Pregnancy is almost synonymous with weight gain. Weight gain in the body, especially in the abdominal area and hip region are very common and even expected. A very effective method of managing pregnancy weight gain is to make sure it doesn’t happen in the first place or at most reduce it to the barest minimum. There are actually individuals and organizations with 8-9 month long programs to help expecting mothers go through their entire pregnancy while keeping their weight at the minimum but we are going to summarize it in a few points here.
Preventing Weight Gain during Pregnancy
First and foremost, you must eat right during pregnancy to prevent weight gain. You would have cravings; some would be funny, some would be understandable, and some would be unusual. But it’s the ability to exercise restraint that matters. Your body is undergoing some metabolic changes and how you process certain foods would become accelerated and rather different. Some crave for cookies; others crave for some natural foods like beans or plantains. Some crave for specialized items, for instance a lady wanted a particular type of roasted meat and she wanted only the one sold in a particular store in Abuja, Nigeria…whereas she lives in Lagos. God save our husbands if these cravings come at the wrong hours or if the craved food isn’t easily available somewhere nearby.
So cravings are completely normal but for the sake of our body and post pregnancy weight, we should substitute with fruits and vegetables, especially if what we crave for are high calories foods or have high fat contents. Fruits and veggies help calm down cravings, helps you feel better, have zero side effects, accelerate breakdown of fats. (Some fruits are particularly good with this e.g. fresh ripe tomato washed and clean). Now, just to be clear, this substitution is for in-between meal cravings alone. They are not to completely replace our standard meals of a balanced diet.
Preventing Weight Gain during Pregnancy
Secondly, to help you prevent or rather avoid pregnancy weight, its best to remain active. Yes, we want to sleep longer hours, our bodies are heavier, but it is very essential to have a reasonable schedule that keeps you engaged. If you are a stay at home wife/mom, please take more walks than you normally do. Be ready to do some mild exercises. Yoga like exercises help a whole lot. They focus on core areas and avoid risky areas. They are best done under the supervision of an instructor. you can get a video recording or join a class or ask your mid wife what exercises are good for your condition. If you choose,you could do this if this is your first pregnancy. Subsequent pregnancies, you would get along just fine. Alternatively, you could lift small weights. But if all this is just too much, then you can simply just be as active as you possibly can. Whichever option you take, just know that the benefits of exercising in pregnancy are enormous. Perhaps in a subsequent post, we go deeper into that. But for now, just know this trick, that any workout that helps you exercise your pelvic area (where your two legs meet), helps strengthen it and make birthing your baby smoother. So yoga in sitting positions, or any exercise in sitting position or sitting on inflated balls, they do the trick. I hope you get it now…OK, lets continue.
Preventing Weight Gain during Pregnancy
If you experience waist pain during pregnancy that makes it difficult for you to be active as you should or feel heavy because the weight of your baby bump descends and rests on your legs/pelvic region, we highly recommend you get a pregnancy support belt.
At Mothersbond, we have some really great support belts and bands to help you feel lighter and more energetic. Our Mothersbond Pregnancy support belts keep you active, strengthens your hip areas, takes the weight/pressure of your pregnant tummy away from your waist. The good thing about using them is that you don’t use them every day. You can leave them off on some days where you feel strong and energized. On other days when you need extra support in getting some work done or days when you expect to stand for long hours or would be carrying a heavy handbag or perhaps carrying your other child, you can grab them and put them on.
These belts are also extremely useful if you want immediate relief of pressure off your back and they make you feel stronger by adding strength to your back. The area that makes contact with your belly is very soft. They ultimately help you remain active and physically fit; you wouldn’t even feel pregnant again.
As a side note, we would emphasize that not every woman feels comfortable putting anything on when pregnant, and even those who do, they still complain that it doesn’t help. Yet, for some others, its an absolute life saver. So if you feel you can take a chance with it, then go ahead and make an order. It’s N4870.
To learn more about the support belt and make an order, please click here
If you are pregnant, you could also consider our pregnancy belly band. Its a cost saving garment that helps you save money on maternity dresses. Please click Here to read the post that discusses it. And not every woman likes these support belts to show, so they also bought the black belly band to cover it.
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I really like it is much. please I need more quote on my mail.
Thanks for your interest in the post and on getting future posts from us. A confirmation mail for your sign up has been sent to your inbox. Please look for it and complete the process. Thanks a lot.
The Mothersbond Team.
