Overview

The goal of this observational study is to learn how a pregnant woman's physical fitness and emotional well-being can help predict the type of birth she will have (such as a natural vaginal birth versus a cesarean section or a birth requiring medical assistance). The study focuses on pregnant women in their third trimester (after 28 weeks of pregnancy).

The main questions the study aims to answer are:

• Can simple tests of physical strength and questions about emotions (like fear of childbirth) help health professionals predict if a birth might have complications or lack of progress?
• Do a woman's physical activity and confidence levels during pregnancy affect her ability to successfully breastfeed her baby for up to 6 months?

Participants will be asked to:

• Perform two simple physical tests during a clinic visit: a hand-grip test (dynamometry test) and a test to see how many times they can stand up from a chair in 30 seconds (Chair Stand Test, CST).
• Complete surveys about their daily physical activity (PPAQ-S), their feelings and fears regarding childbirth (WDEQ-A), and how confident they feel about handling the final stage of birth and the pushing phase (CBSEI-16).
• Answer brief follow-up phone calls one month and six months after the birth to talk about how breastfeeding is going.

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Pregnant women aged 18 years or older
• Low-to-moderate risk pregnancy
• Singleton pregnancy
• Third trimester of pregnancy (\>28 gestational weeks)
• Understanding of the official languages
• Acceptance and signing of the participant information sheet and informed consent form
• Availability of an electronic device to complete the forms

Exclusion Criteria:

• Medical contraindication for light physical activity
• Severe cardio-respiratory or musculoskeletal pathology
• Elective cesarean section
• Severe fetal malformations