Reprinted from Max Sports and Fitness Magazine, published September 2009. Corry owns a Max Muscle store in Manassas Virginia where she offers FREE nutrition advice for moms (looking to lose baby weight, stay in shape through out their pregnancy or gain energy). Feel free to contact her through this website!
In all accounts, losing weight is difficult, but it doesn’t have to be done all alone! As moms we know all too well how difficult losing “baby” weight can be, and for some of us, twenty years later we still have ten pounds of baby weight to lose!
Similar to other health conscious moms during their pregnancies I enjoyed protein shakes, egg whites, whole grain toast and of course – McDonald’s and Taco Bell! It is amazing how all these hormones suddenly make deep fried/ultra greasy foods that used to look disgusting now taste and smell absolutely delicious! In my case I justified with: I work out 3 to 4 days per week, I walk my dogs and I generally eat really healthy, and of course I thought “I’ll lose it once the baby is here”. From my experience with working with new moms for the past 10 years I have learned that baby weight can be some of the hardest, most stubborn weight to lose! I tell my postnatal clients that “it took nine months to get there, so give yourself at least nine months to get your body back”. Here are some of my tried and true tips for losing the “baby” weight!
Eat Small Meals – Follow in your baby’s footsteps and eat 5 to 6 small meals throughout the day. Focus on grabbing a meal every time you feed your kids, and you will ensure that you are eating throughout the day. As for what to eat, pick portions of lean protein, veggies, fruit and whole grains. Try to avoid eating what is leftover on their plates!
Exercise with the baby – Young babies and children enjoy movement. Get outside in the cool fall air for a walk, or turn on the radio and dance to music. Mom gets to burn off some calories and the kids’ burn off some energy.
Take “ME” time – So many moms tell me they feel guilty doing something just for themselves, but in reality, their “me” time is really saving grace for everyone involved. Me time can be working out, or spending time cooking healthy meals, but it can also be taking a short cat nap, going for a walk with girlfriends or getting a manicure. Being overly stressed releases a hormone called cortisol that makes it harder to lose weight, especially around the middle, where mom wants to lose weight the fastest!
Have a support system – Make sure you include your closest friends and family in your weight loss goals! Ask them to encourage you, and be specific about what it is you need from them: babysitting, talking, joining you on a run, or choosing healthy restaurants to dine at.
Today, it has taken me almost 8 months to lose all 40 pounds, and yes, I battled breastfeeding issues, postpartum depression and returning to work while getting back in shape and adjusting to a new baby! So, I consider myself ahead of the game (still another month until she turns 9 months old). No matter how my body has changed, I know that having my daughter is the best thing I have even done! So, wherever you are starting from, know you are not alone, everyone has their own story of wanting to lose weight or even gain weight! Thankfully we have a really great place, at Max Muscle, to share our hopes, dream s, goals and achievements!
This article isn’t something we wrote here at ACSS but contains information which we felt was very important to share!!
Article was posted in Medical News Today on Sept 2008 and published in Annals of Behavioral Medicine is the official peer-reviewed publication of The Society of Behavioral Medicine. For information about the journal, contact Alan J. Christensen, Ph.D., at (319) 335-3396. Visit the Society of Behavioral Medicine at http://www.springer.com/public+health/journal/12160.
Exercise can help expectant moms in mind as well as body. A new study suggests that women who stay active and are more positive about their changing shapes might protect themselves from depression both during and after pregnancy.
“Our study supports the psychological benefits of exercise to improve body image and lessen depressive symptoms,” said lead study author Danielle Symons Downs, Ph.D., associate professor of kinesiology and obstetrics and gynecology at Penn State University.
Downs and colleagues surveyed 230 Pennsylvania women throughout pregnancy and the postpartum period about their symptoms of depression, exercise habits and feelings about weight, appearance and other aspects of body image. Their findings appear in the August issue of the journal Annals of Behavioral Medicine.
As expected and consistent with previous research, women who experienced depressive symptoms early in pregnancy tended to report later pregnancy and postpartum depression, the authors found.
What is new, though, are the findings about the role of body image and exercise behavior in relation to pregnancy and postpartum depressive symptoms. Women who experienced higher levels of depression symptoms also reported less satisfaction with their appearance throughout the trimesters of pregnancy.
