Tips On Pregnancy Diet And Exercise To Avoid Excess Weight Gain

Pregnancy — By admin on October 6, 2008 at 1:09 pm

It is essential to avoid excess weight gain during pregnancy as it can have undesirable effects on the health of the baby and the mother. Excess weight gained in pregnancy can be a risk for the unborn baby. Besides complications during birth, it can also make the mother susceptible to gestational diabetes and high blood pressure. For a healthy pregnancy and smooth birth process, keeping weight under control is very important. This can be achieved through a pregnancy diet and exercise schedule. This helps in staying fit while preparing for the delivery.

Generally pregnant mothers are reluctant to exercise or restrict their pregnancy diet. But it is important for them to realize that a healthy pregnancy diet and exercise are important for their own as well as their baby’s health. The other benefit of weight control during pregnancy is that it makes it easier and faster to get back into shape after pregnancy.

Diet And Pregnancy

A healthy pregnancy diet is essential to avoid gaining excess weight during pregnancy. Although a pregnancy diet should be undertaken only after consulting a doctor.

A pregnancy diet plan should be nutritious. Foods having high mercury levels, such as fish and those having high caffeine content should be avoided during pregnancy. These include shark, Swordfish, Tuna and Tilefish. Also junk food, tobacco, alcohol, spicy and fatty foods should not be taken. Avoiding such foods checks excess weight gain and also protects the unborn baby.

A healthy diet for pregnancy includes foods such as fruits and vegetables, which are rich in nutrients. Intake of foods such as cauliflower, beets and green vegetables as well as calcium rich foods is a must for the safety and health of the baby. Due care should be taken about diet during pregnancy as it affects both the mother and the baby’s health!

The Importance Of Exercise During Pregnancy

Exercise helps in having a healthy pregnancy and makes the process of child birth easier. It also helps in avoiding excess weight gain during and after pregnancy. Excess weight gain only adds to the strain on the back muscles of a pregnant woman. Exercises make your leg and pelvic muscles stronger, which helps during labor and delivery.

A pregnancy safe exercise should be moderate. It should not place any undue strain on the body. High impact exercises like aerobics and weightlifting should be completely avoided. Walking is a good exercise during pregnancy. Yoga is a highly beneficial low-impact exercise. Swimming, which works all your muscle groups and keeps you balanced, is also a recommended pregnancy and post pregnancy exercise.

Whether it is choosing a proper pregnancy diet or pregnancy exercise, it is important to undertake it only after consulting your doctor for effective weight control and safety.