Baby on board, how to stay on track!

abak819
abak819 Posts: 6 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
A few weeks ago, my hubby and I found out we are expecting :0) While we are over the moon excited, I am also very nervous about the weight gain. I KNOW that I NEED to gain some weight for baby to be healthy. But I want to keep myself in check. Problem right now, I am SO nauseated I can hardly get myself from the couch to bed at night, and its a constant struggle during the day. So no walking on the treadmill for me. On the bright side, I can hardly eat anything, which again I know isn't good but it is keeping my weight gain in check. I know this nausea will pass, and until then I am just going to take it easy. But, when that time comes, what are some good programs, routines to follow? I want to do cardio (running/walking) and some light weight lifting as well just to try to keep/get some tone! Any other suggestions for pregnancy workouts that worked for you?

Replies

  • Freyja2023
    Freyja2023 Posts: 158 Member
    amazon has some pretty awesome workout dvd's for pregnant women. I got one for my cousin when she was pregnant I think it was a Kathy smith one and she loved it. Walking is best. I walked with my younest and stayed in good shape. Before starting anything I would talk to your doctor and see what he/she says. Your doctor will be able to suggest the best workout for you and your baby.

    Congratulations :)
  • mrstravisjones
    mrstravisjones Posts: 104 Member
    From what I know, a lot of weight gain is not necessary. You only need an additional 300-500 calories a day. And check with your doctor, but if you are already active, then usually it is perfectly fine to continue working out. I know someone who continued her crossfit classes until week 31 of pregnancy.

    Good luck with your pregnancy! The hubs and I have been trying for 6 months now.
  • carolyn0613
    carolyn0613 Posts: 162 Member
    Advice in the UK from the NHS is that about 200 extra calories (on top of your maintenance calories) should be enough. You shouldn't be on a weight loss diet but nor should you be eating for two!

    Lots of good advice here http://www.nhs.uk/news/2010/July07/Pages/new-nice-guidelines-weight-pregnancy.aspx especially on taking exercise and eating healthy - all the same stuff as we hear here!
  • jennieodwyer
    jennieodwyer Posts: 1,036 Member
    Congratulations! Walking is great when you are pregnant beyond just weight control. It helped me with a lot of the pregnancy symptoms such as fatigue, soreness, constipation, etc. (I know TMI but soon enough nothing will be off limits haha). I had a hard time finding challenging pregnancy workout videos. So many of them were yoga based (which isn't my thing). I did later find Lindsay Brin and highly recommend her workouts. She has a whole series for pregnancy (first, second and third trimester videos) as well as post natal. She is coming out with another pregnancy series that is supposed to be a bit more intense than her first set but that hasn't been released yet. Congrats again!
  • 416runner
    416runner Posts: 159
    Congratulations on your pregnancy!

    I didn't exercise at all during my first pregnancy but with my second, I ran and played ultimate frisbee through my first trimester. Once I got into the second trimester, I spent a lot of time in the pool, either doing laps (until I was just too big and awkward) and doing aquafit. Being in the water was just a little easier on my body than running on land.
  • ahmommy
    ahmommy Posts: 316 Member
    Congratulations!

    I completely understand your concern. I gained too much weight (40 lbs) in my first pregnancy and had a hard time losing the last 15 pounds of it after she was born. As a result, I got a lot smarter before I got pregnant with my second.

    I had all the good intentions to exercise throughout my second pregnancy and only gain the lower recommended limit of 25 pounds. My doctor gave me the green light early on to shoot for a 20 pound gain, and said no exercise was off limits except for anything that puts you flat on your back after the first trimester.

    Unfortunately I had some complications in my first trimester that landed me on pelvic rest, meaning I couldn't even pick up my toddler, much less exercise strenuously. The restrictions were lifted after the first trimester, but I was significantly scared enough at that point that I didn't want to push it. Thanks to some crippling nausea, I lost and gained the same 5 pounds over the course of the first trimester, meaning I netted no gain for the first trimester

    I still aimed for a 20-25 pound overall gain through diet. I ended up gaining 30 pounds in the end, and I went a couple days past my due date.

