Exercise and Weight Gain During Pregnancy

Regular, gentle exercise during pregnancy will help you feel good. It will give you energy, and help you gain the right amount of weight for your body. Talk to your doctor about exercising during your pregnancy.

Exercise helps you feel good by:

• Reducing backaches, constipation and bloating
• Lifting your spirits and improving posture
• Helping build muscle tone and strength
• Promoting better sleep
• Improving ability to cope while in labor
• Making it easier to get back in shape after birth

Forms of exercise that are easy and fun:

• Walking is a great way to exercise during pregnancy because it puts very little stress on your body and you can do it anywhere! Try walking briskly for 20-30 minutes every day or at least 3 times a week.
• Swimming is also great exercise during pregnancy because the water supports your body weight and you build many different muscles. It may be more comfortable for your back than other forms of exercise.
• Exercise classes like prenatal water aerobics or prenatal yoga can also help you feel good as your body grows and changes during pregnancy. Getting together to exercise with other pregnant women can also be fun. Your local YMCA can be a good place to find exercise classes for pregnant women.

Financial Assistance

Some YMCA’s offer financial assistance for exercise classes. To find out if you have a YMCA in your area go to www.ymca.net

If you live in the greater Seattle area visit: www.seattleymca.org/page.cfm

Weight gain

It is healthy to gain weight while you are pregnant. This is no time to diet but it’s also not healthy to gain too much weight.

In the first few months of being pregnant, you only need to gain 3-5 pounds. After your third month of pregnancy you will gain weight much faster as your baby grows, about 1 pound each week. Steady weight gain is the best for your pregnancy.

The weight you gain is not all the baby’s weight. Other parts of your body also get bigger and heavier. Your uterus needs to grow to hold your baby and water will fill the sack that your baby lives in. Your breasts will also get larger to get ready for breastfeeding. If you have questions, talk to your nurse, doctor or midwife.

How much weight gain is right for you?

Your doctor, nurse of midwife may expect you to gain about 25-35 pounds, depending on how much you weighed before you became pregnant. Here is a brief summary on what you can expect to gain if you are:

• Underweight: about 28-40 pounds
• Normal weight: about 25-35 pounds
• Overweight: about 15-25 pounds (15 pounds if very overweight)
• Carrying twins: about 35-45 pounds

Activities such as the ones listed above can help you gain the amount of weight that’s right for you. Maintain your weight and keep your body strong for a healthy birth.