How to Stay Fit & Healthy During Pregnancy – 3 Tips

How to stay fit & healthy during Pregnancy What are the ways to stay healthy during pregnancy ?

How to stay fit during pregnancy period is vital both for mother and baby. When you are planning to welcome a new comer in your family, it’s important that you should follow a healthy lifestyle and a balanced diet. Pregnancy period requires you to get prepare for some physical exercises, which keeps child healthy. The more fit and healthy you are, the less discomfort you will face during your labor. Let’s look at the ways how to stay fit & healthy during pregnancy.

Step 1: An overview of the whole Pregnancy period:-

A. First Trimester of Pregnancy Period: Starting and preparing for a change

Staying fit during pregnancy first trimester is imperative because during the first trimester, your eating habit doesn’t initially change. Sometimes others are even surprised about the news of being pregnant. Somehow, emotional impact is the main focus for this trimester. Having a baby is not like buying goods in a grocery store or owning a pet, but somehow it is having a new life with a new family. Your first trimester will require mental, emotional as well as financial preparation. What’s the good thing about pregnancy is that it takes nine months before another change will take effect, giving you more time to prepare. But during this preparation you will encounter different stressor. Here is the common stressor for the first trimester of the whole pregnancy period

  • Acceptance. It is very important that upon receiving and knowing the news, you already have a decision in mind. To move on with your life you must make a decision about taking the child. Don’t let expectations bring you down. If the pregnancy is unexpected, then you must make some adjustment to start a new and a better life. Remember that life is a gift, your first trimester is crucial for both of you and the baby. Every decision will greatly affect both of your lives.
  • Readiness. This factor can take a longer period since; adjustment and acceptance involve personal matters. At this point you are not craving for food, but instead you might be avoiding it. During this stage many pregnant women feel scared and fear because of a bigger responsibility. But this responsibility will be taken care properly by your motherly instinct.

B. Second Trimester of Pregnancy Period: Healthy Pregnancy starts with Healthy Living

Second trimester is where changes come to an effect and keeping yourself fit during this period is very important. Your child development is progressing and starting to ask for nutrients from you. Body aches and muscle pain will also be present as signs of changes in your body mass. Aside from that mood change can also be present because of the pregnancy hormone. There is no such way to make your pregnancy comfortable because you are literally experiencing different types of change. Here are the common changes you will experience in this trimester.

  • Change in Appearance. Pregnancy provides every woman the fear of being useless. Though it is literally not true, but still its perception will depend on how you respond to it. During this stage you might not be focusing on your work, becomes inactive and lonesome. In order not to stick with this stage moral support is very important. Don’t compare yourself from someone who is not pregnant because there is nothing to compare with. Your appearance is just a factor that you can be dealt with.
  • Level of Activity. During this period, there will be some limitations in activities and work. Like lifting heavy objects and jumping. These are actions that can be minimal in effect, but still don’t try to gamble. The safest way is avoiding strenuous activity. Biking will not be suitable for you, as well as riding a motorcycle should be limited. No one can say to stop since it is part of your daily activity, but again always take precaution and prefer the safest action.

C. Third Trimester of Pregnancy Period: Letting go and Experiencing change

This is the time you are preparing to let go of your pregnancy period. A more detailed preparation for giving birth as well as having a child will be prioritized in this period. Though you have been into six months of several changes still a greater change is about to happen. Here are some preparations that you might consider for this trimester, which will help you to keep fit during pregnancy:

  • Don’t let stress affect your day – It is already expected that pregnant women will become emotional, but that’s just because of the hormones and not just merely the attitude. Explain to your family or peers that there might be some mood swings because of hormonal changes. Maintain a good communication between your family and love ones.
  • Embrace Change– You are the final stage of your pregnancy. Your baby’s development is almost done and he or she might be ready to come out. In order to prepare well, you must embrace the change. This change doesn’t only involve the birth of the child, but the extent change in your body. Wider size abdomen, weak legs, heavier body mass and many more. This can be the final stage, but this is also where all types of changes are present.

Step 2: Pregnancy diet plan week by week:-

  •  Week 1 to week 12. During this period you can eat any types of food, but make sure to take things at minimum and within limits. As early as this trimester stop smoking, drinking as well as staying late at night. This is needed to prepare your mind and body for the change. You must prioritize eating a more nutritious food like fruits and leafy vegetables. In your first trimester, smoking will be prohibited because it can cause birth deformities. Remember that in your first trimester, some of the major organs of your baby are being developed.
  • Week 13 to week 27. This is the time you become cautious with what you eat. Always remember not to eat raw foods. Instead, eat a well-cooked salmon fish because it is rich in omega-3. Omega 3 is an essential fat that helps in your baby’s mental development. Aside from that you can eat boiled or fried eggs for its high protein value. You can also eat a high fiber beans or chose between sweet potatoes and walnuts. Literally, during this stage you can every nutritious food on the planet just forget keep it within limits.
  • Week 28 to the birth – This is the stage that you have to limit your intake. Because your baby has already been developed and will need a lesser supply from you. But it doesn’t mean that you can smoke, drink alcohol or other substances because it will still be dangerous to the baby. This is the time where your diet is modified into wheat bread instead of rice. And water and instead of fruit juice. If your second trimester will require you to gain it is quite opposite for the last trimester. As much as possible limit or avoid sugar intake and carbonated drink.

