What exercises can I do during pregnancy?

Unless you've been advised by your doctor not to exercise for a particular reason, keeping fit and healthy during pregnancy is important for your wellbeing and that of your baby, says UrBod Nutritionist Melody Mackeown, who specialises in pre-conceptual care, fertility and pregnancy. Incredibly recent research has indicated that exercise during pregnancy can benefit your unborn baby’s cardiovascular system (i.e you are improving your child’s heart health in utero!). It also means that your body may be more prepared for the physical demands of labour, birth, and those early days with your newborn.

Walking can be a great way of getting exercise and fresh air during pregnancy. Swimming is often recommended by doctors and midwives, as the water supports your weight whilst helping your back and giving your heart, lungs and muscles a gentle workout. Ask your midwife about local aqua-natal classes, specifically offering exercise in water for pregnant women.

You should also take care to look after your back during pregnancy, as (particularly during the latter stages) it starts to take the strain of your growing baby. Good posture will improve the tone of your muscles and avoid hollowing of your spine, which leads to aching in your lower back.
It's a good idea to get the weight off your spine by lying down during rest periods, and also by periodically moving onto all fours and arching your back from time to time (like a cat). Learn how to get up correctly from a lying down position, without putting pressure on your stomach muscles. Roll over to one side, draw your knees upwards, and push yourself up gently with your arms whilst swinging your legs around to sit up. Use your legs, not your back, when lifting anything. Seeing an osteopath or chiropractor can also help or correct bad posture, says UrBod Nutritionist Melody Mackeown.

Many women enjoy pregnancy yoga classes. These provide specific exercises during pregnancy to tone muscles, alleviate aches and pains commonly found during pregnancy, and above all to encourage a sense of relaxation and wellbeing. They also include pelvic floor exercises, which are important both during pregnancy and in the weeks following the birth. Pelvic floor muscles support everything inside the pelvic cavity (such as the uterus, the bladder and rectum) and are like a hammock slung in your pelvis. Awareness of these muscles is important during labour as the baby is travelling down the birth canal. Pelvic floor exercises help you to control these muscles, basically as if holding a stream of urine and pulling the muscles upwards before releasing them. Your midwife and/or antenatal teacher will be able to give you a full set of these exercises, if you are not taking yoga classes.

Exercise in pregnancy can be of great benefit. It not only helps your fitness but also gives you an opportunity to concentrate on yourself and your growing baby. Start gently at first, your body will tell you if you have overdone it, and enjoy looking after yourself. Consider getting a personal trainer who specialises in pre and post natal exercise – a good website is http://www.absolutefitness.co.uk/. Two other useful websites regarding exercise include: http://www.lifestylexperts.com/ and http://www.newbornfitness.co.uk/ which supply pregnancy exercise balls/birthing balls.

Eating well can also help to keep you fit and I have written a free e-book on how you can improve your diet during your pregnancy, which can be obtained by clicking on my link. To find out more about Nutritional support during or before your pregnancy, contact UrBod Nutritionist Melody Mackeown Dip.ION (mBANT), specialist in pre-conceptual care, fertility and pregnancy care in the city of London, EC2.

Overweight during your pregnancy increases pregnancy risks to you and your baby.

There have been many studies which demonstrate that obesity during pregnancy is associated with serious pregnancy-related complications, says UrBod Nutritionist Melody Mackeown, who specialises in pre-conceptual care, fertility and pregnancy. Problems include high blood pressure, gestational diabetes which occurs in a woman who develops diabetes during her pregnancy, and Caesarean deliveries.

Too much weight can also cause other unpleasant pregnancy health concerns, including: backache, leg pain; varicose veins and excessive fatigue.

Excessive weight gain may also cause problems for the baby. Technically, an overweight baby is one who weighs more than 4500 gm, or 9.9 lbs. Large babies make vaginal deliveries more difficult, increasing the risk for cesarean section. Overweight babies may have an increased risk for health problems later in life, such as obesity; adult rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes.

Nutritional support can therefore be very important during your pregnancy to help you lose excessive weight and to support the health of you and your baby.

To find out more about Nutritional support during or before your pregnancy, contact UrBod Nutritionist Melody Mackeown Dip.ION (mBANT), specialist in pre-conceptual care, fertility and pregnancy care in the city of London, EC2. I have also written a free e-book on how you can improve your diet during your pregnancy, which can be obtained by clicking on my link.

Too much stress during pregnancy can leave a lasting legacy on you and your baby

A certain amount of stress on your body is generally considered normal and even important in conditions such as when you are ill, says UrBod Nutritionist Melody Mackeown, who specialises in pre-conceptual care, fertility and pregnancy. But the stress suffered by today's expectant mothers, many of whom want to carry on their careers, can be extreme.

Everyone has a certain amount of the "stress hormone" cortisol naturally present in the body but levels rise under stress.

