What to Eat While Pregnant

Once the excitement of being pregnant subsides, lots of questions come up.Now more than ever it is important to eat good foods for you and your baby.If you want to decrease the chances of complication during and after your pregnancy, then you need to eat the right foods. Learning what to eat during pregnancy has never been easier than it is now.

First, remember that once you hit the second trimester, good nutrition during pregnancy requires that you eat about 300 more calories a day.Getting enough calories without overdoing it is important, as both you and your baby need the energy.Just because you need extra calories does not mean you can take over at the buffet table.This is only 300 calories. A glass of milk or one banana equals 100 calories and a slice of whole wheat bread, and ounce of cheese and a half of cup of grapes equal 200 calories. See how much more you are eating than if you decide to eat a donut instead.

Remember that you need at least three servings of protein each day. Protein contains amino acid which is one of the most important building block for your baby’s tissue. Protein is very easy to come by and your options are endless.Try something like 3 glasses of milk, 2 cups of yogurt and 3 ounces of cheese.

Next, you need at least four servings of calcium every day.Think of your baby’s bones growing as you consume calcium, but don’t forget, you are protecting your bones too.Milk, cheese, yogurt and even ice cream are excellent ways to get the calcium you need.

Aim for at least three servings of vitamin C. Your body does not store vitamin C so you need a fresh supply of it every day.You have lots of choices for getting vitamin C, as there are lots of fruits and vegetables that have high levels of vitamin C. You also want to make sure you get three to four servings of green leafy and yellow vegetables and fruits.An added benefit is that these fruits and most vegetables will give you vitamin C.

One or two more servings of other fruits and vegetables will serve you well, giving you other nutrients and important fiber.You might consider bananas, apples and onions for foods in this category. Eat six or more servings of whole grains and legumes.In addition to having good amounts of fiber, these foods also are high in vitamins B and E. Try eating brown rice, whole wheat breads and even air popped corn to get your servings of whole grains and legumes in.

Be sure to get enough iron, as it is one of the most important nutrients for you and your developing baby. Your body’s demand for iron will never be greater than it is while you are pregnant.It is important not to ignore this.Not enough iron can cause anemia, so be sure you are getting enough.Your doctor can prescribe an iron supplement if you feel you are not getting enough in your diet.

A fit pregnancy gives your baby the best chance for healthy development. And while it is always a good idea to eat well every day, when you are pregnant it is essential that you eat well every day.

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Practicing Yoga safely While Pregnant

If you are a yoga student and just recently found out that you are pregnant you may till be able to do these exercises. Contrary to what many people think, Yoga is good for both you and your unborn child. You will not hurt the baby, but you will be able to create a healthy environment for the baby if you learn to do the yoga poses correctly. You can also begin to do yoga when you are pregnant. There are some poses that you will want to avoid, but if you learn to avoid the harmful poses and master the poses that are suggested as prenatal yoga. You will want to learn about these poses before you begin to do yoga. You will want to ask your pediatrician about whom you will be able to contact. Be sure that you know what you are doing, because you don’t want to hurt yourself or the baby.

Yoga is beneficial because it is a mental exercise as well as a physical one. Those who try to learn and use yoga as a meditation tool, they are able to relax and control their breathing. This will help you during labor, especially if you are opting to give birth without the use of drugs. You will learn how to stay calm in your later stages of your pregnancy, since many new mothers can easily frustrated.

You will want to learn the rules that you will need to follow when practicing yoga when you are pregnant. First, stay hydrated, stopping often for water breaks. If you get too overheated, your core body temperature rises even more, which can harm the baby. For this reason, “hot” yoga is dangerous and should be avoided while you are pregnant. You will also want to eat some extra calories since you are eating for two, however, you will want to exercise to burn the extra calories from yourself and the baby.

You will want to make sure that you avoid certain poses because they can be harmful towards the baby. Lying flat on your back, for example, can cut of blood flow to your brain and to the uterus, making you dizzy and causing developmental problems for your baby. After your first trimester you will not want to because it’s just not safe. Also skip positions that are inverted, or those that require great amounts of balance. Remember that your stomach is growing every day, so you will never be able to fully get used to your new shape and stay balanced. Keep in mind that you don’t fall because it can hurt yourself or the baby. If the position includes major twisting or stretching in the abdominal region, they may also not be best for you and your baby. Finally, avoid transitions in which you must stand quickly from a laying or sitting position, since this can be uncomfortable and cause you to be dizzy, as well as restrict blood flow to your uterus.

