Losing Weight While Pregnant: No Harm to Your Baby!

Up to modern times, people have thought that a pregnant woman should be “eating for two”. But now gynecologists recommend future mothers to pay attention to their diet and lifestyle. In order to give birth to a healthy baby and not to lose all the appeal after childbirth, a pregnant woman needs to know everything about losing weight while pregnant.

Excess Weight and Pregnancy

During a full-term pregnancy, it’s normal for an expectant mother to gain about 26 pounds of weight. When a woman gains a lot more she begins to wonder how to lose weight during pregnancy without any harm to the child. The pregnancy weight gain consists of the amniotic fluid, the fetal weight, the placenta, additional blood volume, and swollen breasts. The fat tissue in the female body is also increasing – it’s necessary for maintaining the hormonal balance.

That’s why it’s often hard to tell whether there is excess weight or not. But if a woman gains pounds of weight rapidly it’s leading to such complications as varicose veins, heart diseases, and preeclampsia. The most widespread consequence of excess weight during pregnancy is swellings, which is a sign of bad kidney function. It’s important for a future mother to keep her weight in check and thus avoid any negative aftermath.

Is Losing Weight While Pregnant Safe?

Gynecologists claim that only those expectant mothers whose weight represents a danger to their health or their babies’ development need to consider losing weight while pregnant. You should think about weight loss during pregnancy only if your excess pounds can result in the following:

• High odds of a miscarriage or stillbirth
• Heavy bleeding (blood loss) during the delivery
• Premature birth
• Complicated rehabilitation after childbirth

How to Lose Weight While Pregnant without Any Harm to the Child?

If you want to lose excess pounds without any harm to your baby you should reconsider your diet and do pregnancy exercises every day. Losing weight while pregnant will be easier if you maintain an active and healthy lifestyle. Here is what you need to do:

• Do some stretching and pregnancy exercises every day
• Take up swimming
• Hire a massage therapist
• Make sure you’re breathing correctly during your walks
• Get out of the house every day for a bit of fresh air

The Healthy Diet for Losing Weight While Pregnant

Healthy eating is an essential element of a pregnant woman’s lifestyle. You can’t follow a strict diet when you’re with a child. However, in order to avoid medical complications caused by obesity, you need to know a few things about a healthy pregnancy diet:

• To lose weight while pregnant, you’ll have to eat 10% more proteins
• Abstain from sugar and products containing it
• Your ration should consist of mostly cereals, vegetables, fruit, and beans
• Avoid drinking too much fresh fruit juice
• Eat the most nutritious products before 3 p.m

Physical Exercises for Losing Weight While Pregnant

Besides a healthy diet, you’ll need some sports to keep fit. Doctors recommend physical exercises for pregnant women which include breathing techniques and muscle stretching. You should pay special attention to the pelvic and vaginal muscles. Daily exercises not only help to lose weight but also prepare the female body for childbirth, stabilize the functioning of the heart and cardiovascular system. But before you start doing any exercises for future mothers, consult your gynecologist.

How to Lose Weight During Pregnancy?

A pregnant woman usually starts gaining excess pounds in the second trimester. As a rule, the problem of losing weight while pregnant is solved by a medical expert. They’ll consider all the individual characteristics of your body and prescribe treatment. There are also a few common rules about losing weight while pregnant:

• Eliminate fluid retention in the organism (limit salt and drink more water)
• Take vitamins and trace elements
• Limit unhealthy fats, baked goods, candy
• Eat in small portions and often
• Count calories (2400 per day)

Weight Loss During Pregnancy: The 1^st Trimester

Losing weight while pregnant is far easier in the first trimester than during the subsequent ones. How to lose weight while pregnant if the woman has already gained a lot in the first months? The only thing you can do is stick to a healthy eating schedule. Abstaining from spicy and salty food that is keeping water in the body will stimulate your organism to lose weight during the first trimester.

Losing Weight While Pregnant: The 2^nd Trimester

If after the 14^th week of pregnancy you’ve suddenly started gaining too much weight you need to take your diet seriously. Losing weight while pregnant at the time will include one fasting day a week when you are allowed to eat only dairy products. Don’t eat chocolate or drink coffee: they prevent you from getting a full amount of calcium which is necessary for fetal development at this stage. Limit cholesterol-containing products, such as butter, egg yolk, bacon, desserts. Eat more fruit: apples, oranges, and pomegranates.

How to Lose Weight in the 3^rd Trimester?

In the third trimester of pregnancy, a future mother faces the dangers of late toxicosis, anemia, and swellings, so it’s advised to keep to a vegetarian diet and limit the amount of fluid before childbirth. During this period, pregnant women are often suffering from constipation because of eating too much meat and dairy products. Cereals and vegetables will stabilize the situation. You’ll need to stay physically active in order to lose weight. That’s why even in the last trimester you shouldn’t forget about daily exercises and walks in the nearest park.