 Step3: Daily activities and exercise during Pregnancy:-

A. Exercises during pregnancy for 1st Trimester

During your first trimester, you continue your daily activities. Since the changes aren’t that big yet. But if you feel discomfort and unusual changes, always consult your doctor. Still, you need to make some precautions especially in moving from one place to another. Even if changes at this period are not too visible still it doesn’t mean it is not crucial. During this period you can do the following exercise &  keep yourself fit & healthy during pregnancy:

  • Yoga Sessions can be very beneficial for pregnant women who are experiencing emotional stress. When you are pregnant, you become sensitive not because of the people around you, but because of the rushing of hormones. You can do Yoga in a studio or by yourself. All you have to do is find the most comfortable place in your house and start meditating. Meditation doesn’t require your skills, but a peaceful mind is enough to drive your session.
  • Yoga is Important in helping you in your emotional and mental preparedness. No matter how prepared you are if these two factors are left behind things can be gone into waste. Remember again that you have a life inside your womb and that life is not yours to gamble.

 B. Exercises during pregnancy for 2nd Trimester

This is the period where changes are starting to bloom. This change will be present from a change in figure to body mass, as well as from an active lifestyle to none. Everyone knows how to important to stay blooming all through the pregnancy period because this somehow affects your personal perception about your appearance. Here are some ways on keeping your personality and appearance, fit & healthy during pregnancy.

  • Always do Hygiene – Even if you are pregnant still you need to take a bath. But since you are pregnant every action should be modified in a safer way. Instead of going upstairs or going down, find some way to do hygiene without too much mobility. Decreasing mobility helps in avoiding the risk of accident. If you don’t do hygiene you might experience halitosis or bad breath and some body odor, which no one would want to, have.
  • Take your prescribed Vitamins – Your physician will prescribe you with iron and some vitamin C, this is to improve your body circulation as well as your immune system. It is very important to only take what is prescribed because pregnancy is very sensitive in terms of consumption.
  • Kegel Exercise this can be done alone or with your partner. This is indicated to prepare your pelvic floor for labor and giving birth. Like what is mentioned, pregnancy involves different types of phase. The whole period of pregnancy will be about preparation and adjustment, somehow even if nine months seem long till many are caught unprepared. Kegel Exercise should be done properly in order to achieve the best result. Take note that Kegel Exercise should be done in an empty bladder in order to prevent involuntary movements of your pelvic muscles.
  • Swimming is also indicated as a healthy exercise for pregnant women. This is only applicable when you take some precautions, especially if you are an athlete. Swimming is one of the best exercises ever created because it involves all your muscles as well as your entire system. But there are things that you should consider before and after swimming. First is asking your doctor first about this activity for your pregnancy. Though it is indicated still there are situations that can be a case to case basis. The second is, keep it within limit remember that you are pregnant and you only have lesser time of resistance as well as a weaker immune system.

 C. Exercises during pregnancy for 3rd Trimester

Your 3rd trimester can be the final phase of your pregnancy period, but the real change is about to happen. But before thinking about other future responsibilities take time and effort to prepare for your labor. In order to do that, these are some exercises that you must consider to keep yourself fit & healthy during pregnancy:

  •  Walking will always be necessary. Not just for your health, but as well for labor period. Usually the challenge in pregnancy involves different phase, from conception to labor. Walking is always indicated since it is not extensive and rigid. It is not also a time consuming activity which allows you to rest in between. Daily walking shows and proves a faster labor period. Labor period can be a moment of the extensive pain which is indicated for giving birth. Just imagine a life coming out of your womb; this can be physically excruciating pain. With walking you can trim down the time for the labor period, depending on how effective you’re walking activities is.
  • Breathing exercise is quite simple in instructions, but can be difficult to implement. It is because during labor, you will be in so much pain wherein you might ignore the importance of proper breathing. Have this in mind that once you breathe in your mouth you prevent or somehow decrease the severity of labor contractions. But if you hold your breath because of the pain, it will not become severe but instead become more progressive. Proper breathing includes, inhaling and exhaling through your mouth. Before labor, even started, and as early in your 3rd trimester practice proper breathing exercises to improve and develop your baby and your lung function.