Exercising while you’re pregnant is an important part of staying fit and healthy during this special time in your life, and it can even help you to have a smoother delivery when the time comes.  However, before starting any exercise routine while pregnant, you need to consult with your physician or health care provider to determine how much you can safely handle.  If you have vaginal bleeding, any early rupturing of your membranes, or are at a risk for pre-term labor, you shouldn’t exercise.  Even women that don’t have any of these risk factors are advised to stick with low impact exercises.  A leisurely swim, water aerobics, regular aerobics, or walking are several of the safe, low impact exercises you can choose from.

The types of exercise that are best for women in the early stages of pregnancy are different from those that are recommended for the later stages of pregnancy, since a pregnant woman will need to be more careful about exercising after her first trimester.  After passing your first trimester, you shouldn’t do any exercises on your back to reduce the risk of harming the fetus.  To strengthen your abdominal area and your core, you can do exercises such as pelvic tilts while standing up, belly breathing while sitting down, and holding and releasing your abs while seated.  Of course, you should always try to be safe no matter what stage of pregnancy you are in, but if you feel any pain or shortness of breath, stop right away and contact your physician. (more…)

Many women are now looking to yoga as a safe and fun way to stay fit during pregnancy.  Many doctors even suggest that yoga practice can help a woman learn helpful labor breathing techniques better than a Lamaze class.  With the variety of stretching and relaxation techniques, yoga can be very beneficial for learning to combat the pain or uneasiness of pregnancy, and for helping a woman develop the mental skills needed to go through labor and delivery.

When searching for a yoga class, you should always meet with the instructor first to make sure they’ve received certification in teaching yoga techniques to pregnant women, since many poses that are safe in regular class aren’t safe for a pregnant woman.  Be sure to choose clothing for your yoga classes that is light and breathes well so that you won’t overheat in class.  You should be able to find a wide variety of yoga clothes for pregnant women in maternity boutiques.  (more…)

Many women are placed on bed rest for the last month or two of their pregnancies. While there are many different reasons why bed rest is ordered, it won’t make it any easier to deal with. If you start to feel frustrated, try to remember that it won’t last forever, and that you’re helping to keep your baby healthy.

Here are some tips on how to cope while on bed rest:

Complete your birth plan.

This is a great time to lay out exactly how you want to have the baby. You’ll have the time to consider all of your options, such as delivering naturally or with the help of medication. You can also decide who you want in your birthing room and you can make a list of items that need to be packed for the big occasion.

Shop for you baby.

This is a great time check out the many new products available for newborns and infants. You can search online via laptop right from your bed. Sign up for newsletters from retailers that offer baby items, and you’ll be the first to be notified of sales and special offers.

Get in touch with friends and family.

The time you spend on bed rest is a great time to reconnect with people you have grown apart from. Whether by phone, email, or with a personal visit from them, you’ll be glad to have your friends and family members awaiting your big day with you. It’s a great support system as well.

Re-read your favorite book.

Catching up on your reading can really be a great way to keep yourself occupied during bed rest. You won’t be getting much rest soon anyway, so this can be a great time check out the newest novel or how to book. Enjoy your quiet time now, while you still can!

Find a craft you enjoy.

Whether it’s crocheting, scrap booking, or another craft, you’ll have plenty of time to complete finish old projects or start a new one. Keep a basket full of supplies by your bed. Seeing a finished product will give you a feeling of accomplishment as well.

Locate pregnancy related forums and blogs.

This is a great way to communicate with women who are going through the same thing as you and establish a support group to help you cope with your bed rest. Many times, these other women will have terrific advice on how to help pass the time and what to look forward to in the months ahead.

Learn another language.

If you’ve always wanted to speak a second language, this is as good a time as any to do so. You can find many free language programs online and there are also several programs for sale that include audio CDs and DVDs that you can use from the comfort of your bed.

Catch up on some of your favorite movies.

This is a great time to watch all those movies you missed the year before and haven’t been able to find the time to watch. You can find several online sites that rent movies for very minimal monthly fees, and many of these sites carry full seasons of television shows available as well.