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September 21, 2009August 26, 2009Exercise & Shortness of Breath in the Last Trimester:
Even if you were in good shape pre-pregnancy, you are probably finding yourself out of breath at the top of a flight of stairs especially in the final trimester. The reason for this breathlessness is that by the time you are in your 36th week, your uterus has expanded to about 1,000 times its normal size. This means the more it grows the more it presses against your diaphragm. Your lungs have less room to operate. This shortness of breath may tempt you to quit exercising. However, quite the opposite is true. A study compared sedentary pregnant women with pregnant women who were rode a stationary bike three days a week for 25 minutes each time. Researchers found the women who exercised had less severe symptoms of breathlessness. This led them to speculate that physical conditioning may make the mechanics of breathing more efficient and may help prevent and treat pregnancy-induced shortness of breath.
The Bottom Line:
If you feel out of breath, slow down or stop and rest. But don’t stop exercising all together. Stay active and continue to exercise because of the potential benefits. August 12, 2009An important reminder for prenatal nutrition
Remember that even though you may want to gain as little fat as possible, it is critical that you gain enough weight. Low birth weight (less than 5.5 pounds) is a predominate factor in two thirds of all infant deaths. Infant deaths due to low birth weight are 30 times more frequent than deaths of newborns of normal weight. It seems that nutritional status and low prepregnancy weight negatively influence the birth weight of the baby. The National Academy of Sciences recommends a gain of 27.5 to 40 pounds for underweight women, 25 to 35 pounds for women of normal weight, and 15 to 25 for women who are overweight. *This isn’t a license to eat anything and everything you want. Obese women also have a higher incidence of obstetrical complications including prolonged labor.
July 27, 2009The 3rd Trimester: What you are facing and how to deal with it…
So you thought you were clumsy last trimester? Watch out! It gets worse! Although your bulging belly is fun for most people to see AND feel, it can also cause falls if you aren’t careful! -wear shoes that fit well, with little to no heel -watch out for hazards, be especially careful of wet floors! -use your core (especially the abdominals between your hip bones) by pulling them in toward your spine slightly, this will help your balance and help ease back pain
Lack of Motivation:
Some women have lots of energy while others feel tired all the time. If you are one of the latter, give yourself a break, your baby is probably taking a lot of your energy! If you need to, take a couple days off. You can always do your exercise at another time. Remember there are seven days in a week and you don’t have to push your workouts all into the first two!!
Feeling Overwhelmed:
This is a very exciting, yet anxious time of your pregnancy. There will be a lot on your mind. Besides taking time off, you need to take time for yourself, go to a spa, get your hair done. But don’t forget to exercise too. This will help you focus on something else besides the coming birth and baby and give you’re an adrenaline rush that will lift your spirits. You will also feel good that you’ve done something positive for both you and your baby!
Learning to Slow Down:
a bit. Ease up on yourself, take more time to rest between sets, and decrease your repetitions a bit. Be sure you are not pushing yourself too hard.
If you have any problems, STOP and consult your Physician! As always the most important things are you & your baby.
July 23, 2009Important Heart Rate InformationYou may have heard from friends or other pregnant women that you should keep your heart at a certain rate during pregnancy. Pregnancy and the extra weight your body is carrying make your body work harder even when you aren’t exercising. Exercise increases the flow of oxygen and blood to the muscles being worked and away from other important parts of the body. So it is important not to overdo it during pregnancy. The “talk test:” If you are able to talk normally while you are exercising, your heart rate is at an acceptable level. July 20, 2009How to Cope with Gas and Bloating:
Not only do we have to deal with our expanding waistlines during pregnancy, but we have to worry about these two beauties as well! Pregnancy hormones are responsible, especially progesterone. This hormones job is to relax the uterus, which decreases the likelihood of uterine contractions until the baby is ready to be born. Unfortunately it doesn’t just affect the uterus; it affects all the smooth muscles in the body, including the stomach and intestines. The result? Your digestive system gets sluggish! What can you do? Even though these not-so-fun symptoms may not make you feel like exercising, a workout may be just the thing to ease your discomfort! Physical activity actually improves digestion, and reduces gassiness and bloating.
More hints and suggestions on reducing gas and bloating:
Eat many small meals instead of three large ones. Stay away from foods that seem to cause you to have gas. Don’t hold gas in - that will make it worse! Try rocking vigorously in a rocking chair, pushing off with your feet at the bot.tom of the chair’s downswing. For some reason this seems to help gas pass from your system more easily July 17, 2009Sources of important vitamins & minerals for your pregnancy:Vitamin A:Green leafy vegetable, dark yellow vegetables, wholefortified skim and low fat milks, liverVitamin C:Citrus fruits, strawberries, broccoli, tomatoesVitamin D:Fortified milk, fish liver oils, exposure to sunlightVitamin E:Vegetable oils, whole grain cereals, wheat germ, greenleafy vegetablesFolate:Green leafy vegetables, orange juice, strawberries, liver,legumes, nutsCalcium:Milk and milk products, sardines and salmon with bones,collard, kale, mustard, turnip greensIron:Meat, liver, dried beans and peas, iron-fortified cereals, prune juice
**There is no time like the present to eat right, it will give your baby the right
nutrition and set a great example for your “bundle of joy” after birth!July 15, 2009Staying Motivated!Good intentions are good, but when all the changes of pregnancy weigh you down, it’s hard to stay motivated! Here is some advice I hope helps you stick to it!!!
Set your sites low!
Make your goals realistic, not fantasies!
Make a commitment!
Write down your intentions and put it on the refrigerator or on calendar. Then put an X on each day you get your goal done!
Reward yourself!
Positive reinforcement works for kids AND it works for mothers-to-be! Maybe that new movie you are dying to see or a nice pre natal massage!
No self criticism!
If you have a terrible week and don’t get your exercise in, don’t get mad at yourself! You are pregnant, which means your body is already working hard and once in a while you’re allowed to take some time off. July 14, 2009Do you need to be consistent with exercise during pregnancy?The simple answer is YES! The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends at least 3 days a week (do more if you feel up to it!) and has shown that it is much better to be get in 3 days a week or so consistently than to do it sporadically. Since your strength workouts I send you are all different it should keep you interested, but if you are tired of your cardiovascular workouts, switch it up! Don’t forget that you can even get in exercise while you are having fun, say while shopping (especially if you are “window shopping”). Or if you are taking another child to the pool, go ahead and wear your swimsuit. Even if you’re not a swimmer you can get in a good workout by treading water or even walking around the pool in waist deep water!July 13, 2009How cardiovascular workouts can help you with labor.Remember that labor, with or without drugs is hard and you will need endurance and strength to get through it. The more fit your heart is, the more energy and endurance you’ll have for you and your baby’s big event! So…how do you get a more fit heart? Cardiovascular fitness, of course! A strong heart is better able to supply your hardworking muscles with freshly oxygenated blood, which keeps them primed for action. And, if you want to go straight to the heart of the issue, women in the real world have testified to the fact that being fit helped them tolerate labor pain better and increased their stamina to endure the whole labor, pain AND pushing! There is no single way to get in good cardiovascular fitness. There are many ways! Remember to consider your fitness level first and foremost and then the Borg Scaled of Perceived Exertion. You should stay around a 2 to 4 for your cardiovascular work. If you cannot talk while you are working out, you are probably at too high of an intensity. You can also switch it up, walking one day, swimming the next or any combination you want. You should try to get in 2 to 3 days of cardiovascular work depending on how you are feeling! |
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