If having a new baby wasn't demanding enough, a Coulsdon mum has released an exercise DVD to help women avoid piling on the pounds.

Helen Cartwright together with her friends Lorraine and Steven Penny produced the DVD called Pregnancy and Postnatal Workout and set up a production company, Interactive Publications, with a view to producing more DVDs.

Helen Cartwright, the company director, said: "The benefits of exercising during pregnancy are that as well as helping to avoid excessive weight gain and varicose veins, it can improve your energy levels, which can help you to cope better with labour and speed up postnatal recovery."

The Pregnancy and Postnatal Workout also provides its users with extensive safety information and diagrams of various muscles, explaining how they change during and after pregnancy.

The DVD, which was released in September, has already received an impressive response from its users.

Helen, like many pregnant women, put on weight during her pregnancy and thanks the presenter of the DVD, Sharon Marett-Gregory, who holds postnatal exercise classes in Coulsdon, for helping her lose three stone after the birth of her son Ewan.

She said: "Sharon's a brilliant teacher, incredibly energetic, enthusiastic and inspiring, and I knew she would be the perfect presenter for our DVD."

For more information on Interactive Publications, visit www.interactivepregnancy.co.uk.