Similarly, regular exercise continued as a pattern of activity that existed before pregnancy appears harmless. Regular, low-impact exercise is encouraged if no unusual symptoms appear in response to the exercise. Some women have even run marathons during their pregnancy. However, pregnancy is not the time to begin a strenuous, new exercise regimen. Similarly for most occupations there is little evidence that working causes problems in an uncomplicated pregnancy.
Many women continue to work up to the time of delivery.
There are reports that women who stand for long periods of time may have a higher rate of preterm delivery. 11 Examples of these types of jobs are bank teller, cashier and dentist. Women who engage in heavy manual labor may or may not be at increased risk of preterm labor. Other reports contradict this conclusion 12 and so the evidence is not clear. However, it is only common sense that women should not engage in activity that causes severe physical strain or excessive fatigue.