“If someone is depressed and not very happy with how their body looks, especially with regard to the physical changes that occur during pregnancy, it can influence depression later on,” Downs said.
Women who reported more depressive symptoms during the first trimester tended to engage in less exercise behavior in early pregnancy. In addition, women who exercised more prior to their pregnancy had greater body satisfaction during the second and third trimesters and less depressive symptoms in the second trimester, which suggests that avid pre-pregnancy exercise might protect women from negative depressive symptoms and body dissatisfaction during mid-to-late pregnancy, Downs said.
“There is no question that pregnant women, in consultation with their health care providers, should try to maintain a regular and moderate exercise regimen,” said Michael O’Hara, Ph.D., professor of psychology at the University of Iowa.
However, O’Hara said that the study design especially the classification of exercise frequency and intensity and the arbitrary cut-offs used to classify women “did not give a strong endorsement for the protective effects of exercise during pregnancy, at least with regard to depression.”
Beginners should take it easy when exercising, he advises: Women could keep up with what they were doing beforehand physically, but they should not go all-out during pregnancy if they were sedentary before.
“There is increasing evidence that anxiety and stress during pregnancy are bad for the mother and for the fetus. The take-home message is that pregnancy is a time when women need to be given permission to slow down their pace and focus on taking care of themselves with good nutrition, moderate exercise and plenty of rest and relaxation when possible,” O’Hara said.
The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that healthy pregnant women without obstetric complications engage in 30 minutes of moderate exercise most, if not all, days of the week.
Higher fish consumption and longer breastfeeding have been linked to better physical and cognitive development in infants, according to a study of mothers and infants from Denmark. Maternal fish consumption and longer breastfeeding each were found to be independently beneficial.
This study from Denmark, along with other studies from the U.S. and the United Kingdom, provide additional evidence that moderate maternal fish intake during pregnancy provides a benefit to child development.
One study, which appeared in the September issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, was conducted by researchers from the Department of Ambulatory Care and Prevention of Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and the Maternal Nutrition Group from the Department of Epidemiology at Statens Serum Institut in Copenhagen, Denmark. Their findings provide further evidence that the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish and compounds in breast milk are beneficial to infant development.
The study team looked at 25,446 children born to mothers participating in the Danish Birth Cohort, a study that includes pregnant women enrolled from 1997-2002. Mothers were interviewed about child development markers at 6 and 18 months postpartum and asked about their breastfeeding at 6 months postpartum. Prenatal diet, including amounts and types of fish consumed weekly, was assessed by a detailed food frequency questionnaire administered when they were six months pregnant.
During the interviews mothers were asked about specific physical and cognitive developmental milestones such as whether the child at six months could hold up his/her head, sit with a straight back, sit unsupported, respond to sound or voices, imitate sounds, or crawl. At 18 months, they were asked about more advanced milestones such as whether the child could climb stairs, remove his/her socks, drink from a cup, write or draw, use word-like sounds and put words together, and whether they could walk unassisted.
The children whose mothers ate the most fish during pregnancy were more likely to have better motor and cognitive skills. For example, among mothers who ate the least fish, 5.7% of their children had the lowest developmental scores at 18 months, compared with only 3.7% of children whose mothers had the highest fish intake. Compared with women who ate the least fish, women with the highest fish intake (about 60 grams – 2 ounces – per day on average) had children 25% more likely to have higher developmental scores at 6 months and almost 30% more likely to have higher scores at 18 months.
Longer duration of breastfeeding was also associated with better infant development, especially at 18 months. Breastmilk also contains omega-3 fatty acids. The benefit of fish consumption was similar among infants breastfed for shorter or longer durations.
Women in the U.S. have been advised to limit their fish intake to two servings a week because some fish contains high traces of mercury, which has demonstrated toxic effects. Information regarding mercury levels was not available in this population, but most women consumed cod, plaice, salmon, herring, and mackerel, fish types that tend to have low mercury content. In this study, consumption of three or more weekly servings of fish was associated with higher development scores, so in this case the nutrient benefits of prenatal fish appeared to outweigh toxicant harm.
