean you have to give up what you love. The pole dancer has continued with her profession despite the fact that she is heavily pregnant.
Allison, 35, has been pole dancing professionally since 2005. She teaches pole and manages to US Pole Sports Federation - basically, pole has been a huge part of her life for over 10 years.
Of course, pole dancing while pregnant is pretty hard-going, with Allison being fairly open about the struggles that she has had to face.
"Pole dancing was business as usual until about 6 months, then the extra weight gain/weight displacement began to make it challenging strength wise, and with regards to what I was able to do safely with my growing belly."
As her body changed, Allison began to adjust her routine in order to keep going. She said: "I’m still going strong at almost 38 weeks, and plan to continue until labour."
Women who are fitter before and during pregnancy tend to have faster and easier labours, meaning that Allison's passion for pole should stand her in good stead when it eventually comes round to giving birth to her baby daughter, who is due in April.
Despite the fact that her body is her own, Allison has been asked by numerous people about whether what she is doing is safe. However, the mother-to-be is keen to stress that she has spoken to her doctors about her pole dancing and received the all clear.
"I have spoken with my doctors about my form of fitness, and they all agreed that as long as I felt good, keep doing it, because it will make delivery and recovery after much easier.
"They [doctors] think what I do is pretty cool! They all encouraged me to continue exercise as long as I wanted to. I have fortunately had a very healthy pregnancy with zero complications, so keeping up with what I love to do – pole and aerial – has been a blessing."
If you're worried about working out while pregnant, you should always go and speak to your GP first.
Fair play to Allison for carrying on with her passion and career in the midst of her pregnancy. As long as she's not harming the baby or herself, who are we to judge?
