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Vicky Tringali M.S.
So, you just got the good news from your doctor;
or maybe like the majority of us, you got the good news from your home pregnancy test. However you learned your about your pregnancy; the bottom line is you have to care for two lives now. What does this mean?
Does this mean you should sit around for the next 40 weeks and eat whatever you want? Because after all, you are eating for two, right? Wrong!
One of the biggest misconceptions women make with regards to their pregnancy is believing they can eat whatever they want because they are eating for two people. The truth is, the average woman only needs an additional 300 calories per day to receive adequate nutrition for her and her baby. An extra 300 calories is the equivalent of a sandwich. An extra 300 and not 3000 calories will prevent you from gaining excessive amounts of weight. Excessive weight gain is not only hard on an expectant mother, but it is also hard on a fetus.
With regards to your food intake, rather than eat three large meals per day, eat five to six small meals. If you allow yourself to eat every three to four hours, you will also find that signs and symptoms of morning sickness tend to diminish as well. Normally, feelings of nausea are a result of low glucose levels. If you eat every three to four hours, you will prevent these levels from dropping too low, and you will not have morning sickness. Trust me, I am pregnant now with our second child, and I once again do not have morning sickness or cravings.
Proper nutrition is not the only way to have a healthy pregnancy and baby. Exercise is also key to a healthy pregnancy. Studies have shown that women who exercise during pregnancy have a calmer, more focused baby post delivery. This does not mean you should decide to start training for a marathon or triathlon now that you are pregnant, but you should do some form of exercise everyday if you feel up to it. Thirty minutes of light to moderate exercise, everyday, will help relieve stress in your life, as well as, make it easier for you to sleep at night. If you are a woman who enjoys lifting weights, you can continue to strength train as well. As long as you can talk while performing your exercise, you are not over doing it. As always, you should check with your health care provider before engaging in any physical activity, but please do not feel you have to restrict yourself. As your pregnancy progresses, you will have to modify your exercise positions, but you will not have to stop them. With my first child, I taught fitness classes, lifted weights , and used the elliptical trainer everyday for 45 minutes until the week I gave birth.
If you are as blessed as I am and you are pregnant, please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or want suggestions on how to make your pregnancy easier, without excessive weight gain and with comfortable relaxing sleep.
Vicky can be contacted for private training or consultation at American Fitness Express 410-489-9556 or via email at vgvhealth@gmail.com
