How To Be Healthy While Pregnant

Pregnancy can be both an exciting yet stressful time. As women try to keep up with all of the rules about what to eat, what not eat, how to workout, if to workout, what should be a sacred and exciting time can be just plain challenging.

While I don’t have a baby on board just yet, working with clients pre and post pregnancy has prepped me for whenever that day may come. So if you are preggers, read this and learn how to be healthy, fit and pregnant.

Eating For Two

While the average weight gain over an entire pregnancy is 25 to 35 pounds, many women over indulge (or under indulge) while their dear offspring is on board. So just how much should you be increasing your calorie intake while Jr. grows? Well, during the first three months of pregnancy you don’t need to increase your calories at all. However during your second trimester you should increase your caloric intake by about 304 calories per day, and by your third trimester up it to about 450 extra calories per day. But like in any other FitGirl situation, your individual need will depend on age, height, weight and activity level. Need help figuring out how many calories needed daily? Check out my friend Dr. Jan Rydfors’ The Pregnancy Companion® app. As an OB/GYN specializing in fertility and high-risk pregnancy she’s got both you and your diet covered mommy!

Wa-Wa-Water Please

Hydration is extremely important during pregnancy. Frequent fluid intake is needed since more water evaporates from your skin when you are pregnant. Oh, and don’t let it be summer?! Heat enhances fluid loss so don’t skip the chance to sip during warmer months. Try to drink at least 10 eight-ounces glasses of fluid every day and even more on hot days. P.S. The Pregnancy Companion® app has a fun hydration counter to make it easy to keep track of your fluid intake too.

Supply Super Supplements 

Don’t stop eating those fruits and vegetables future mom- the vitamins and nutrients packed in fresh produce is priceless when it comes to the growth of your family’s new addition. However some other super supplemental foods you should consider are:

• Omega-3s

Essential to human health and development, omega-3 fatty acids contribute to proper brain and heart health and are therefore especially important to the developing brain and heart of a fetus

• Iron

Your body needs iron to make hemoglobin, the main protein in red blood cells, therefore your iron intake needs to increase significantly during pregnancy in order to produce the needed nearly 50% increase in red blood cells, as well as the blood cells in the baby.  The recommended amount during pregnancy is 30mg per day (which P.S. your prenatal vitamin should have).

• Vitamin D

Vitamin D is important to the health of bones and the immune system. So don’t forget to call on calcium. The recommended daily pregnancy intake of calcium is about 1,000-1,300 milligrams, or at least four servings.

• Protein

What do pregnancy and a body builder have in common? A serious need for protein. Protein is essential in building a strong body, so since you are building one in your belly your going to need to pursue this source for the amino acids that build cells and blood formation. How much? 70 grams per day.

Be A Sweaty Mama 

I know you are tired and lugging an extra 20 lbs around doesn’t present the most desirable conditions for exercise, however to that I say: Sweat anyway. Fellow FitGirl and Revolve spin instructor Francina SegBefia is pregnant, and knows a thing or two on how to be active in way that is safe for both mommy and baby. So here’s the scoop. If you haven’t exercised for a while, begin with as little as five minutes of physical activity a day. Then from there build up from there until you reach at least 30 minutes a day.

However if you have been getting good use out of your gym membership before pregnancy you can probably continue to work out at the same level while you’re pregnant — as long as you’re feeling comfortable and your health care provider says it’s cool. It is totally worth it. Since “eliminating that regular workout could possibly cause excess weight gain, a more difficult labor and a tougher time taking off the weight after birth,” according to SegBefia. For more tips visit her blog “Healthy & Fit Mama: Working Out While Pregnant,”

Prep Your Pooch

Add science to sweat and prep your pooch. The area of the body that most ladies are afraid the see change after pregnancy is their midsection. However here comes Leah Keller, MA, CPT to the rescue. Keller is the founder & CEO behind The Dia Method– a groundbreaking approach to protecting and restoring the abdominal wall. Grounded in science and backed by results, The Dia Method teaches you how to activate your transverse abdominis (your natural corset) through isometric contractions while seamlessly reinforcing the strength, resilience and elasticity of both the linea alba and the rectus abdominis. Basically in minutes a day, you can protect your body during pregnancy, train for a faster/easier labor, and achieve flat, firm abdominal muscles soon after childbirth. So check out both of Keller’s prenatal and post pregnancy fitness DVDs today.

Robbie Ann Darby (RAD Experience) is a professional FitGirl, Group Fitness Instructor and Personal Trainer in NYC. Follow her sweaty life on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for more fun health and fitness tips!