This does not mean women can’t continue with a realistic and safe fitness regime throughout their pregnancy to control their weight and maintain a level of fitness. Walking during pregnancy is one of the best ways of working out without physically exerting yourself in a way that could be harmful to the baby.

Walking during pregnancy is one of the safest forms of prenatal and postnatal exercise as it doesn’t place too much stress on the body or joints. You should do the following to maintain your fitness:

• Walk regularly: there are many times throughout pregnancy where you do not want to do any sort of physical activity. These are the times when it is important to develop it as a habit, such as going at the same time every day. Soon you will be accustomed to the idea of exercising regularly and even looking forward to it. Walk for between 30 minutes to an hour to get some safe cardiovascular activity.
• Stretch first: Do stretches before you start walking and immediately after. This is important as walking during pregnancy causes your body to secrete hormones that relax your muscles. Stretches will help prepare your body for birth but be careful not to overdo them as you are more prone to injury during pregnancy.  

Weeks one to 12: Pregnancy Trimester One

The first and most prominent pregnancy symptom is a missed menstrual cycle. You may see pinkish or brownish discharge that varies in colour and lightness. Other pregnancy symptoms include nausea, frequent urination, darker areolas, fatigue, heartburn, headache, mood swings and constipation.

Weeks 13 to 26: Pregnancy Trimester Two

As you progress through the second trimester, you will experience frequent kicking movements from the growing foetus. You will also gain weight, your breasts will grow and there may be discharge from your nipples. You may also sweat more than usual and notice dark lines develop on your skin between the navel and pubic area. The skin on your stomach will begin to stretch at this time.

Weeks 27 to 40: Pregnancy Trimester Three

The last 13 weeks of pregnancy involve having the body change to prepare for labour. The child will also grow large enough to be seen more clearly during the CAT scan.  You will see your navel pushing out and will experience backaches. There will be some changes in how you walk to accommodate the weight of your child.

Pregnancy Question #1: How much weight is healthy for me to gain?

Generally speaking, between 9-16kg is what most women can expect to put on, but that figure varies depending on if the woman is overweight or underweight at the outset. Seeing your doctor regularly will ensure your weight is not an issue. It is more important to concern yourself with maintaining a healthy pregnancy diet by eating at regular intervals and drinking plenty of water to nourish your body and your baby.

Pregnancy Question #2: What forms of exercise are acceptable?

Many women are concerned they should not continue to exercise when they fall pregnant. Of course, each individual should speak to a doctor about exercise before starting a new routine, but generally speaking, an active lifestyle is more than safe. Popular exercise during pregnancy includes yoga, pilates, tai chi, walking and sometimes abdominal exercise. However, it is important to never push yourself to exhaustion and drink plenty of water.

Pregnancy Question #3: What diet restrictions are there during pregnancy?

Most diet restrictions during pregnancy are common sense, such as little to no alcohol, no nicotine or recreational drugs. If a woman is healthy to begin with, there would be little to no diet restrictions. Health professionals generally agree on the following points though:

• Only cooked meat and eggs
• No unpasteurised cheese
• Limit caffeine intake and eliminate if possible

Exercise classes

• Engaging in exercise during pregnancy is a perfectly healthy way for a woman to enjoy her pregnancy. It can be fun and stress relieving to join exercise classes as they enhance a healthy pregnancy and encourage fitness.
• It is always recommended that a woman check with her pregnancy doctor about any exercise regime before beginning. This is because some exercise regimes can be considered too dangerous or strenuous for pregnant women and put unhealthy pressure on the body.
• One of the safest and most popular pregnancy classes for women keen to exercise are prenatal yoga, pilates or tai chi classes. These exercise pregnancy classes are specifically run for pregnant women and only involve positions that are comfortable for a pregnant woman to perform.

Childbirth Classes

• The other main pregnancy classes a pregnant woman or couple may wish to join are childbirth or prenatal classes. These help prepare the expectant mother for labour and give an opportunity to discuss pregnancy with other pregnant women and couples in a more social environment than a doctor’s office.
• Childbirth preparation classes operate on the belief that couples and pregnant women will feel more at ease about the pregnancy process if they know more about the different stages and what to expect. There are a number of different types of childbirth preparation pregnancy classes that follow different methods including the Lamaze method, the Bradley method and the Leboyer method.

Nausea during pregnancy occurs most throughout the first trimester or first four months of pregnancy. The conditions and symptoms do vary between women, with some experiencing more vomiting in the morning whereas others experience it more at night. Other women may not vomit but feel nauseous all day and night during their pregnancy.

Nausea during pregnancy can end after the first few months, however it can last throughout the whole pregnancy for some women.

In most cases, nausea during pregnancy causes no damage to the woman or the unborn baby. However, severe cases of nausea during pregnancy can cause the mother to suffer from dehydration where she loses vitamins and minerals.

While nausea during pregnancy cannot be entirely eliminated, there are some things you can do to minimise its impact. Expectant mothers should get out of bed slowly in the mornings. If nausea sets on, its wise to have a very light breakfast as soon as you wake, before even getting out of bed.

