1. Eat plenty of vegetables and some fruit
Vegetables
• Eat seasonally. If you have a local farmer’s market, go there and you’ll be buying what’s local and in season. You can also grow your own and swap with neighbours for more variety.
• Do I buy organic? Organic is great, go for that but don’t use lack of organics or a higher price as an excuse to forgo fruits and veggies in favour of grains.
• Eat a rainbow of colours. Work to get colour from the whole rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. You might not get every colour in one meal, but over a week you should see variety from each of these colours and the produce they represent.
Fruit
Fruit is also a type of sugar in the form of fructose and over indulging can increase your fat stores.
I recommend you keep your fruit intake to 2 servings per day and make these choices mainly from berries, melons, citrus, apples and pears if possible, as these are the best fruits to maintain your weight.
Keep in mind, you will be eating plenty of nutritious fresh vegetables, but limit your fruit to those two servings.
2. Eat Healthy Fat
Healthy fat is your friend. You won’t get fat from eating fat. Don’t choose so called ‘low fat healthy options.’ Choose full fat natural and healthy options like olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, organic butter or ghee or a handful of unsalted nuts such as almonds, macadamias or walnuts. These fats are important for your wellbeing and your baby’s development also.
3. Eat Good Quality Protein
Find leaner cuts of conventional meats and stock up. Lean minced beef, whole or pieces of chicken, lean steak and organic free-range eggs. Grass-fed, free-range meat and poultry is by far superior to conventionally raised, factory-farmed animals. It’s healthier for you and baby, it’s better for the animals, and it’s better for the planet.
Buy full fat dairy and eggs. Protein and fat have a high satiety value, so together they will reduce cravings by stablising your blood sugar levels and in turn help stop you snacking on sweets.
4. Avoid Sugar and Processed Foods
I know, I know sometimes you just have a craving. It may be for sweets it may be random like ice chips. For me in all three pregnancies, bizarrely it was tonic water! I don’t even drink tonic water normally! But sugar and processed foods will increase your pregnancy weight with no nutritional value for you and baby. So if you can, eliminate as much as possible processed carbohydrates like bread, cereals, pasta and packaged baked goods. These will be broken down into sugar in your system, with the same reaction from your body as white sugar.
5. Drink Water
Drinking enough water ensures you keep hydrated which helps reduces pregnancy nausea and fatigue. I found having fresh ginger in hot water really helps with nausea. Have first thing in the morning and throughout the day instead of coffee or tea. Drinking plenty of water can also help with stopping overeating, as you may often think you are hungry when you are really just thirsty. Have a drink of water prior to exercising and drink regularly while you are exercising to prevent overheating and dehydration.
6. Posture
Stand up straight, roll your shoulder blades up, back and down. Doesn’t that feel better?
Include postural strengthening and stretching exercises into your weekly exercise program.
Good posture helps to reduce lower back and hip pain, and reduce the risk of diastasis recti-abdominal muscle separation. Learn to carry your pregnancy well, as this will help with a pain free pregnancy and a quicker return to your pre-baby self.
7. Exercise
You don’t need to lose your fitness or muscle tone during pregnancy. To avoid extra pregnancy weight gain and improve prenatal fitness and strength it is important for you and baby that you exercise. A regular exercise program will maintain muscle tone and fitness. The more muscle you have the more your metabolism will burn fat as fuel. Some strength training will help prepare your body specifically for labour and birth.
• The AN/PN program uses bodyweight exercises, with the option to add weights in the form of dumbells or kettebells, or any weights you have at home. All workouts can be done in the comfort of your own living room.
• Modify your exercise programs by reducing duration and intensity and choosing specific pregnancy workouts that you will enjoy.
• Make sure that the area you are exercising in is well ventilated and shorten the duration of your workout on hot or humid days.
• Don’t overdo it. Shorter more frequent periods of exercise are healthier than fewer, longer workouts. Prolonged or strenuous workouts can use up calories and nutrients that your baby needs for growth.
• You should be able to converse easily while you are exercising during pregnancy.
8. Recovery and Sleep
Ensure you get enough rest. Balance periods of activity/exercise with periods of rest and relaxation.
Your body will adapt and recover while you are resting and sleeping. This is even more important when you are pregnant and post-natal.
• Have an easy week or a complete week off every 5 weeks.
• Go to bed early in a dark room and sleep for a minimum of 8 hours.
• Take a short nap during the day. You are growing a baby; you will need more rest than normal.
9. Exercise Wear
Wear a supportive bra and comfortable, layered clothing so that you can prevent overheating. Find some nice clothing to accommodate your baby bump.
10. Listen To Your Body
Listening to your body is important for a healthy, safe pregnancy. Every woman is different and what works for you may not work for someone else. You will have days where you have lots of energy and other days when you feel exhausted. Do not push yourself if you are tired. Listen to your body and rest if that’s what you need.
Stop exercising
…if you experience dizziness, nausea, blurred vision, faintness, headaches, shortness of breath, pounding heart or palpitations, uterine contractions, vaginal bleeding or joint pain and make an appointment for a check-up with your LMC or Doctor.
