Healthy weight gain for pregnancy

Most doctors will tell you that you should gain anywhere between 25-30 pounds through out your pregnancy.  You should aim to gain about 3.5 pounds during your first trimester, although more often than not most women find that they lose weight their first trimester.  The culprit to this is morning sickness.  Some women suffer from such a severe case of morning sickness they can not keep anything down.  Chances are your doctor will not be too concerned if you lose a few pounds that first trimester as long as you gain steady throughout the next two trimesters. 

Your second trimester is where you will probably put on most of your weight.  Most women put on about a pound a week, so roughly four or five pounds a month which brings their second trimester weight gain to about 12-15 pounds.  Some women put on more while others put on less.  Do not be surprised if you put on a lot of weight one month and not so much your next. 

For the 7th and 8th month you will should probably continue about a pound each week or so.  Look to gain between 8 and 10 pounds those months.  Most women find that their weight gain slows down in the 9th month.  You might find your weight gain coming to a end as your due date draws nearer.  This can be a sign that labor is on the horizon.  Or, you may find that your weight gain continues especially if you are retaining a lot of water. 

So where does all this weight go? It doesn't really make sense that you should gain between 25-30 pounds if your baby is only going to weigh between 7 and 8 pounds.  Let's break down where the extra weight goes.  

First, you have your baby.  A average baby weights about 7 1/2 pounds.  Some can weigh more and some weigh less.  That amniotic fluid that your baby has been swimming in for the past nine months weighs about 2 pounds.  Figure in about 2 pounds for your breast enlargement and 1 1/2 pounds for your placenta.  Your uterus, which started off about the size of a golf ball has grown to weigh about 2 pounds.  Your body should be producing about 4 pounds of extra blood by the end of your pregnancy and about 7 extra pounds of fat.  Let's not forget the extra fluid of about 4 pounds that your body might be holding on to.  All this equals to the grand total of about 30 pounds.

Now keep in mind this is just a estimate and not a guarantee of how your weight will fall.  There are women who wind up having a 10 pound baby and others who have a 5 pound baby.  The key is to maintain a healthy weight gain throughout your pregnancy.  Your body needs extra calories and it is best for you and your baby if those extra calories come from food that has a lot of nutritional value such as fruits, vegetables or protein.  Staying away from junk for will help you curb your weight gain.

When it comes to taking the weight off, do not be surprise if your body hangs on to it especially those first days after delivery.  Once you are home keep this in mind that it took nine months to gain that weight so gives yourself at least a good nine months to take it off.

Eating to Beat Pregnancy Fatigue

Ask any pregnant woman who is in her first or third trimester how they are feeling and the answer will almost always be "tired".  One of the first clues that many women have that they may be expecting a visit from the stork is the fact that they find themselves droopy eyed in the middle of the day for no reason.

You may find that doing a simply task as walking around the block leaves your desperate for an afternoon nap. The energy you use to have is now faced with the challenge of growing a baby and your body is hard at work. You are also producing more blood, using more water and nutrients and have a higher heart rate and metabolism when you are pregnant. While the best defensive against the tiredness you will face is to get more sleep. There are also some healthy foods choices you can make that will help you get through your day if you do not have the opportunities to take naps. 

First, adjust the size of your meals.  Anyone who eats a large meal is going to feel tired afterwards regardless of if they are pregnant or not.  Being pregnant is going to make the effect of a big meal that much worse.   Most of your energy is going to be used towards digesting the meal so of course you will feel sluggish and drained.  Eat smaller meals and eat more often.  Eating six small meals a day will help you combat fatigue. 

Eating a good breakfast is the best way to start your day.  You are refueling your body after a long foodless night with a good breakfast.  A good breakfast is not a cup of coffee and a piece of toast. You want to stick to complex carbs and protein.  Whole grain cereal and a banana for example.  These foods will stay with you and keep your blood sugar and energy level up for quiet a while.

Do not skip lunch.  There are many people who skip lunch thinking they will make up for it by having a big dinner.  This is bad when you are not pregnant but it's even worse when you are pregnant. You need that midday meal to help refuel your body.  As with your breakfast, you should keep it filled with whole grains and protein.  Have a whole grain pita and stuff it with chicken salad and add a side of grapes or an apple.

Plan to eat most of your calories during the day. A pregnant woman needs an extra 300 calories a day throughout their second and third trimester.  The first trimester those are not needed yet. You should eat these extra calories through out the day in the form of healthy snacks such as nuts, cheese, veggies and dip.  Do not save your biggest meal until the end of the day.  Your body needs these calories to help you get through your day.  Steer clear of the quick sugar fixes like candy and soda.  In the end these will only make you more tired.

Lastly, make sure you are getting enough iron. Eat iron fortified food such as spinach and lean red meat to keep your energy up.  There are times when extreme fatigue could be the symptom of an iron deficiency and you might need an iron supplement also.

Besides eating well, make sure you get plenty of rest even if this means pushing your bedtime up and giving up those late night TV talk shows.  As any parents of newborns will tell you, get your rest while you still can.

The Best Pregnancy Diet

“What’s the best pregnancy diet?”

This is one of the most important questions every woman who is pregnant or trying to become pregnant should be asking. It is so important because they are solely responsible for feeding and nourishing their growing baby.

