Exercise During Pregnancy
Maintaining a regular exercise routine throughout your pregnancy can help you stay healthy and feel your best. Regular exercise during pregnancy can improve your posture and decrease some common discomforts such as backaches and fatigue. There is evidence that it may prevent gestational diabetes (diabetes that develops during pregnancy), relieve stress, and build more stamina needed for labor and delivery.

If you were physically active before your pregnancy, you should be able to continue your activity in moderation. Don't try to exercise at your former level; instead, do what's most comfortable for you now. Low impact aerobics are encouraged versus high impact. Do not let your heart rate exceed 140 beats per minute.

The pregnant competitive athlete should be closely followed by an obstetrical provider.

If you have never exercised regularly before, you can safely begin an exercise program during pregnancy after consulting with your health care provider, but do not try a new, strenuous activity. Walking is considered safe to initiate when pregnant.

The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology recommends 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise per day on most if not all days of the week, unless you have a medical or obstetric complication.

~This was the most helpful infor that I found.

Thanks .Christy! That makes me glad that I have been exercising everyday lately. If I hadn't been exercising that would've made me feel guilty.

thanks for the article .christy!!! I'll be sure to keep my routine up! And buy a pulse monitor!!!

Ok, ladies, I'm off to wal-mart! Oni needs more tooth paste, and I need to make groceries, and stock up on sweat pants!!

Sarah

I wouldn't worry about not eating past 6 PM, because a calorie is a calorie, no matter what time of day it goes in your body. Instead, try eating as you would pre-pregnancy and adding 300 calories a day to that, in addition to walking.

edited to add: Try to put yourself into the mindset of wanting to eat well and eat healthy for the baby - maybe that'll help curb cravings when you start getting really hungry. Good luck!

Karbear - Karen said something interesting...when you sleep during pregnancy, your metabolism doesn't really slow down probably because you are making a baby. If that's the case, why would it matter if you eat past 6 pm? Hmmmm...just curious. I hope I understood this correctly.

Not eating past 6pm and eating fat free diet foods are for people on diets, pregnant women should be doing neither. All you need to do is exercise regularly and eat healthy foods...its not complicated at all. Your dr sounds a bit off. I would wonder if you should even continue care with him really? I sure wouldnt. Telling a pregnant women not to eat after 6?? My husband is a Dr and cant believe that came out of a dr's mouth.
Fat free foods are bad because they contain artifical sugars a lot of the time and those are not good for baby or for mom!

Your nutrition plan should consist of 3 meals and 2-3 snacks.I would recommend 3 snacks since you are carrying a baby at the moment.This should be eaten at regular intervals throughout the day to get the energy and nutrients in sufficient amounts.

An example would be:

8:00- breakfast

11:00 -snack

14:00- lunch

17:00-snack

20:00-dinner

And if you are hungry in the evening, at 23:00 drink green tea with milk(semi-skimmed)and add a teaspoon or a tablespoon of good-quality honey.