Cortisol is secreted by the adrenal glands and helps the body in stressful situations by providing a burst of energy needed for 'fight or flight'.

The base level of cortisol fluctuates throughout the day. In the morning it is higher and it reduces by evening.

The average level of cortisol is measured in nanomoles per litre and in a healthy adult would be between 150 and 500nmol/l. But under stress – such as a person on the night before an operation – this level could double to 300 and 1,000nmol/l. Sustained exposure to these levels is likely to cause serious health problems, including high blood pressure.

Usually the placenta stops most of the mother's stress hormones reaching the baby. But it is thought that if there are high levels of the hormones, or if the placenta is not working properly, significant amounts reach the unborn child. One theory is that while the developing baby is exposed to the stress hormone their own developing reproductive organs may also be damaged, which would affect the health of future generations.

Dr Lisa Thorn, a researcher from the Psychophysiology and Stress Research Group at the University of Westminster, London, said: "What goes on in your head does impact your health and it impacts on different people in different ways. To what extent depends on the person, the level of stress and how they appraise something as being stressful or not."

Importantly many first time mums-to-be carry on working until 1-2 weeks before the birth of their baby, says UrBod Nutritionist Melody Mackeown, as they do not realise how exhausted they will feel in the last trimester (especially if you have a difficult commute into work or are expected to work long hours). This impacts on any ‘normal’ stress you experience while pregnant (such as back ache etc) and does not give you time to relax sufficiently before the birth of your baby. While many women need to work up to the birth for financial reasons, where you don’t, think twice about starting maternity leave at such as late stage and taking time out for yourself and your baby. Labour is an extremely exhausting event and so are the sleepless nights that are accompanied for the arrival of your bundle of joy.

Making the correct food choices can also reduce the amount of stress you and your baby will experience says UrBod Nutritionist Melody Mackeown, as it provides you with the correct nutrients to deal with stress more effectively. For example, many people become more irritable and feel low or depressed as a result of having a blood sugar imbalance. Further, an estimated 1 in 10 mothers experience some form of post-natal depression and how you feel directly impacts on how your baby may feel. This can be helped or possibly avoided by making the best dietary choices for you. This is especially important when you are about to have a baby. I know from experience that sleep deprivation is a huge stressor!

To find out more about Nutritional support during or before your pregnancy, contact UrBod Nutritionist Melody Mackeown Dip.ION (mBANT), specialist in pre-conceptual care, fertility and pregnancy care in the city of London, EC2. I have also written a free e-book on how you can improve your diet during your pregnancy, which can be obtained by clicking on my link.

How much weight should I put on during my pregnancy?

You may be worried about gaining weight during pregnancy, or you may have started the pregnancy with more weight than you would have liked says UrBod Nutritionist Melody Mackeown, who specialises in pre-conceptual care, fertility and pregnancy..

However, under no circumstances should you diet while you are pregnant as you may deprive yourself and your baby of important nutrients, says UrBod Nutritionist Melody Mackeown. Further, your body may start to detoxify (losing toxins stored in fat throughout your body) and these toxins may pass through your baby before being excreted.

If you eat a healthy, nutritious diet you will not put on any more weight than is necessary – so avoid the temptation to ‘pig-out’ as it will be harder to lose weight once your baby is born. As a rule of thumb, a healthy weight gain during pregnancy is considered to be no more than 33lb (15kg) and also not less than 11lb (5kg). Women who are underweight prior to pregnancy should gain a little more, and overweight women, a little less.

Women who do not gain enough weight have an increased risk for delivering babies with low birth weight (less than 2500 gm, or 5.52 pounds).

And babies who are underweight are at risk for physical and psychological childhood disorders, says UrBod Nutritionist Melody Mackeown:
· They are more likely to experience asthma, respiratory tract infections, and ear infections.
· Babies who are born weighing less than 1000 gm (2.2 lbs), are at greater risk for cerebral palsy (a neurological abnormality).
· They are more likely to score low on intelligence tests and are more likely to have delayed development.

Conversely though, gaining too much weight can also be a problem. It can make pregnancy an unpleasant experience, causing
· Backache;
· Leg pain;
· Varicose veins; and
· Fatigue.

It may also lead to hypertension and diabetes. Excess weight may also be difficult to lose after delivery.

Excessive weight gain may also cause problems for the baby. Technically, an overweight baby is one who weighs more than 4500 gm, or 9.9 lbs. Large babies make vaginal deliveries more difficult, increasing the risk for cesarean section. Overweight babies may have an increased risk for health problems later in life, such as
· Obesity;
· Adult rheumatoid arthritis; and
· Diabetes.

To find out more about Nutritional support during or before your pregnancy, contact UrBod Nutritionist Melody Mackeown Dip.ION (mBANT), specialist in pre-conceptual care, fertility and pregnancy care in the city of London, EC2. I have also written a free e-book on how you can improve your diet during your pregnancy, which can be obtained by clicking on my link.