Exercise, nutritious diet important for expectant moms

Michele Armstrong didn’t plan on having a fourth child.

So it was a happy surprise for her, her husband and their three sons — ages 6, 8 and 10 — when Michele found out she was pregnant. She immediately began taking her prenatal vitamins, cut her caffeine consumption and gave up her beloved sushi. She’s been more conscious about getting fruits and vegetables into her diet. She exercises regularly and tries to walk at least 30 to 45 minutes four to five days a week.

At just 10 weeks, Michele is barely showing. But what she does now to take care of herself could make a world of difference for both her health and the health of her unborn baby as her pregnancy progresses.

“My other three, I exercised all the way to the end,” 36-year-old Michele said. “ ... It’s amazing.

You just have to be more conscious about everything.”

There are obvious things moms-to-be shouldn’t do — smoking, drinking alcohol or taking illegal drugs. Providing a healthy home for your baby as he or she develops in the womb, however, goes much further.

“Women get pregnant, and they think they can eat whatever they want,” said Dr. Trenace

Dubreuil, an obstetrician and gynecologist with Women’s Medical Center of Dothan. The whole “eating for two” mentality is probably one of the biggest misconceptions Dubreuil sees among her patients.

Yes, you’re eating for two. Yes, you’re going to be eating more daily calories. And, yes, your baby needs certain nutrients. It’s OK to reward yourself once in a while, but you’re not doing either you or your baby any good with those Big Macs and hot fudge sundaes.

Weight gain during pregnancy actually depends on a woman’s pre-pregnancy weight, Dubreuil said.

Women who are average weight should only gain about 30 pounds, while women who are underweight can gain up to 40 pounds, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. An overweight woman should not gain more than 15 to 25 pounds while pregnant. Women considered obese should gain about 15 pounds. Of course, a woman carrying twins would gain more — 35 to 45 pounds.

The risks increase during pregnancy for women who are overweight when they become pregnant. They may have problems with high blood pressure and gestational diabetes.

However, women shouldn’t be trying to lose weight while pregnant, Dubreuil said.

“We don’t want people on crazy diets,” she said.

Armstrong gained 40 pounds during each of her three pregnancies. Exercising throughout her pregnancy helped her get the weight off within two months of giving birth each time. But every pregnancy is different — Armstrong was nauseous in the early months of her three prior pregnancies but has not had any morning sickness during her current pregnancy.

She’s also not had a migraine since she found out she was pregnant. Armstrong took a daily medication for migraines, which she stopped immediately after learning of her pregnancy. And when she had the flu during a recent family vacation, she stayed in bed for days and relied on

Tylenol to get her through the body aches.

When her three other children are at school, Armstrong makes a point to rest. She doesn’t plan on having amniocentesis, a procedure to rule out genetic defects sometimes recommended for women who become pregnant after age 35.

“I just don’t think we would do anything different if we found out there were problems,”

Armstrong said. “We’re just hoping for a healthy baby.”

Source: http://www.dothaneagle.com/gulfcoasteast/dea/lifestyle.apx.-content-articles-DEA-2008-03-16-0001.html