Second Trimester / On Nutrition

Eating Smart
Are You Anemic?
Snack Swap
Kegel Exercises

s you advance through your pregnancy, it may become harder to always eat healthy and exercise regularly. You watch the scale continue to climb, your abdomen expand, and you may start to say, "Oh, it doesn't matter. I'm getting fat anyway." But you are not getting fat, you are pregnant, and the baby inside of you totally depends on your body for her proper nourishment. Regular exercise can help relieve stress, maintain a happier attitude and prepare your body for childbirth (see On Nutrition, First Trimester, for exercise suggestions). So stick with it – the investment will pay off in a big dividend – a healthy baby and less pounds to lose postpartum.

Always choose foods from the four basic food groups: fruit and vegetables, grains, dairy and proteins. Refer back to On Nutrition, First Trimester, for detailed information on serving size and amounts. Here are some tips for eating smart:

Watch what you eat and you won't have to watch the scale. If you eat foods from the daily food plan and only healthy snacks, you won't have to worry about your weight.

Begin each day with a good breakfast – it goes a long way. Remember, breakfast doesn't have to be just what they show on television commercials. Try an English muffin "pizza," for example. Simply broil an English muffin half topped with a slice of cheese and tomato, follow with a glass of juice or milk. Use your imagination to mix and match items from the four basic food groups.

Eat several small meals a day rather than three large meals. The benefit of this is threefold – it will tame that growling stomach, it will keep you from feeling queasy or weak between meals, and it will help to maintain an even blood sugar level throughout the day.

Get to know the foods that are rich in vitamins and minerals. Remember, it's important to get enough B vitamins, iron and folic acid during pregnancy to avoid becoming anemic. These are found in foods such as beef, liver, lamb, pork, chicken, tuna, asparagus, spinach, legumes, bran and dried fruits.

Although you had a blood test for anemia during your first prenatal visit, you may need another one to make sure you haven't developed it since then. Women are most vulnerable to anemia during the 20th week of pregnancy when the developing fetus begins to require more iron. Watch for these signs: unusual weakness or tiredness, shortness of breath, heart palpitations or fainting spells. If you experience any of these, get your blood checked for anemia. According to the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG), anemia can be treated and even prevented by a diet with adequate amounts of iron, protein, vitamins B & C, and folic acid.

Snack swap your favorite "empty calorie" snack such as ice cream, cheese doodles or potato chips with a yummy something that will provide you with nutritious value. If you like cheese doodles, for example, try some cheese and crackers instead and gain the value of protein and calcium. Do you enjoy peanut butter cups? Try a slice of whole wheat bread with peanut butter. Better yet, top it off with banana slices. Is ice cream your weakness? Try yogurt with fruit. And a tray of fresh-cut vegetables is always good to keep in the refrigerator for nibbling. These are all good, healthy snacks that can satisfy that empty-calorie craving. Some snacks to keep in your purse or at work are crackers, a piece of fruit, peanuts, raisins or even breadsticks.

Maintaining strong and toned pelvic floor muscles will benefit a woman throughout her life. When these muscles, which control the flow of urine, become too lax, coughing, sneezing, exercising, even laughing can cause a woman to experience leakage. This is common during the postpartum period, especially if this is not your first child. Doing kegel exercises to strengthen the pelvic muscles is especially important during pregnancy and postpartum. When these muscles are toned, there is a higher likelihood the vaginal canal will resume its original, snug shape and reduce the chances for postpartum urine leakage.

These are the muscles you will be using when pushing the baby out during birth, so becoming familiar with them now can benefit you during childbirth.

The easiest way to find these muscles is to stop the flow of urine and hold till the count of 10. Another way is to tense the muscles around your vagina and anus, again holding to the count of 10. Work up to doing these exercises 20 to 30 times a day. Kegels can be done anywhere at anytime. Start doing your kegels during your morning routine, when stopped at a red light, sitting at your desk, or watching TV.

To Top of Page