    Because I gained less the second time around, and was in better shape before my pregnancy, I lost the weight much more easily the second time around. I was at my pre-pregnancy weight within 4 months post-partum.
  • JenS2586
    JenS2586 Posts: 85
    I'm currently expecting also, although I'm in my 3rd trimester. I didn't do much in first trimester, got on treadmill whenever I could but I ate and ate and ate and I regret it cuz it didn't make me feel any better. Usually I lose weight in first tri but because of eating so much I just maintained. Once 2nd tri hit i slowly increased my time on treadmill. I did a lot of intervals, running and walking at an incline. I also do yoga, and some days prenatal circuit training with 5lb weights. There are tons of good prenatal workouts you can buy or youtube. All I can say is to keep active and eat as healthy a diet as possible, try to limit sodium and sweets and drink a LOT of water and you should be fine. Feel free to add me if you like and congrats!
  • Lovlilyn
    Lovlilyn Posts: 79 Member
    I just want to add that the quality of the 200-300 calories you add is as important as the actual extra calories. You need more protein - think about it, you're growing a person, that person is made up of muscle, bone, and water (mostly), so concentrate on more protein, more calcium, more greens (to help with the absorption of the protein), and water.

    I didn't really keep up with exercise in my pregnancies (3), I did walk as much as possible, but I was just too tired most of the time, and felt that my body needed sleep and rest more than exercise :-( Everyone is different - I gained a lot of weight (at least 50lb with each pregnancy), and it wouldn't come off until I *stopped* breastfeeding - unlike other women who leave the hospital in their jeans and lose even more weight while bf'g. I was never going to be one of those women. Pregnancy wrecked havoc on my already challenged metabolism and body composition.

    Congrats! I wouldn't change it even if I could have a supermodel's body. Worth every pound :-)
  • mrswoodstock
    mrswoodstock Posts: 29 Member
    congrats! i can tell you what NOT to do. dont eat everything and anything.... dont stop excersizing all together (talk to your doctor about whats safe), dont stress to much about it (my hubby hid my scales around month 6 bc i was freaking out), and when the baby is here dont make excuses not to excersize.

    Do try to breastfeed once the baby is here... it burns up to an extra 500 calories a day (even if you pump).

    i gained 50 with my baby and just now am almost down to my pre-pregnacy weight and she will be a year old in two weeks. but my birth control (depo) kept me from loosing weight too. and i didnt get right back on the bandwagon after she was born.
  • astrotam
    astrotam Posts: 153 Member
    Congratulations!!! I did Summer Sanders's Prenatal Workout DVD when I was pregnant. There are 30-minute workouts for each trimester. It involves a lot of lunges and stuff like that, and they use a resistance band a lot, so you'll need to get one of those. Since Summer is an Olympic Gold Medalist, I knew it would be good! Here's the link on Amazon:
    http://www.amazon.com/Summer-Sanders-Prenatal-Workout/dp/B001VC995S.
    Hope this helps!
  • sabrinafaith
    sabrinafaith Posts: 607 Member
    i didn't' eat any extra calories at all and still gained 27 lb... i walked A LOT. like miles and miles, over 3 miles a day. i ate a wholesome balanced diet and drank tons of water. I ate 1500 cals my first trimester, 1750 my second and 1900 my third... i did eat extra cals my first pregnancy and i gained 75 lbs.... the most important thing is what your eating, not how much, and staying active and healthy. don't worry about the numbers too much, you will make yourself nutz.
  • Cadori
    Cadori Posts: 4,810 Member
    Congrats!!

    Talk to your OB about your specific calorie needs. Typically your calorie increase while pregnant is quiet low. Though you will have some days where you could eat your own face you're so hungry.

    Mostly, give your body over to this experience. I'm not saying eat a ton, but listen to your body's cues. Eat quality food, get plenty of water, rest and enjoy this amazing thing your body can do.

    I will suggest breastfeeding afterward. It helps contract your uterus back to its normal size quickly and helps the baby weight come off.

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