Keeping Your Weight In Check While Pregnant

Becoming a mother is a wonderful process. It does however, come with its ups and downs and one of those is weight gain during those nine months. Keeping your weight in check while pregnant is important for several reasons.

Staying within a normal weight range while carrying the baby is a good practice for you for when that big day arrives. If you have gained so much excess weight that you find it difficult doing normal activities, it may very well be a challenge to actually deliver the baby. Most doctors say it is normal for pregnant women to gain between twenty and thirty pounds. Some gain less of course, and those that may have been overweight prior to becoming pregnant can gain a bit more than the average. Many women enjoy having the freedom to eat as they please and enjoy those cravings they are experiencing during those nine months. Others have an eating addiction while pregnant and can gain even seventy pounds or more.

Eating and giving into your cravings is fine while pregnant, after all you are eating for two now. However, there can be risks to gaining too much weight and many other ailments that can come along with it. You do not want to get so big that you cannot function as you once did. Having a stretched out tummy will be enough work for you, you do not want the added pressure of total overall body weight on your joints. Gestational diabetes can occur as well, which you will be tested for somewhere around the twenty second week of your pregnancy. Your doctor can help by putting you on a special diet if you feel you need it, and they can also help you gain weight if you should be lacking during your pregnancy.

Staying fit while carrying the baby is easier than some think. First, drink plenty of water. This is a must to stay trim and also you can go into preterm labor and start having contractions just as a result of being dehydrated. Next, walk or cycle or swim while pregnant. Many women feel okay walking the first and second trimesters, it is when it gets to the end right around the third trimester that you become cautious of it as it can start your labor too early. Swimming is excellent during the third trimester is a great way to stay in shape and relax all the pressure off of your spine from carrying around the heavy baby for so long. It can really help you sleep better and feel more at ease once you have taken up swimming for around twenty minutes. Some things to avoid would be any exercises that involve jumping, climbing, running (if you were not a runner before getting pregnant) or full contact sports of any kind. You do not need to put the baby's health at risk by just aiming to get fit. Consult with your doctor for additional information, and always eat smaller meals throughout the day while pregnant.