“In previous work in a population of U.S. women, we similarly found that higher prenatal fish consumption was associated with an overall benefit for child cognitive development, but that higher mercury levels attenuated this benefit,” says Dr. Oken. “Therefore, women should continue to eat fish – especially during pregnancy – but should choose fish types likely to be lower in mercury.” Information on mercury levels in commonly consumed fish is available at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration website (http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~frf/sea-mehg.html).
—————————- Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.
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As your pregnancy progresses, the extra weight and its distribution can place stress on your joints and muscles, especially in the lower back and pelvis. Women might also have problems with circulation, causing leg cramps and dizziness. Adapt your exercise regimen accordingly in the third trimester, depending on how you feel, you may need to switch to low-impact activities, such as walking, swimming, and indoor cycling. In fact, some women are so fatigued and have so much difficulty moving around that they aren’t able to exercise at all during the third trimester, but if you can, keep it up: Studies show that women who exercise during the third trimester achieve the greatest benefits from that exercise: reduced fat gain, shorter and less complicated labor and delivery, and shorter recovery after delivery from exercise. If you are still engaging in rigorous workouts, such as cycling or step exercises, this would be a good time to shift to less strenuous activities — and those that don’t require careful balance. As your fetus has grown, your center of gravity has further shifted. You also may have less oxygen available, so reduce the pace of your routines, or stop altogether if you become breathless.
As you go through your third trimester, keep the following potential modifications and tips in mind:
Keep doing your pelvic floor exercises (kegels), even if you’re not able to do anything else. As you’re getting up from the floor, move slowly and carefully to avoid injury.
As with the second trimester, avoid overstretching. And if you haven’t already discontinued outdoor cycling, now is definitely the time to begin cycling indoors.
In addition to needing a new sports bra, you may need a support belt or belly brace.
Remember When Not To Exercise
You have pregnancy-induced high blood pressure
You have asthma
You experience bleeding during the second trimester
During the second trimester of pregnancy, the body changes tend to be less difficult, in regards to exercising (morning sickness, sore boobs) than the body changes that occur during the first trimester of pregnancy, and they tend to be less severe than the body changes that occur during the third trimester of pregnancy. One of the biggest second trimester body changes, and the one that most often makes pregnant women very excited, is the fact that, sometime between 18 and 22 weeks of pregnancy, or about halfway through the second trimester of pregnancy, you will be able to feel your baby move. Also during the second trimester your body will begin to change in that you will experience a more steady weight gain. On the average, a pregnant woman will gain around one half to one pound each week. Both of these changes require small changes in your exercise routine to keep both mom and baby safe.
Important Second Trimester Guidelines include:
Avoiding exercises that require you to lie on your back from 60 seconds or longer, as the babies increased weight can place pressure on your inferior vena cava (large blood vessel that returns blood to the moms heart) which can decrease oxygen to both mom and baby. If you feel faint while on your back, roll over on your side to reestablish blood flow.
Be careful of overheating, which can raise the heart rate of both mom and baby. A good way to watch heat is by using a heart rate monitor and keeping your heart rate under 140bpm.
Sometime during this trimester, you want to shop for a new sports bra, because your existing one is probably getting too tight.
If you feel unbalanced during these weeks, consider discontinuing any activity that can throw you off balance, like gymnastics, tennis, downhill skiing, skating, horseback riding, trail biking, and hiking in the woods over rutty trails. Replace with swimming, water aerobics, or a stationary bike, which don’t require excellent balance.
Because your baby is growing and becoming more vulnerable if you fall or are hit in the abdomen, during this trimester, your healthcare provider may ask you to stop ball sports (soccer, basketball, racquetball, and so on), contact sports, and outdoor biking. (Note that because of your expanding abdomen, you may find a recumbent bike more comfortable than a traditional stationary bike).
If you’re doing step aerobics, make sure that your step is no higher than four inches off the ground, unless you feel absolutely stable and balanced with a higher step.
If you’re rowing, you may find that this super-intense sport is too fatiguing for the rest of your pregnancy. Pay careful attention to how you’re feeling and how well you and your baby are gaining weight.