There are a lot of positions that you will find to be helpful, however, most pregnant women will either practice yoga or they will do things to stretch their body. You will want to talk to your yoga instructor on what they recommend for your and your unborn child. You should also speak with your medical doctor and ask them if yoga will help you and your baby to stay healthy.

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Do You Ever Wonder How Celebritys Don’t Gain Weight During Pregnancy

Are you ever curious how celebrities seem to manage to return to their weight from before they got pregnant so quickly? The reason is that they keep themselves from gaining excess weight during their pregnancy. Weight increases that are not due to the baby s growth, the placenta, the womb, or the extra supply of blood is considered excess weight. According to physicians, it is possible for a woman to produce a perfectly healthy baby without putting on excess weight. Following these guidelines should help prevent you from gaining extra pounds.

Appropriate Weight Gain vs. Excessive

To begin with, it is important that you know the difference between how much weight gain is normal, as this weight should disappear after the baby s birth, and how much weight gain is excessive. Women in different pre pregnancy shape should gain different amounts of weight during pregnancy; for instance, a woman in good shape should gain between 25 and 35 pounds, a woman who is underweight should gain between 28 and 40 pounds, and a woman who is overweight should only gain between 15 and 25 pounds. In most cases, the pregnant woman gains weight slowly during the course of the baby s development. During the first trimester, the woman often loses between 2 and 4 pounds, followed by increases of 2 to 4 pounds per week until the baby is delivered.

Why is it necessary to gain these pounds? The additional weight is comprised of the baby, your uterus, other tissues and more that are important to support a growing baby.
Here is a detailed breakdown of what the pounds are gained for:

• First, the baby itself should cause an increase in weight of about 7 or 8 pounds, and your uterus should cause you to gain between 2 and 5 pounds.
• The development of your placenta, which holds the baby, should cause you to gain between 2 and 3 pounds
• As your breast tissue gets larger, you should put on about 2 to 3 pounds, and you should also gain between 5 and 9 pounds of fat to support breast feeding and delivering the baby.
• 2 to 3 pounds is generally the weight of the amniotic fluid.
• You should gain 4 pounds due to the increase in blood supply that is required for the baby.

In general, any weight beyond this is excess weight that you do not need for the baby s development. This is the weight that is hard to lose after the baby is born.

Eating for Two

The idea of eating for two is actually a myth, and it can cause you to gain excess weight. One fact the stars are aware of is that a pregnant woman only needs to increase her diet 100 to 300 calories to support healthy baby growth. Eating a bowl of cereal and an apple provides roughly that many calories. You might not want to hear this, but consuming more calories than that only increases the amount of fat stored in your body. During your pregnancy, you might not realize that you are gaining fat, but afterwards, when you try to put on your pre pregnancy clothes, you sure will.

Therefore, in order to prevent excess weight from forming, you need to be careful not to overindulge during pregnancy. You need to make wise decisions about your diet, eating foods such as fresh fruits and veggies, lean meats, and bread made from whole grains. Doing this provides your baby with the nutrition it needs to grow while also helping you to stay fit.

Moving that Baby Bump

If you take a look at celebrity magazines, you will often that these stars are frequently going for walks. Do you ever wonder why that is? Physicians have said that exercising is fine for pregnant women in normal health. If you do give in to cravings, a good way to burn off the calories is to take a long walk; as an added bonus, your mood swings will be reduced by the added blood flow. That is just one more way celebrities keep off weight.

Please remember, these tips are meant for healthy women that have discussed pregnancy weight gain with their physicians. It is important that women gain a certain amount of weight while pregnant in order to stay healthy. Not gaining the appropriate amount of weight can cause health problems for both the mother and her unborn child. You should see your doctor about this.

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Tips on Controlling Pregnancy Weight Gain

Pregnancy will provide women with some of the best moments ever but also with some of the hardest times as you suddenly have no control over your body and mind and you turn into this person who has huge mood swings, is sleepy and tired most time and has cravings for some things you never knew existed.