It is also wise to avoid allowing your stomach to be empty by eating something small or dry such as biscuits or toast every two hours or so. Herbal teas, fruit juices and water can relieve or prevent the onset of nausea whereas alcoholic and caffeinated drinks will do the opposite.

One of the lesser-known exercises that can work wonders for pregnant women is abdominal exercise. Although it may sound drastic, abdominal exercise during pregnancy yields good results. The abdominal muscles play a major role during childbirth and thus abdominal exercise during pregnancy reduce the ‘diastasis recti’ effect whereby the abdominal muscles get separated during pregnancy. Abdominal exercise during pregnancy will also reduce the likelihood of back pain by strengthening back muscles.

Before beginning abdominal exercise during pregnancy, it is worth discussing it with a doctor. Most doctors tell pregnant women to never engage in ‘lying face up’ exercises during the first trimester of the pregnancy period. The ideal routine is one that comes recommended by a doctor, as they will have a number of appropriate abdominal exercise routines to share.

Abdominal exercise during pregnancy has a number of benefits, including improved resistance to fatigue, improved posture, less ability to gain body fat, better sleeping habits, stronger back muscles, physical preparation for labour as well as faster recovery after labour.

Red meat
Dark poultry
salmon
Eggs
Tofu
Enriched grains
dried beans and peas
Dried fruits L
eafy green vegetables
Iron-fortified breakfast cereals

It should be noted that the body absorbs iron from meat sources more easily than it does from plant foods, but a combination of both will guarantee healthy diet during pregnancy.

Another important nutrient for a woman’s diet during pregnancy is folic acid. Folic acid supplements should ideally be taken at least one month prior to and throughout the first three months of pregnancy. This will decrease the risk of neural tube defects by up to 70 per cent and promote an overall healthy diet during pregnancy. The neural tube forms within the first 28 days of pregnancy and goes on to become the baby’s developing brain and spinal cord. This can result in spina bifida.

Yoga for pregnancy has many different poses that can be modified as the pregnancy progresses. Poses where the woman should lie on her back or stomach should be avoided, as does any pose that does not feel right to her. Increased flexibility is one benefit of yoga for pregnancy.

Expectant mothers who perform yoga for pregnancy will notice more energy and lower stress. Yoga also helps women prepare for childbirth by regularly using and stretching the muscles that are used during labour.

Other benefits of yoga for pregnancy include learning relaxation and breathing techniques to lessen the woman’s pain and anxieties during childbirth.

Yoga exercises also stretch the pelvis and reproductive organs to ensure a smoother childbirth experience. Expectant mothers can benefit from learning proper breathing techniques to enhance their overall fitness during pregnancy and help supply a rich amount of oxygen for her and her growing baby.

The benefits of yoga for pregnancy do not end there. Yoga can help a woman get back into shape after pregnancy and will help ease the transition into more physical exercise. The benefits of yoga for pregnancy extend past just the expectant mother; yoga can enhance the mental and physical development of the growing foetus.

Improve your sleeping habits
To have a healthy pregnancy you should take a close look at your sleeping habits and assess whether there is anything you should change. During pregnancy your body will work harder than usual to accommodate the new life. You will feel more tired than you are used to, thus it will be more important for you to get enough sleep. Sleeping comfortably may become more difficult as your baby grows. Try lying on your side with you knees bent as pregnancy progresses. This position will avoid putting pressure on your heart, as the baby won’t apply pressure to the vessels that carry blood to and from your heart, feet and legs. Sleeping on your side has a number of other benefits for a healthy pregnancy, including reducing or preventing varicose veins, constipation, haemorrhoids and the occurrence of swollen legs.

Substances to avoid
Many of the foods and substances to avoid during pregnancy are common knowledge, however they should be taken quite seriously as they can inhibit an otherwise healthy pregnancy.

Alcohol
Recreational drugs
Nicotine
Caffeine

• Eat three to five healthy meals a day as well as a range of nutritious snacks such as cut up raw vegetables, fruits, yoghurt, cheese, whole grain sugar-free cereal, eggs and so on.
• Have at least four servings of calcium spread out over the day. Ask your doctor to review your diet and prescribe any special vitamins for you if necessary, including folate and Omega 3.
• Maintain a healthy diet, even when working. Keep healthy snacks at work such as low-fat popcorn, peanut butter, crackers, cheese, hardboiled eggs and fruit.
• Hunger and low blood sugar can cause nausea, but simple natural remedies such as peppermint tea can help reduce its onset.
• Stay organised by keeping a notepad handy to coordinate your work and home life. Stick with your schedule to avoid becoming overtired, and incorporate relaxation and fun into your planning!
• Get at least ten or eleven hours of sleep every night as will become exhausted much quicker when working and pregnant.
• Try to engage in some moderate exercise outside out of working hours such as brisk walking or swimming. This will reduce the possibility of blood clots, varicose veins and swelling of the feet and legs. Avoid heavy lifting and laborious work as well as strenuous exercise.