If you’re weightlifting, don’t overwork your thigh muscles, because machines that work the thighs also tend to place stress on the ligaments around the pelvis and cause discomfort.
If you’re doing yoga, now’s the time to stop doing back bends, any moves that have you lying on your stomach or back, jumps, and inverted poses.
Be careful during this trimester (and the next and for about five months after you deliver) not to overstretch or make sudden moves. While you’re pregnant, a hormone called relaxin gets you ready for childbirth by relaxing all your ligaments and joints. This means that you may be at risk of injuring yourself, because your joints and ligaments won’t stop you from overextending yourself as well as they did when you weren’t pregnant.
Do Your Kegels
Kegel exercises should be a part of your daily routine, beginning in the second trimester. During the last months of pregnancy the growing fetus puts pressure on your bladder, which makes you feel the need to urinate frequently. Sometimes women limit their fluids when this happens, but it’s absolutely essential that you keep your fluid intake high to stay hydrated. A better solution: Kegel exercises to strengthen the muscles around your urethra. Here’s how: Contract the muscles in your vagina, urethra, and anus — as if you were trying to hold back urine. Hold for 5 to 7 seconds, then release. Repeat 10 to 20 times a day.
Attitudes and beliefs about prenatal exercise have drastically changed over the past twenty years. No longer is pregnancy seen as a delicate stage, but a stage in life when active women can actually maintain their fitness levels, and previously sedentary women can begin an exercise program (Anthony, 2002, 1). Exercising during pregnancy delivers numerous benefits, decreased excess weight gain, more energy and stamina, and an overall increased sense of well-being. One highly debated benefit is whether or not exercise leads to an easier labor. For example, studies done by Beckmann and Beckmann (1990) and Clapp et al (1992, 1995 and 1998) reported that pregnant women who exercised before and during their pregnancy had easier labors when compared to their sedentary control group. Research conducted by Artal et al 1992, Hatch et al 1993, and Lokey et al 1991, studied pregnant women who began exercising during their pregnancy. Of the three studies, only Artal et al 1992 stated that beginning an exercise program during pregnancy lead to an easier labor. To date, not a single study has been conducted on how exercise affects labor and delivery outcome in both pregnant women who continue to exercise and pregnant women who begin to exercise during pregnancy. The discrepancy in results of published studies on exercise and pregnancy demands more research to prove or disprove whether or not exercise during pregnancy allow for an easier labor.
The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists recommends pregnant women exercise on “most” days of the week at a moderate intensity (using the Borg’s RPE “rate of perceived exertion” scale – Appendix A and 120-140 Heart Rate Beats per Minute) (ACOG, 2002). Following these guidelines, an extensive report was published on the benefits of prenatal exercise, here is a list of some of them.
Reduces the unpleasant effects of the biomechanical changes in your body
Eliminates or reduces pregnancy-related discomforts
Prevents and treats pregnancy induced diabetes
Improves calcium absorption, preventing hypertension, preeclampsia, and future osteoporosis
Relieves tension, stress, and possible depression
Increases your general strength, improving you ability to carry your larger belly
Reduces the strain on your upper back
Reduces the strain and pressure on your sciatic nerve
Prevents “rounded shoulders”
Increases energy, particularly in the last trimester
I did not write this article but I felt this information was SO important to share. This article can be found at Medical News Today from original press release.
Cigarette smoking during pregnancy is associated with potentially harmful changes in both maternal and fetal thyroid function, according to a new study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM).
“We studied the influence of cigarette smoking on thyroid function of two groups of women at different stages of pregnancy – one in the first trimester and the other in the third trimester,” said Dr. Bijay Vaidya, Ph.D., of Peninsula Medical School at Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital in the United Kingdom, and coauthor of the study. “In both groups we found that smoking during pregnancy is associated with changes in the mothers’ thyroid hormone levels.”
Optimal maternal thyroid function during pregnancy is vital for a successful pregnancy outcome, said Dr. Vaidya. The adverse outcomes associated with thyroid dysfunction during pregnancy include increased risk of miscarriage, premature birth, low birth weight and impaired neuropsychological development of the baby.
