Benefits of Exercise During Pregnancy

During pregnancy, many women want to do as many things as they can to stay healthy. Eating good food is one way that pregnant women can stay healthy during pregnancy. Exercising is another thing that most pregnant women can do to maintain optimal health during pregnancy. Of course, the number one consideration regarding exercising during pregnancy is to stay safe. Discuss exercise with your prenatal care provider at every visit, so that you always know how much of what kind of activities are appropriate for where you are in your pregnancy, given how your body is responding to pregnancy. For … Continue reading →

What’s The Deal With Pregnancy Weight Gain

One topic that can be both confusing and agonizing for pregnant women is the topic of weight gain. Not only do doctors and midwives sometimes differ on the advice that they dole out regarding how much gain to aim for, they differ in how they handle situations where their patients gain too much weight or do not gain enough weight. Now, consider that all of your friends and family have different opinions and experiences with the topic of pregnancy weight gain which they are all too happy to share with you whether you like it or not. Top it all … Continue reading →

Maternity Photos

One of the things that I wish I had done when I was pregnant was a maternity photo shoot. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that I did not feel very attractive or photogenic with the huge belly and all of those pregnancy hormones circulating in my body. Now I feel a twinge of regret every time I see pictures of pregnant women. Despite how I felt at the time, my pregnancies were a beautiful part of my life and I wish I had a few nice pictures to remember them by. If you are thinking about … Continue reading →

Oh Those Maternity Clothes

Maternity clothes. These words can elicit squeals of excitement or gasps of horror, depending upon who you talk to. Some people have the bodies and the financial resources to rock the most amazing fashions during their pregnancies. Others have limited resources and can afford to purchase only a few basic items and wear them in heavy rotation. Whatever your situation, know that there are clothes out there for pregnant women of all tastes and budgets. When I was pregnant the first time, my budget for maternity clothing was limited. Good thing I saved those clothes though, because by the time … Continue reading →

Exercise During Pregnancy

Everyone knows that exercise during pregnancy is a good thing, if your prenatal care provider feels that you are healthy enough to exercise. Of course, when you are pregnant, exercising may not be something that you feel like doing much of the time especially if you feel nauseous or tired. I have been pregnant twice, and the first time around I did not exercise very much. The second time, I exercised regularly from the time that I discovered that I was pregnant until a week before my son was born, when my midwives decided that it was not safe for … Continue reading →

Pregnancy Reflections: Exercise

I cannot reiterate enough how important it is to exercise frequently and consistently throughout pregnancy. The results are quite amazing. I first became committed to exercise with my first pregnancy. I did not exercise nearly as frequently or intensely with my first pregnancy nor was I as consistent with my workout routine. I gained more weight with my first pregnancy and it took me over six months to get close to my pre-pregnancy size. I was also in the process of transitioning to a whole food diet with local and organic foods. It was during the post pregnancy phase of … Continue reading →

Continued Exercise During Pregnancy

It was my first pregnancy that convinced me that exercise should be a regular and consistent part of my daily and weekly routine. Having developed a firm commitment to exercise in the last three years, I find myself not only enjoying my workout routine during my second pregnancy but depending on it for relief from pregnancy aches and pains. I have discovered now more than ever before that consistency in a prenatal exercise is essential to a healthy pregnancy. In early pregnancy I continued to do my regular workouts without any need for modification. My goals at the beginning of … Continue reading →

The Top Five Reasons Why I Love to Exercise During Pregnancy

As hard as it is to get starting on a regular exercise routine, maintaining it can be even harder. We all know that there are a million reasons why we cannot seem to find the time or motivation to exercise, but we cannot deny the benefits of regular exercise. While we tend to focus on the negative aspects of exercise (overcoming obstacles, finding the time and motivation, etc.), there are even more positive reasons to start a workout regimen. Upon my own personal reflection of the last few years of my own exercise routine, I realized that I have gained … Continue reading →

Exercising in the Midst of Negativity

I have said it before and I will say it again: Exercise is hard! It takes a lot of motivation, effort, and commitment to continue to exercise day after day, week after week, month after month, and year after year. It is HARD! There are countless reasons why many of us cannot seem to make the commitment. Sometimes the biggest challenge in exercising is getting started i.e. putting in the workout video or going to the gym. If we can conquer that initial struggle of just getting started, the workout happens and is done sooner than we thought (it does … Continue reading →

Overcoming the Obstacles to Exercise

Human beings need to exercise regularly. Regular exercise was not a big problem a century ago because the average person’s daily life required physical activity. Times have changed. Our survival no longer depends on the same physical demands of our ancestors, yet our bodies still require regular exercise to maintain optimal health. Numerous studies and years of research has revealed that it is equally important for pregnant women to remain active throughout their pregnancies and engage is regular exercise. Knowing that exercise should be an important part of every pregnant woman’s daily life is one thing. Committing to a regular … Continue reading →