That was an eye opener. I have learnt a lot. Pls am 4weeks pregnant what are the necessary tips to follow for successful delivery. Thanks
Hi Mercy, Thanks for the question and we are glad you found the tips interesting. The right steps to a successful delivery would be first, you register for ante natal in a good hospital. Also, eat right and eat healthy during this period. And do all that you can to always be happy. New life is coming into the world through you so the best you can do is to be as happy as you can. Now is not the time to think or worry about anything. Be near to your doctor and share any concerns with him. Above all, trust in God. Childbearing is a natural phenomenon instituted by God, he knows how to handle his children at this time. If there’s anything you feel we can do, just ask… Remember to do your shopping with us whenever the need arises.
i am 4 month pregnant now what do i need to be taking
During pregnancy, its good to realize that the food you eat is the main source of nutrient for your baby. You’ll need protein and calcium for you and your baby’s tissues and bones. If you don’t get enough of this in your diet, the little you have would go to your baby. To be more specific, beans, yogurt, green leafy vegetable, whole grains and non oily nuts like walnuts can help a lot. Thanks, the Mothersbond Team.
I alwys loose wight wen am pregnt,pls wat shld I do to gain wight
Hi Aisha,
We already responded to your question on Facebook but we would do the same here anyway. Are you ordinarily a slim person before pregnancy, or is your weight loss caused by something else? Please tell us but meanwhile if you want to add a little weight, yogurt helps a lot in this area. Especially those yogurts that are sugar free, they are quite good for pregnant women.
Thanks,
The Mothersbond Team.
Pls I was advised to buy wellwoman pregnancy care omeg3 plus, can I start taking it? My pregnancy is just 2months ols
Hi Precious,
Thanks for your comment. Was this advice given by your doctor or by a nutritionist or was it recommended because you are deficient in something? We are asking because Omega3 is a supplement. If you are having a normal pregnancy, taking medicines may just be unnecessary. At two months, we believe you are registered in a good hospital for antenatal. Perhaps in your next appointment, you could ask your doctor who would be in a better position to examine you and advice accordingly. We hope this helps and please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have further questions.
Thanks.
The Mothersbond Team.
Pls am almost due for delivery, from scan my baby’s weight is 3.5kg, pls is der anytin I can do in order for my baby not to gain more weight or rather reduce to 3.0kg b4 delivery, I don’t want dem to cut me cos of d big size of d baby. Pls I need solution.
Hi Vivian,
From your comment, it is obvious that you are worried. We understand, and we are here for you all the way.
What we can say though is that you should have faith in your body. God created the human body with the ability to do things which we ordinarily think of as impossible. And having a CS doesn’t always have to do with the size of a baby. CS has more to do with the shape of a woman’s pelvis than the size of the baby she is carrying. You can find out from your doctor if you are a candidate for CS.
That said, to answer your question, you can cut off sugar entirely and completely. This would greatly help with the size of the baby. No more sugar in form of table sugar or processed sugar from drinks or ice-creams or any other source. The good thing is that you are almost due so it wouldn’t be long before it’s all over.
And finally, it may interest you to know that 3.5kg, though big is not too big. Women have been delivered of babies much bigger than this and they did it without CS.
Please keep in touch.
Please I am 9 months pregnant and i want to do exercise to ease my labour but my lower region pained me when i tried to do the first exercise. Can i still go on with the it please?
Hi Zukky,
Thanks for your questions. No need to continue it. Perhaps you are starting quite late…if you had started some months earlier, your body would be use to it and it would be more easier and not painful at all. Please dont push your self too much as there is no strong woman in pregnancy. Just take it easy in small steps. At this stage, every exercise you do helps even if it is strolling or walking for a few minutes each day.
Enjoy bonding with your child (even before he/she is born).
The Mothersbond Team.
My pregnancy is 8 month ND am already times 2 how I was before d pregnancy. Pls mothersbond Wat can I do? ND abt my tummy which of ur product will b advisable immediately I gave birth.
Hi Oluwatosin,
You are almost there and I think it would be better to let things beyond our control to go and focus on what we can control.
For now, take walks 5 – 7 times a week in the evenings. That would help you loose some weight and also strengthen your pelvis for the delivery.
Are you scheduled for a CS or normal delivery. If CS, then you should wait a few weeks after delivery to commence any exercise but if it is normal delivery, please click on the link which we are including here for some post pregnancy exercise to start with.
http://mothersbond.com.ng/2016/05/07/exercises-to-help-recover-your-shape-after-child-delivery/
Now, please bear in mind that whether CS or not, after birth, resist every temptation to over eat all in the name of eating for two or that you are breastfeeding. Forget that.
Now for your belly, Please consider the 3 in 1 abdominal binder since you are starting out quite early, this would be a good option.
Please let us know if you have some more questions and we would be glad to answer them.
Enjoy bonding with your child and do have a safe delivery.
The Mothersbond Team.