Ada Jennifer » Blog » Parenting » How To Have A Healthy And Belly Only Pregnancy

How To Have A Healthy And Belly Only Pregnancy

Sharing is caring!

It is a known fact that women put on weight during pregnancy and I can totally relate to this, cause when I had my son, my weight increased significantly especially in my third trimester. However, I got my before pregnancy body back a few weeks after delivery.

Pregnancy weight gain is therefore normal, the problem is when the weight gain is excessive. No one wants to after delivery start looking obese and that’s why I feel it is important for you to know that you can be pregnant and not gain excessive weight.

To understand how much weight gain is normal, it is helpful to analyze the various things which increase the expectant mother’s weight. For a pregnant woman; her fetus, placenta, enlarged uterus, amniotic fluid (liquid in which the fetus lives), and even her bigger breasts contribute to her weight.

Also, her increased volume of blood, retained water and the increased deposition of fat in her tissues contribute. The deposition of fat in her tissues is caused by the conversion of excess carbohydrate eaten in her diet but in part, it is a normal event caused by pregnancy hormones.

The amount of fat deposited varies. This stored fat can later be used during breastfeeding. The hormones of pregnancy are responsible for the retention of water in the body of an expectant mother. Therefore, you are supposed to gain 20-25 pounds during pregnancy, depending on your weight.

The weight gain is not evenly spread during the period of pregnancy, as more weight is gained from second to the third trimester. However, if an expectant mother gains too much weight, she will find it almost impossible to lose the extra weight and her clothes will no more fit.

It is, therefore, necessary to gain only the necessary amount of weight and no more during pregnancy, to achieve this, the following must be observed:

 

1.  Eat Right

During pregnancy, a woman has to provide the nutrients required for the growth of her child, as well as her own needs. This is however not a license for her to eat excessively. She does not have to eat for two. Therefore as a pregnant woman, you should only eat because you are hungry, don’t eat because you are pregnant and you think you need to keep eating.

If you are hungry, nourish your body, give it something that is nutritious. You should know what you are eating and understand it’s nutritional value, otherwise you will keep stuffing yourself with more than what you and your baby need and these extra calories will be stored as fat.

Most women during pregnancy eat too much food; particularly fats, oils, sweets, ice-cream, fatty meats, and fried food. Since their energy intake is excessive for their needs, the excess is stored in their body as fat.

That’s not to say pregnant women shouldn’t eat well, they should, cause pregnancy puts increased demand on their body for protein, iron, calcium, folate and other nutrients and when these demands are not met, the mother and child will be malnourished.

 

2.  Drink Water

You will need to drink even more water during pregnancy as your body needs all that water to create the huge water sack around your growing baby. Water also nourishes the baby, flushes toxins out of your body, helps you to keep your weight under control, keeps you hydrated and full; so you don’t feel you have to eat so often.

Water further helps with morning sickness, swelling, constipation and of course with keeping your skin’s elasticity. So you should add 2-4 more glasses to your daily water intake during pregnancy. Also, eat lots of fruits and vegetables that have high water content like melons and watermelons, cucumbers, tomatoes, celery, and lettuce.

 

3.  Stay Active And Fit

The more you workout, the faster you will bounce back after pregnancy. A 45 minutes fast-paced walk will get your heart rate up (if you have not been working out before pregnancy). This is definitely better than sitting on the couch and doing nothing.

You don’t have to run marathons or go to the gym every day for 2 hours. Simply continue what you have been doing before. Exercise is encouraged if this your usual habit, but if you don’t exercise except for doing your normal house chores, you don’t need to change your habits.

If you used to exercise before pregnancy, you can continue even in pregnancy. If you used to love to swim, you can still do that, if what you love is playing tennis, pregnancy doesn’t stop you, you can still do it. After all, Serena Williams, the famous lawn tennis star played even when she was pregnant and she gave birth to a healthy child.

So your exercise need not change because you are pregnant however you can modify your exercise as your pregnancy advances. In all, do what works for you. It should, however, be noted that exercise in pregnancy has several benefits. It increases the body awareness of some women.

Exercise could also be used to increase muscle and joint flexibility and to reduce pregnancy discomforts such as backache. So, exercise is beneficial when used wisely. However strenuous activities that endanger your health and that of your baby should be avoided or better still, proper advice could be sought from your doctor before undertaking them.

 

4.  Make Sleep A Priority

As an expectant mother, you should sleep for at least 8 hours a day. Lack of sleep can cause a variety of health issues some of which are: Decreased cognitive function and memory, impaired decision-making, hormonal imbalance, Increased cortisol levels (which in turn increases appetite). Also, lack of enough sleep signals your body to go into “survival” mode, slowing metabolism.

All of these can lead to weight gain, as well as making you feel crappy. Whether it is working a nap into your day or going to bed an hour earlier each night, make sleep a priority in your life. Not only will you feel better, but getting enough sleep can help keep your weight gain under control.

Following the above ideas allows you to have a healthy and belly only pregnancy.

Pin for later

Sharing is caring!

One Comment

  1. Pingback: What To Avoid During Your First Trimester - Do's & Don'ts | Ada Jennifer

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *