Obesity or a high body mass index (BMI) during pregnancy is a sign of increased health complications. Though pregnancy is a period of bonding between a mother and her unborn child, it is also a time fraught with weight gain issues. While it is common knowledge that the waiting period is thick with medical monitoring for these issues, the unproven myth of 'eating for two' is a huge contributing factor to this difficulty that expecting women face. Here, we try to debunk this popular myth and talk about ten things that pregnant women should minister to manage their weight appropriately during pregnancy.
Regulate Your Diet
Modulating one's diet is the first step in retaining normal weight during pregnancy. Foods such as fish, eggs, meat, beans, cheese, milk, and nuts are rich protein sources. Multi-grains are the recommended source of carbohydrates, while veggies, cooked with little or no oil, will take care of a pregnant woman's mineral and vitamin requirements.
Exercise
Regular exercising, which includes brisk walking, yoga, low-impact aerobics, swimming, can be very helpful in abating weight gain. 30 minutes of activity is enough to maintain a healthy weight during pregnancy. Still, each individual's actual duration will vary according to the body type, fatigue levels, and requisites for weight reduction.
Minimise Your Calorie Intake
But don't take drastic measures while trying to cut calories. The optimal intake should be 1700 calories per day, ensuring both the mother's and baby's health.
Monitor Your Weight
Keep checking your weight at regular intervals and try to keep it from increasing unduly. It is good to know the amount of excess weight to modulate weight effectively without having to take any extreme measures.
Focus on Healthy Lifestyle changes
This should include a scheduled timetable with slots for activity, food, recreation, and mental stimulation. This is a very happy period in any woman's life, and hence, expecting women should take steps to ensure that they always remain in the right frame of mind.
Drink Plenty of Water
Hydration is the mantra to prevent constipation which is caused by low water in the body. Drinking water can also make you feel satiated between meals, leading to inhibition in the consumption of excessive amounts of food. However, take care to keep off fizzy drinks.
Try Counselling Sessions
Going for counsel can help you with a host of things, such as first-hand advice from mothers and pieces of advice to keep negativity at bay that might creep in during this period. Counseling is not one-dimensional but has multifarious aspects that could include going to a dietitian, doing yoga, listening to calming music, spending time alone, etc.
Be Informed
Being informed is being aware. Read up different books on pregnancy. Be informed about the various facets, such as foods to eat and avoid, medical examinations to undergo, vaccinations that you might need, medications you should take, etc. A positive step in this direction could come in the form of self-help, which is when you could still take care of yourself if no one were around.
Give Into Cravings from Time to Time
While cravings can and do strike frequently, giving into it on an occasional basis is fine. Little things like these can keep you in a happy state of mind. And, for the time when the cravings hit you, you can make the most of it by munching on healthy foods, such as nuts, fruits, muesli, etc.
Try to Begin Pregnancy with a Healthy BMI
If the pregnancy is planned, try to start your journey with a healthy weight. This will also tell you how much weight you should try to maintain and teach you about the foods you should eat and when, how often you should monitor your weight, how many calories you need, etc.
Final Word
The period of pregnancy is a period of an array of new beginnings, especially for first-time mothers. To stay fit, healthy, and happy, there is a lot you can do to make sure that this period is filled with love and joy. This can only be ensured if you are armed with knowledge. Keep this in mind and find ways to inculcate everything you learn, and rest assured, everything will fall into place. Visit Pregacare to learn everything about caring for your physical, mental, and emotional well-being during pregnancy.