Most women gain a few extra pounds during pregnancy and unfortunately losing them after the baby is even harder because you will be busy with your baby and the many things you need to do for it. Therefore, it is extremely important that you monitor your diet closely to avoid excessive pregnancy weight gain.

The Right Diet and Exercise

The golden rule of eating right and exercise applies every single time. However, when you are pregnant there will be times when it will be very hard if not impossible to control you cravings. In order to ensure your pregnancy weight gain does not become a problem after the delivery, you should try and adopt exercises that will maintain your weight. Consult your doctor and find out what is the right diet, exercise pattern and normal pregnancy weight gain for you. Depending on your weight, height and also your state of health those factors will differ from person to person.

Because you should not reduce your calorie intake, the only other way to ensure the pregnancy weight gain stays within the limits is to exercise regularly. The good part about exercising is that is does not only keep your weight off but will also provide you with an easier delivery. One of the most recommended exercises for pregnant women is walking at least for 30 minutes a day; it will result in miracles in the long run.

Losing Pregnancy Weight Gain

Losing weight after pregnancy can prove to be extremely hard as you will have the baby to care for and now you will be used to eating slightly larger portions than usual especially if you are nursing. Determination will have to take the first place here in order for you to lose the pregnancy weight gain. You can choose to join a class where you will have support and motivation from your trainer and other exercises buddies.

If you cannot afford to leave the house for that period of time your only other choice is to get a DVD with your favorite exercises and practice at home whenever you have time. Walking is the easiest exercise of all, which amazingly provides the best results. Walking can be done with the baby and just 30 minutes a day can help you get right back into shape.

Tags: pregnancy weight gain, pregnancy

Source: pregnancy

How To Lose Weight After Having A Baby


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by Kaye Medalla

Learning how to lose your extra weight after giving birth is probably one of the first things new moms think about after having their babies. Going to the gym may be the last thing on your mind since I know you would want to spend more time with your new found treasure.

Just like you, I thought it would really be hard to get back in shape after I had my third child. I asked for some advice and tips from my dietician friend on how I could eat nutritionally (for my baby) and still lose weight. And after a few weeks I started to fit into my favorite old jeans.

Tips To Lose The Baby Weight

1. Learn To Control Your Appetite. Your hormones are still constantly fluctuating after you give birth. And this is one of the main reasons for your food cravings. If you want to avoid the food binges, you have to keep your sugar level in control so what you need to do is modify the way you eat by eating frequent small meals than just eating 2 to 3 big meals every day.

2. Breastfeeding Your Baby Can Help You Lose Weight. Breastfeeding is healthy for you and your baby. During pregnancy, your body was gradually saving up fat that you would need for lactation or breastfeeding and it’s one of the reasons why pregnant women become fat. After giving birth, you can use up that stored fat by breastfeeding your baby and you would surely lose 500 to 700 calories each day.

3. Walking Around And Showing Off Your Baby. Showing off your baby to the neighbors can do you good so take the time to walk around include the baby friendly parks. Walking everyday is extremely helpful in getting rid of the baby weight and not to mention the stress that a new mom feels too. So take a walk and it would be great if you could bring your baby too.

Wanting to get back in shape is a good thing but remember not to rush your body. You have to take extra care of yourself because your baby depends on you now. Learn to appreciate the joys of motherhood and just give shaping up some time. Avoid adding stress to yourself, enjoy and congratulate yourself for a job well done.

Rushing into getting back in shape should not be your first priority here. I suggest that if you just continue eating a well balanced diet and watch your health carefully, for your safety and your baby’s safety, you would eventually lose the pounds naturally.

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Source: Health

How To Lose Weight After Having A Baby

Are you a new mom? Do you want to know how to lose the baby weight? But I know you would rather spend your time with your newborn rather than thinking of getting back in shape and go to the gym. Or you’re baby takes up much of your time and you are already tired to start a new fitness regimen right now. I’ve been there, 3 times, so I know what you are probably going through.

I thought getting back into shape would really be hard after my third pregnancy but after getting some professional advice and a few great tips here and there, I was able to fit into the new Gap jeans that I bought a size smaller (to motivate me). I hope these tips would also be of great use to you.