Dr. Vaidya and his colleagues also measured thyroid hormone levels in the umbilical cord of babies born to smoking mothers and found that smoking-related changes in thyroid function extend to the fetus. Dr. Vaidya believes that impaired thyroid function in the fetus could have potentially harmful biological consequences.
The study also found that in mothers who stopped smoking during pregnancy their thyroid hormone levels were comparable to levels found in non-smokers, which suggests that changes in thyroid function are rapidly reversible.
There is currently no definitive explanation for how smoking affects thyroid function, but Dr. Vaidya suggests that smoking may influence thyroid hormone levels by affecting the enzyme which converts the active form of thyroid hormone to an inactive form.
Other researchers working on the study include Beverley Shields, Anita Hill, Beatrice Knight, and Andrew Hattersley of Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital in Exeter, U.K., and Mary Bilous and Rudy Bilous of James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough, U.K.
The article “Cigarette Smoking During Pregnancy is Associated with Alterations in Maternal and Fetal Thyroid Function,” will appear in the February 2009 issue of JCEM.
Founded in 1916, The Endocrine Society is the world’s oldest, largest, and most active organization devoted to research on hormones, and the clinical practice of endocrinology. Today, The Endocrine Society’s membership consists of over 14,000 scientists, physicians, educators, nurses and students in more than 80 countries. Together, these members represent all basic, applied, and clinical interests in endocrinology. The Endocrine Society is based in Chevy Chase, Maryland. To learn more about the Society, and the field of endocrinology, visit our web site at http://www.endo-society.org.
Women who have higher levels of a hormone produced by the placenta midway through pregnancy appear more likely to develop postpartum depression, a study authored by a UC Irvine researcher finds.
The discovery could help identify and treat women at risk for postpartum depression long before the onset of symptoms.
Ilona Yim, psychology and social behavior assistant professor, and colleagues found that women whose levels of corticotrophin-releasing hormone started to increase more rapidly around 25 weeks of gestation had a higher incidence of postpartum depression.
Normally secreted in very small amounts by the hypothalamus, this hormone regulates the body’s response to stress. During pregnancy, large amounts are produced in the placenta and are associated with delivery.
“The hormone we studied plays an important part in pregnancy and has been linked to depression,” Yim said. “Many factors may cause some women’s bodies to produce more of this hormone during pregnancy. Evidence suggests that stress early in pregnancy could play a role.”
The researchers studied the hormone-postpartum depression link using data from a larger study funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. They took blood samples from 100 pregnant women and assessed symptoms of depression throughout pregnancy, then again nine weeks after delivery.
Of the 100 women, 16 developed postpartum depression symptoms during follow-up visits. Three-fourths of those women, the study concludes, could have been identified in mid-pregnancy based solely on hormone levels.
—————————- Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.
Low Levels Of Vitamin D Linked To Common Vaginal Infection In Pregnant Women
Pregnant women with low levels of vitamin D may be more likely to suffer from bacterial vaginosis (BV) – a common vaginal infection that increases a woman’s risk for preterm delivery, according to a University of Pittsburgh study. Available online and published in the June issue of The Journal of Nutrition, the study may explain why African-American women, who often lack adequate vitamin D, are three times more likely than white women to develop BV.
“Bacterial vaginosis affects nearly one in three reproductive-aged women, so there is great need to understand how it can be prevented,” said Lisa M. Bodnar, Ph.D., M.P.H., R.D., assistant professor of epidemiology, obstetrics and gynecology, University of Pittsburgh. “It is not only associated with a number of gynecologic conditions, but also may contribute to premature delivery – the leading cause of neonatal mortality – making it of particular concern to pregnant women.”
The study, which included 469 pregnant women, sought to determine whether poor vitamin D status played a role in predisposing women, especially African-Americans, to BV. Dr. Bodnar and colleagues at Magee-Womens Research Institute found that 41 percent of the study participants had BV and of these, 93 percent had insufficient levels of vitamin D. They also found that the prevalence of BV decreased as vitamin D levels rose.
Vitamin D may play a role in BV by regulating the production and function of antimicrobial molecules, which in turn may help the immune system prevent and control bacterial infection. However, only about one in four Americans gets enough vitamin D. Vitamin D deficiency may be more common in African-Americans because dark pigmentation limits the amount of vitamin D that can be made in the skin through casual exposure to sunlight. African-American women also are less likely to meet dietary recommendations of vitamin D.
