Prenatal health - fitness & nutrition top tips
Having a healthy balanced diet and exercising throughout pregnancy is one of the best things you can do for both you and your baby.
Exercise does not need to be strenuous to be beneficial! Aim to include 150 minutes of exercise per week. This can be a combination of swimming, walking, weight training & stretching.
There are some important muscles you can focus on keeping strong throughout pregnancy. The majority of these will help you keep good posture.
Keep your glutes (bum muscles) strong. Strong glutes will help reduce lower back pain and help with your posture.
Keep your back strong, which will help prevent you from slumping forwards as your centre of gravity changes.
Keep your core strong, which also includes your pelvic floor. This will be helpful throughout all the trimesters along with labour and the recovery period.
Keep your lower body strong, including your quads (front of thighs) and hamstrings (back of thighs) to help support the extra weight you’ll be carrying around. Also think how much easier it will be having strong legs, with all the squatting you’ll be doing picking up your baby when he/she arrives. This always ties in well with keeping your arms strong, as you’ll be doing a lot more carrying around with babies and car seats etc postnatally.
Both you & baby can benefit from you exercising throughout pregnancy.
Benefits for you:
Increased strength preparing you for the demands of motherhood.
Reduced risk of pregnancy complications
Boost your mood & energy levels
Benefits for baby:
Tolerate labour better
Leaner babies with a healthier body composition
Develop stronger more athletic hearts
My exercise top tips
Don’t exercise to the point of being out of breath. You should be able to hold a conversation.
Keep hydrated and have a pre workout snack consisting of carbohydrates, such as a banana or a slice of toast with some almond butter or jam on.
Every woman is different, something might feel comfortable to your friend but not for you. Discontinue an exercise if it does not feel right.
Don’t do anything which places too much pressure on your abdominals, crunches, sit ups, full plank holds.
Work with a qualified pre/postnatal instructor if you’re unsure of pregnancy exercise modifications.
Have exercise as your ‘me time’. Plug in some earphones and take some time out for yourself. You could perhaps join classes where you could meet other soon to be mums.
Nutrition
Both your preconception diet and pregnancy diet are important. What you eat 3-6 months before conceiving counts. You can really use this time to build up your nutrient stores such as your folate stores.
It’s the basis of your diet which not only impacts your health but your baby's health too.
Everything which you eat during pregnancy is passed to your baby through the placenta. This includes all the vital nutrients your baby needs to grow & develop.
The three macronutrients
Protein
Is essential for the proper growth of a baby’s tissues and organs and also the building and repairing of new tissues for mum. Your protein needs increase each trimester, so be sure to get enough daily.
Good sources of protein are to be found in chicken, beef, salmon, fish, dairy, legumes, eggs, tofu and red meat.
Fats
Fats are needed to support your hormone health, absorbing nutrients from foods, keeping you warm and they are an energy source.
Good sources of fats are flaxseeds, salmon, eggs, nuts, avocado and olive oil.
Carbohydrates
Glucose is your babies favourite fuel source during pregnancy, so don’t be cutting this one out.
Focus on complex carbohydrates which will keep your energy levels stable. Such as brown rice, wholemeal bread, legumes, whole-wheat pasta, root vegetables, fruit and grains. Limit the simple carbohydrates, which are quickly absorbed and can cause quick highs and lows with your blood sugar levels. Found in foods such as white bread, white pasta, cake, sweets, pastries and chocolate.
Women with gestational diabetes will have to follow a lower sugar diet for the course of the pregnancy.
The Mediterranean diet has been best voted for egg quality, fertility, IVF outcomes and pregnancy.
This diet focuses on plenty of fruits, vegetables, omega 3, whole grains and reduced saturated fat.
Whilst trying to get pregnant and during pregnancy it is advised not to embark on diets such as keto (very low carbs), cutting out food groups and reduced calories. All of these will restrict you and the placenta of nutrients. A balanced diet is what’s needed for a baby's development, a growing baby requires all the nutrients.
Some very important nutrients you don’t want to be deficient in:
Omega 3 - DHA is one of the omega 3 fatty acids crucial for fetal and infant brain development.
Intake of DHA is connected with improved mental development and cognitive function. Omega 3 is found highest in fatty fish such as salmon & mackerel.
Folic acid - Vitamin B9 is crucial for reducing the risk of babies developing neural tube defects.
It’s advised that all women take a folic acid supplement of 400mg two months before conception and up to 12 weeks during pregnancy.
Some women need 500 mg of folic acid if they have diabetes, over 30 bmi or take anti epileptic medication.
Folic acid is found in foods such as chickpeas, spinach, peas and fortified foods.
Iron - Iron is needed to support blood flow and the increased amount of red blood cells required. If you’re low on iron you may start to feel very tired and might suffer from anaemia. Pregnant women should be getting 27mg per day.
Iron is found in eggs, lean beef and poultry, dark green leafy vegetables, some dried fruits i.e. apricots.
Vitamin D - Vitamin D is very important for the growth and development of your baby’s bones and teeth and works to enhance mum’s mood, brain function and blood pressure. 10 micrograms per day is needed.
Vitamin D is only found in small amounts in food, so consider a supplement containing this amount between September and March.
Vitamin D is found in: salmon, eggs, some mushrooms, red meat and fortified foods.
Iodine - Iodine is very important for your thyroid gland, which controls your metabolism and is needed for your baby’s brain development. Most commonly found in dairy products, so if you don’t consume dairy make sure to be getting products which are fortified with iodine.
Iodine is found in dairy, cod, seaweed, prunes and tuna.
Calcium - Calcium helps to build your baby’s teeth and bones. Pregnant and breastfeeding women need at least 1000mg of calcium per day. If you don’t have enough calcium, your body will start taking from your stores to pass to your baby, and therefore it’s important not to be deficient.
The best source of calcium is found in dairy, but it is also found in dark green leafy vegetables and some fortified products.
Vegetarian, vegan and special diets throughout pregnancy
Mothers following vegan or vegetarian diets may struggle to get sufficient amounts of B12, iron, omega 3 and iodine.
Speak with your midwife or GP about supplements which may be necessary for you.
You will find a lot of foods can be fortified with these nutrients, so it’s important that you always check the label to make sure you’re not missing out.
My nutrition top tips:
Eat balanced meals consisting of fats carbs and protein
Incorporate plenty of fresh fruits & vegetables
Drink plenty of water and stay hydrated
Limit caffeine to 200mg this is equivalent to 2 small cups of coffee. Caffeine can also be found in chocolate, herbal teas and energy drinks.
Always read the label and revise upon what is safe and what isn’t during pregnancy.