The best pregnancy diet is one that will supply all the nutrients needed to support optimal fetal development (such as brain, nervous and skeletal system) while also giving the mother’s body its needed nutrients. It’s also the one that will curb food cravings and prevent an unhealthy weight gain, which could put both the baby and mother at risk for many health complications. 

Specifically, it will consist of the foods listed below: 

• High quality protein (grass-fed meats, eggs from cage free grass-fed chickens)
• High quality dairy (raw grass-fed: cheese, cream, milk and butter)
• Soaked grains and nuts
• Stocks (bone broths)
• Organic or locally grown fruits and veggies
• High quality fat
• Lacto-fermented foods
• High potency fish oil
• Filtered water

Eating the foods above will provide all the necessary nutrients a mother and developing baby needs such as:

• B vitamins
• Calcium
• Iron
• Zinc
• Copper
• Magnesium
• Vitamin D
• Healthy omega 3 to omega 6 ratio
• Conjugated Linolenic Acid
• Vitamin A
• Vitamin C
• Folate
• Cholesterol

This means that you will gain a healthy weight and have less to lose after pregnancy.

Why?

Because by giving your body and baby what is needed, you won’t be tempted to overeat or be a victim to food cravings! And that’s just another reason why it is the best pregnancy diet.

Strength Training During Pregnancy - Why Moms-To-Be MUST Be Strong!

Most people start an exercise program to lose weight. Of course, this isn’t the objective during pregnancy exercise but there are lots of other reasons to get started on or continue on a regular exercise routine when you’re pregnant.

When you think of exercise, cardiovascular exercise is what usually comes to mind. Walking, jogging, swimming and many other activities that get your heart rate up are all part of this category. And, it’s an important piece to the puzzle.

But - The other half of the formula for a well rounded pre-natal exercise routine is strength training. This is the one people often forget about. The running (i.e. cardio) craze of the 1970’s is still in the forefront of people’s mind when they think about good exercise, burning calories and a healthy, lean body.

The truth is, while cardio is great for your heart, it is strength training that will prepare you for the physical demands of being a mom. In addition, it is strength training that will play a bigger role in getting your pre-pregnancy body back, or making it even better than before!

All of the lifting, bending and carrying you have to look forward to in the upcoming months will be much easier with a functionally strong body. In the mean time, gaining or maintaining strength during pregnancy is the key to reducing aches and pains as your body continues to change.

Pregnancy strength training will help:

• • Reduce back pain
• • Increase your energy levels
• • Make labor and delivery easier
• • Keep you strong and injury free
• • Combat postural changes during pregnancy
• • Make post-partum weight loss MUCH easier and faster
• • Flatten your tummy after delivery

Studies now show that strength training during pregnancy is not only safe and beneficial, but a must for an overall healthy strong body. If you were a regular exerciser before your pregnancy, it is usually safe to continue your routine, although some modifications may be necessary.


If you didn’t have a consistent program in place, the general rule of thumb is to wait until your 2nd trimester (when you’ll be feeling much better) to ease yourself into a routine. Either way, checks in with your doctor first to be sure you don’t have any complications that could be affected by a pregnancy exercise routine.

Caffeine and Pregnancy: How much is too much

One of the first things most of us women prepare to say goodbye to once we see those two pink lines on our pregnancy tests is caffeine. Many women will stop their caffeine habit cold turkey out of the sheer fear of doing some sort of damage to the new life growing inside of them. These women will swear off anything that has caffeine in it from coffee, and soda to even chocolate.  Then there are some of us who will still drink caffeine but cut back.  Instead of drinking five cups of coffee a day, we might cut back to at least one cup of coffee to get us through the day.  

Our mothers and grandmothers will probably tell us that they drank the same amount of caffeine pregnant as they did when they were not pregnant and their children turned out fine.  However a lot more research has been done since their time and studies are showing that too much caffeine can cause some complications such as preterm labor and/or low birth weight. 

So how much caffeine is too much caffeine? Doctors are telling their patients that a moderate amount of caffeine will not harm their babies.  Even though caffeine does cross the placenta, anything less than 300 milligrams a day (an 8 ounce cup of strong coffee) will not do any harm.  Anything over 300 milligrams puts your baby at risk and studies have also shown that women who drink more than 300 milligrams of caffeine a day during their first trimester have a slightly higher risk of a miscarriage.

Studies have also shown that women who had over 500 milligrams of caffeine a day had babies who had faster heart rates and faster breathing rates.  These babies also spent more time awake in their first few days of life rather than peacefully sleeping after their long journey. 

There are a number of other reasons why we women might want to cut back on the amount of caffeine we drink during pregnancy.  For starters, it has no nutritional value.  If there is ever a time for us to be aware of our nutritional needs it is when we are pregnant.  Second, caffeine is a stimulant which will increase your heart rate and can cause insomnia and headaches which can put some stress on your growing little one.  Third,  caffeine can cause heartburn.  If you have been pregnant before you know that heartburn can be a burden to begin with,  and caffeine just makes it worse.  Lastly it is a diuretic which means it can cause you to lose fluids which can put you at a risk of becoming dehydrated. 

While it is not necessary for you to give up all caffeine through out the duration of your pregnancy, you should learn how to drink it in moderation or don't drink it at all.  If you can not handle having only one cup of coffee a day,  then you might be better off drinking no coffee at all.  Stick with caffeine free sodas and even decaf coffee.  Remember though that decaf  coffee still contains small traces of caffeine so make sure you take that into consideration.