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Medication and the First Trimester

At the beginning of the week I cautioned against going off medication when you get pregnant.  Now I want to write a follow-up, because it actually is important to know any potential dangers with medicine and the first trimester. As a rule I’ve avoided reading lists of dangers, side effects, and rare pregnancy and birth problems.  They’ll just cause me unnecessary stress, and since pregnant women usually see their doctors at least once a month, I trust mine to keep me informed about anything that will actually/is actually affecting me.  But it is important to know that the first trimester … Continue reading →

Pregnancy Reflections: Exercise

I cannot reiterate enough how important it is to exercise frequently and consistently throughout pregnancy. The results are quite amazing. I first became committed to exercise with my first pregnancy. I did not exercise nearly as frequently or intensely with my first pregnancy nor was I as consistent with my workout routine. I gained more weight with my first pregnancy and it took me over six months to get close to my pre-pregnancy size. I was also in the process of transitioning to a whole food diet with local and organic foods. It was during the post pregnancy phase of … Continue reading →

Continued Exercise During Pregnancy

It was my first pregnancy that convinced me that exercise should be a regular and consistent part of my daily and weekly routine. Having developed a firm commitment to exercise in the last three years, I find myself not only enjoying my workout routine during my second pregnancy but depending on it for relief from pregnancy aches and pains. I have discovered now more than ever before that consistency in a prenatal exercise is essential to a healthy pregnancy. In early pregnancy I continued to do my regular workouts without any need for modification. My goals at the beginning of … Continue reading →

Overcoming the Obstacles to Exercise

Human beings need to exercise regularly. Regular exercise was not a big problem a century ago because the average person’s daily life required physical activity. Times have changed. Our survival no longer depends on the same physical demands of our ancestors, yet our bodies still require regular exercise to maintain optimal health. Numerous studies and years of research has revealed that it is equally important for pregnant women to remain active throughout their pregnancies and engage is regular exercise. Knowing that exercise should be an important part of every pregnant woman’s daily life is one thing. Committing to a regular … Continue reading →

Exercise in the First Trimester

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Exercise is hard regardless if you are pregnant or not. It just is. It takes commitment, will-power, and education. For pregnant women exercise is absolutely imperative. Exercise along with diet can almost guarantee a pregnancy free of major complications, manageable labor, and natural delivery. Pregnant women are strongly encouraged to engage in some form of exercise daily during pregnancy. As to the intensity and type of exercise: this depends entirely on the individual pregnant woman. If she is active and has been exercising regularly before pregnancy, she can continue her regular exercise routine until it becomes uncomfortable at which point … Continue reading →

Motivation to Exercise

I have never been much of an exerciser. I went for runs with my college roommates but that only lasted a couple weeks. I made good use of the treadmill in the basement in the last few weeks preceding my wedding. I took a Pilate class for a month just to get out of the house while my husband spent late nights at rehearsals during graduate school. I never stuck with anything I tried and I never really cared. Sure I needed to get fit and tone my pathetically weak muscles, but the motivation just wasn’t there. That all changed … Continue reading →

Four Ways to Get Exercise During Your Pregnancy

It’s comforting to me, a person who associates exercise with pain, discomfort and boredom, that even the most disciplined women must set aside their rigorous routines during pregnancy. Is it terrible to appreciate how pregnancy puts so many of us on level playing ground? The fact is, exercise is really good for pregnant women, but it must be modified for the safety of both mom and baby. You never want to be out of breath when you are pregnant, and you certainly don’t want to be jostling that poor baby around on the jogging path. Pilates has been recommended to … Continue reading →

Your First Forty-Eight Hours

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The first forty-eight hours following birth are a mixture of joy and sheer exhaustion. Childbirth classes often focus more on pregnancy and the birth. They touch on the postpartum period, but for the most part, they don’t go into to much detail about the events that happen after the baby is born. One of the most popular questions I get is, “what will my stomach look like after I have my baby?” After you have your baby, everything except for the baby and the placenta remains. As a result, the size of your post-birth belly may surprise you. Many women … Continue reading →

Pregnancy Stages: The Second Trimester

The second trimester of pregnancy includes weeks thirteen through twenty-four. You will begin to show during this time and most women start wearing maternity clothes at some time during the second trimester. You will become more aware of the baby’s presence and feel movement at some time during these weeks. This varies widely among women, so don’t get stuck on an exact week to feel the movement. Many women find the symptoms of pregnancy subside somewhat in the second trimester. Some report this trimester is the most comfortable, since morning sickness has generally ended. Also, while the stomach is expanding, … Continue reading →

ACOG Guidelines for Exercise

Most medical professionals agree that exercise during pregnancy is beneficial for otherwise healthy women. The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology advocates exercise for healthy women at least three times a week. The organization made the recommendation along with other guidelines for exercise. The ACOG suggests various forms of exercise, including swimming, bicycling and weight bearing exercise. If a woman is healthy, she can often exercise at the same level of intensity as she did prior to pregnancy. The duration and intensity will vary from woman to woman and often depends on the fitness level prior to pregnancy. Active women … Continue reading →