Getting Fit for Pregnancy

Most women are worried about weight gain during pregnancy and getting rid of it after the baby’s birth. Weight gain during pregnancy is unavoidable and a pregnant woman must eat healthy for the baby’s health and for a trouble free delivery. But even before getting pregnant, being healthy and having near ideal body weight is a must too as it promotes chances of a healthy conception and pregnancy and increased fertility.

An ideal body weight indicates overall good health and attractiveness. Excess body weight reduces fertility in both men and women and lowers sexual desires. Overweight women are more prone to diabetes and other heart related diseases which are known to be harmful for developing fetus.

Pregnant women who are obese can suffer from sleep apnea (breathing pauses for more than 10 seconds during sleep, repeatedly throughout the night) which can lead to reduced oxygen in blood at night, which can pose health problems for the fetus. Obesity is also related to many other health problems (diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and hypertension to name a few). Babies born to overweight women are more prone to be born with neural tube defects (NTDs), structural defects and heart defects. At the time of birth, overweight women may have to face induced labor, preterm labor, premature delivery, stillbirth and larger babies.

Therefore, getting to the ideal body weight helps a lot in giving a right start to your planned pregnancy. It is very difficult to either lose or gain weight during pregnancy either by diet (which should be kept ideal for the fetus) or by exercise (pregnant women should not do vigorous workouts and put their pregnancy at risk).

Body Weight management is extremely important as it cuts the risk of many diseases, improves fertility and prevents premature death. An ideal or near ideal body weight is important and essential for a healthy pregnancy.

What should be my Ideal Body Weight

Calculate your ideal weight by taking 45.36 kg for a height of 5ft. Every Inch after that adds 2.27 kg. E.g. if your height is 5ft and 4 inches then your ideal body weight should be = 45.36+4×2.27 which comes out to be 54.44 or around 54 ½ kg. If your height is 5ft 4 and if you are 52 – 58 kg then you have a well maintained body weight.

What is BMI (Body Mass Index)?

Waist – hip ratio (WHR)

Exercise Routine

Exercising is the best way to reach and maintain a healthy body weight. If you haven’t started exercising yet, here’s a simple way to begin:

• Start walking: Walking is the best exercise and the easiest one too. You can ask a friend to join you or listen to music while you walk. It would take you some time to adjust the new walking routine in your time, but you would start loving it once it becomes regular. Developing a walking routine would really help as this routine can continue during pregnancy, as walking is the most common and safest exercise during pregnancy.
• Hit the gym: 30 minutes of exercise regularly at a gym can help keep you fit. Do not go for strenuous exercise, but at least some mild sweating should occur after the exercise. Ask your instructor to help you out. Weight training exercises help build muscle mass and tone the body, so don’t miss them.
• Yoga: Increases flexibility of the body and the breathing exercises help improve oxygen levels in the body. A very good way to de-stress as well. Do not begin with yoga without an instructor or an expert to let you know the proper ways of performing the exercises.

Diet

Eating high fiber foods, frequent and nutritious small meals and variety of fresh veggies and fruits is all you need. Visit your doctor for some tests to check your overall health (hemoglobin, folate and vitamin levels, thyroid, blood pressure) to check your health status. People who stay indoors most of the time can develop a Vitamin D deficiency. So do get this checked as calcium levels are very important during pregnancy for both the mother and the developing baby. Please visit Diet and Nutrition page to know more.

-References

• Wikipedia
• www.cdc.gov
• Sleep – Your Questions Answered by Renata L. Riha, MD

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