“Although this is a preliminary study, it points out an interesting connection between vitamin D and BV,” said Dr. Bodnar. “We don’t recommend pregnant women take mega-doses of vitamin D based on these findings, but they should talk with their doctor if they have concerns about their vitamin D status. All women should be encouraged to eat a healthy diet and take a prenatal vitamin before they become pregnant or as soon as they find out they are pregnant.”
Co-authors of the study include Marijane A. Krohn, Ph.D., and Hyagriv N. Simhan, M.D., with the University of Pittsburgh and Magee-Womens Research Institute. The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health.
Source:
University of Pittsburgh
Also Appears In: Infectious Diseases / Bacteria / Viruses, Complementary Medicine / Alternative Medicine,
Before beginning any type of exercise program, discuss this with your healthcare provider. Together, you may be able to map out a program suitable to your needs. Most exercises are safe to perform pregnancy, as long as you exercise with caution and you do not overdo it.
Regular exercise during pregnancy can improve your posture and decrease some of the common discomforts such as backaches and fatigue. Being fit during pregnancy means safe, mild to moderate exercise at least three times a week.
Remember, the aim of exercising in pregnancy is not to modify your body composition or for dieting purposes, but rather to maintain and/or improve your quality of life during your pregnancy. If you were physically active before your pregnancy, you should be able to continue your activity in moderation. Don’t try to exercise at your former level- instead, do what’s most comfortable for you now.
The safest and most productive activities are swimming, brisk walking, indoor stationary cycling and low-impact aerobics (taught by a certified aerobics instructor). These activities carry little risk of injury, benefit your entire body, and can be continued until birth.
If you have never exercised regularly before, you can safely begin an exercise program during pregnancy- after consulting with your healthcare provider. If you did not exercise three times a week before getting pregnant, do not try a new, strenuous activity. Start with a low-intensity activity and gradually move to a higher activity level.
If you have a medical problem, such as asthma, heart disease or diabetes, exercise may not be advisable for you. Exercise may also be harmful if you have an obstetric condition such as:
- Bleeding or spotting
-Threatened or recurrent miscarriage
- weak cervix (incompetent cervix)
-Low-lying placenta
-Previous premature births or history of early labor
Try to avoid exercises that require you to assume the supine position. This will avoid any aortal compression.
Sporadic exercise in pregnancy is not recommended. Aim for consistency (at least three times per week). Sporadic exercising is associated with a higher increase in injuries.
Moderately intense aerobic activities can be performed for a 30-minute duration. Lower-intensity exercises may be done for up to 45 minutes. No longer than these two-time frames in order that you can avoid hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) which can be worse in early pregnancy.
Try to avoid overheating, especially in the first trimester. Take liquids liberally before and after exercising to prevent hyperthermia and dehydration.
Your caloric intake should meet both the combined needs of your pregnancy and any exercising (remember, you are not execising to lose weight).
Any activity that uses the large muscles to provide cardiovascular and muscular fitness and improve posture and coordination is appropriate. Avoid deep flexion or hyperextension (because of pregnancy-related tissue laxity). Jumping, jarring, and rapid changes are also to be avoided due to the joint instability. You may want to choose exercises or activities that do not require great balance or coordination, especially later in pregnancy.
Resistance training is allowed. These can be performed twice weekly to promote muscle toning. Use light weights (2 to 5 kg) in order to prevent ligament and joint injuries.
Exercises to avoid:
- Holding your breath during any activity
-Activities where falling is likely (such as skiing and horseback riding)
-Contact sports such as softball, football, basketball and volleyball (to reduce your risk of injury)
-Any exercise that may cause even mild abdominal trauma such as activities that include jarring motions or rapid changes in direction
-Activities that require extensive jumping, hopping, skipping, bouncing or running
-Deep knee bends, full sit-ups, double leg raises and straight-leg toe touches
-Bouncing while stretching (bounce stretching is unsafe for everyone!)
