Pregnancy FAQ: Pregnancy Questions Answered

Even women who have had several pregnancies before have questions about childbirth. Healthcare professionals are the best source of answering your questions, regardless of how common or minute your concern may seem. Here are a few of the most common pregnancy questions:

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