Mothers-to-be take to the catwalk

In light of Mother's Day, which falls on Sunday, the Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University in Shanghai held a special runway show where the stars were mothers-to-be.

During the show, these women sang, danced, painted and recited poems written by themselves.

A woman surnamed Zhang who has been scheduled to undergo a C-section on Friday was among the mothers-to-be.

"Pregnancy is such a special experience and it's my first time having a baby. I signed up for the event to show people that mothers are beautiful," said Zhang, a 31-year-old obstetrician.

He Wenrong, a woman who is expected to become a mother in early July, showcased a painting of herself playing the cello at a seaside park.

"I went to the park depicted in the painting many times over the past three years during my stay in the United States. It's in southern California. I love the park as it brings me strength and inner peace," said He, 39, a researcher of plant disease resistance at Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

He and her husband were pursing studies in different US cities during the past few years and were finally reunited after they relocated to Shanghai for work recently.

Medical experts took the event as an opportunity to reiterate the benefits that proper and moderate physical exercise have on the pregnant woman and the fetus.

"Exercise can help the mothers-to-be to become healthier physically and alleviate mental burden. We encourage all pregnant individuals without contraindications to exercise during pregnancy," said Zhang Qingying, a senior obstetrician from the hospital.