-Exercises that require lying on your back or right side for more than three minutes (especially after your third month of pregnancy)
-Waist twisting movements while standing
-heavy exercise spurts followed by long periods of no activity
-Exercise in hot, humid weather (if at all possible)
-Scuba-diving
What should an exercise program consist of?
- For total fitness, an exercise program should strengthen and condition your muscles.
- Always begin your exercise session with a five to ten- minute warm-up period (slow walking, gentle stretching, stationary cycling, etc.)
- Include at least fifteen minutes of cardiovascular activity.
- Measure your heart rate at times of peak activity (your heart rate may range from 140-160 beat per minute during activity).
- Follow aerobic activity with five to ten minutes of gradually slower exercise that ends with gentle stretching.
Basic Exercise guidelines:
- Wear loose fitting, comfortable clothes as well as a good support bra.
- Choose shoes that are designed for the type of exercise you do. Proper shoes are your best protection against injury.
- Exercise on a flat, level surface to prevent injury.
- Consume enough calories to meet the needs of your pregnancy (300 more calories per day than before you were pregnant) as well as your exercise program.
- Finish eating at least one hour before exercising.
- Drink water before, during and after you work out.
- After doing floor exercises, get up slowly and gradually to prevent dizziness.
- NEVER exercise to the point of exhaustion. If you can not talk normally while exercising, you are probably over-exerting yourself and you should slow down your activity.
Stop exercising and consult your nurse-midwife if you:
Feel pain
Have abdominal pain, pelvic pain or persistent contractions
Notice an absence of fetal movement
Feel faint, dizzy, nauseous or light-headed
Feel cold or clammy
Have vaginal bleeding
Have a sudden gush of fluid from the vagina or a trickle of fluid that leads steadily (when your bag of “water” breaks, also called rupture of the amniotic membranes)
Notice an irregular or rapid heart beat
Have sudden swelling in your ankles, hands or face
Shortness of breath
Have difficulty walking
What physical changes may affect my ability to exercise?
Physical changes during pregnancy create extra demands on your body. Keeping in mind the changes listed below, remember you need to listen to your body and adjust your activities or exercise routine as necessary.
- Your developing baby and other internal changes require more oxygen and energy.
- Hormones produced during pregnancy cause the ligaments that support your joints to stretch, increasing the risk of injury.
- The extra weight and the uneven distribution of your weight shifts your center of gravity. The extra weight also puts stress on joints and muscles in the lower back and pelvic area and make it easier for you to lose your balance.
Jogging: Do not start jogging now if you have not done this before. Jog no more than 2 miles per day.
Walking: Brisk walking in pregnancy is an alternative to jogging. A 4 to 6 mile walk is adequate. Watch the terrain and weather conditions.
Aerobic exercise: Avoid overextensions and any exercises on your back. Limit repetitions to only 10 movements. Include a warm-up and cool-down.
Bicycling: This exercise can be started during pregnancy. A stationary bike is preferable to a standard bike. Use a fan with the stationary bike to avoid overheating.
Swimming: May be the most adequate exercise for a pregnant woman. Lap swimming may help to maintain aerobic capacity. Avoid water that is too hot or too cold.
Weightlifting: Recommended with certain limits. Avoid the valsalva maneuver by breathing properly (exhaling during a lift). Use light weights (2 to 5 kg). Heavy free weights and resistance should be avoided.
Tennis and racquetball: Generally safe activities, BUT your change in balance during pregnancy may affect rapid movements
Avoid any exercises that could result in a loss of balance, especially important as you enter your third trimester. Transitioning from weight-bearing to non-weight-bearing exercises is also recommended.
Ask your healthcare provider about Kegel exercises and the pelvic tilt.
Giving birth and becoming a mother is an intense, intimate and important moment is a woman’s life. The following tips (by the American College of Nurse Midwives) for prenatal care will help you in establishing a positive working relationship with your provider, and ensure that you and your baby get the attention you both deserve. During a woman’s prenatal period, she is seeking not just physical care, but emotional, social, spiritual and psychological care and support. If your health care provider is not providing theses essentials for you, then you will be dissatisfied with your overall care.