Weight Loss Tips After Pregnancy

1. Learn To Control Your Appetite. Your hormones are still constantly fluctuating after you give birth. And this is one of the main reasons for your food cravings. If you want to avoid the food binges, you have to keep your sugar level in control so what you need to do is modify the way you eat by eating frequent small meals than just eating 2 to 3 big meals every day.

2. Breastfeed Your Baby. Do you know that when you breastfeed your baby you get to lose 500 to 700 calories each day? During pregnancy, one of the reasons why you get fat is because your body is saving up for you and your baby’s future. Your body knows that you would need fat for the purpose of lactation. Breastfeeding is not only good for your baby but it would also help you lose the baby weight that you’ve gained.

3. Take a walk and show off your baby. Show off your baby in the neighborhood or park and while you’re doing that you are doing yourself good too by being a proud parent and losing the baby weight at the same time. One of the best ways to get rid of the baby weight and the stress that comes with being a new mom is performing light exercises and the best way to do this is taking a walk everyday.

However, you should not forget that getting back in shape requires time so don’t rush your body. Remember, you’ve just gotten through a tough time of bearing your child and showing him the world. Appreciate yourself for a job well done and most of all enjoy yourself!

As a new mom I’m sure you would want to lose weight naturally, easily, and keep adhering to a strict avoidance from synthetic weight loss drugs that could endanger your child whom you are breastfeeding. You don’t have to rush things as the fats would shed off naturally once you create a caloric deficit in your diets.

Source: Weight Loss

Nutrition is the Key during Pregnancy and After

It is a well known fact, that nutrition is a very important part of everyday life. It is never more important for you to make sure you’re getting the right nutrition than when you are pregnant and you should be aware that every thing you eat is sent directly to your unborn child. There are certain things you should not eat when you are pregnant, and there are also other foods that will provide you the right nutrition during your pregnancy and will keep your baby healthy. First and foremost, once you find out you are pregnant; you should immediately begin taking prenatal vitamins. This will help make sure your baby receives all the right vitamins that are needed to help your unborn baby flourish. Folic acid is one of the most needed vitamins and we rarely get the right amount on a daily basis. The prenatal vitamins have an appropriate amount that you baby will need. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle will insure that your baby is getting the proper nutrition during the nine months of your pregnancy and you will feel better too.

Bring on the Water

Most of us already know that drinking 6-8 glasses of water is highly recommended when you’re not pregnant. It is never more important to follow those guidelines, than when you become pregnant. Juice, soda and coffee should not be included in your daily count. It is good for you to think of those as treats. Water helps your baby in so many ways, and it will make you feel great too. Some pregnant women find it hard to drink so much water, and will have to make adjustments so that the baby is getting the proper nutrition during your pregnancy and water will achieve that. Ice is another great way for you to achieve the water intake you are trying to achieve. You can even make your own ice chips using your blender and before you know it you will reach your 8 glasses of water goal. Just add half the amount of water to your ice and blend away. Drain the excess water and you have home made ice chips. Drinking water will also help to prevent some of the ailments you deal with during pregnancy, such as nausea, constipation, and swelling.

Maintain Proper Nutrition and Avoid These Foods during Pregnancy

There are several foods that should be avoided when you are pregnant. Raw eggs are definitely restricted. This means no licking the spoon when you are baking a cake, or drinking non pasteurized milk. The chance of coming in contact with salmonella is extremely high. This can cause damage to your unborn baby. Unwashed vegetables are very bad, always make sure you wash them thoroughly before eating, your baby needs the vegetables, but not the pesticides and bacteria unwashed vegetables can carry. Caffeine has been shown that when you take it in moderation can be safe. Pregnant women should keep their intake to about 300mg per day.

Absolutely No Alcohol

There is no amount of alcohol that is safe during pregnancy; this will cause irreparable damage to your unborn child. Prenatal exposure can interfere with the growth of your growing baby. If you have consumed alcohol before you became aware of your pregnancy stop now! You can give your baby fetal alcohol syndrome, and this can affect them for years to come.

Tags: pregnancy nutrition, pregnancy care, pregnancy

Source: pregnancy