How the office schedules your visit is important. You want an office that is “on time.” Emergencies do occur and can interrupt the flow of the scheduled appointments, but if the provider is chronically late it does suggest a lack of respect for your time. Similarly, if each visit is so closely scheduled to the next so there is not built-in ”chat” time, you probably will end up dissatisfied.
Ask friends and family for recommendations and review the list of providers covered by your health insurance. Check to see which hospitals and birth centers providers use for birth. Then schedule appointments to interview potential providers. Ask questions about the provider’s philosophy of birth and how that philosophy is reflected in the management of a woman’s prenatal care, labor and birth. For example, if you talk about a birth plan or about having a natural birth and the provider looks at you like you are “way out there,” or their body language indicates they are uncomfortable with that question, this is not the provider for you.
Share responsibility for your care. Being informed alllows you to be involved in the decision-making process. Pregnancy and birth are normal physiologic events for most healthy women. Taking responsibility for your own healthcare helps to ensure you will have a safer and more satisfying experience as you journey into motherhood. You may choose to allow your healthcare provider to make decisions for you, but relinquishing that responsbility should be a conscious choice on your part. Some women are uncomfortable with being involved in the decision-making process, or there may be times when it is critical that the provider be the one to make a decision in the best interests of the health of the woman and her baby. It is important to let your provider know if you don’t want to be involved in this process. However, even if you prefer that your doctor or midwife makes decisions for your care, you must be informed and understand all risks, benefits, and alternatives available to you. Remember, it is your body and your baby.
Establish a working relationship with your provider so that each of you listens to what the other is saying. You may find that actually writing out a birth plan helps you and your provider focus on what is important to you during labor and the birth of your baby.
Let this be a learning experience. Ask your provider about routine teaching, or teaching done at each stage of pregnancy during your prenatal visits. Nutrition is the cornerstone of healthiness for pregnant women and should be addressed at every visit, especially if there is inadequate weight gain or fetal growth. Be sure you understand about the signs of preterm labor and preterm contractions. Learn how to monitor fetal movement. Discuss whether or not you should have a birth plan and what this should include. As about management of pain in labor. Find out what is considered routine management. Know what your options are, including their risks and benefits.
Follow-up is essential. Ask about the results of routine tests, such as urinalysis and blood pressure readings, as well as any other lab tests or ultrasounds you may undertake. While the results are probably normal, it is wise to double check and is part of taking responsbility for your own care. This also applies to asking why your healthcare provider has asked you to take a certain test.
Let’s talk. While it is important to understand what is happening to your body, it’s important to be in touch with your emotions and mental health during pregnancy. Your healthcare provider can help you deal with the myriad of feelings both you and your partner may be experiencing. Talk about your hopes and dreams for your baby’s birth, as well as your fears and concerns. If your provider appears rushed or busy, ask to schedule another visit with him/her to discuss your concerns. You should leave your visits feeling emotionally satisfied, reassured and all your questions answered.
Ask tough questions. A woman should feel comfortable enough with her healthcare provider to ask awkward questions or to discuss personal issues that are worrying her. Remember that experienced healthcare providers understand that pregnancy is much more than a physical condition. Frankly, they have seen,heard and dealt with most issues, so don’t feel like you are the only one who feels a certain way. But they can’t help you if you don’t tell what is worrying you.
Be honest and direct about these concerns so that your healthcare provider can give you the best possible support. A good healthcare professional will not judge you or your situation. Their role is to make sure that your pregnancy and birth are healthy and satisfying. If you anticipate that you will need extra time (for a lengthy discussion of an awkward question or personal problem), ask to schedule a longer appointment for your next visit so that the provider isn’t rushed and can fully address the issues.
Become well-informed and ask questions. Educate yourself on pregnancy, labor and birth. You’ll become more comfortable with the changes your body is experiencing and you can ask educated questions. Understand the changes your body is experiencing. Ask your provider for recommendations on books to read and childbirth education classes that are available. Keeping track of your questions, progress, and feelings will ensure that you don’t forget important information that you want to share with your provider. Becoming educated doesn’t mean you can’t ask any and all questions you may have. REMEMBER: there is no such thing as a silly question.
Following the above tips for your prenatal care can help you in attaining the best possible outcome for your pregnancy – a healthy baby.
