THE BEST AND SAFEST WAYS TO EXERCISE DURING PREGNANCY

There are lots of ways a pregnant woman can exercise, but swimming and walking are deemed the best and safest.

- Swimming: Fitness experts and healthcare providers encourage swimming as the best and safest exercise for pregnant women. Swimming exercises your arms and legs and reduces swelling.

- Walking: This is safe throughout all nine months of pregnancy. It keeps you fit without stressing your knees and ankles and can be done almost anywhere, even in your living room [where I do mine].

- Stretching: It's important to stretch before and after your exercise routine, as it helps to relax your muscles and prevents you from feeling aches and pains.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that healthy women with uncomplicated pregnancies aim to exercise at least 20 to 30 minutes a day. The ideal workout gets your heart pumping, keeps you fit, manages weight gain, and prepares your muscles to handle the physical demands of pregnancy, labour and postpartum period without causing any undue physical stress for you or the baby. Before I had my daughter, my active labour lasted less than 3 hours as I kept active and walked for at least 30 minutes a day while I was pregnant. Be careful not to over do it anyway. Stop if you become uneasy or uncomfortable.

WHY YOUR BABY SHOULD NOT BE FED HONEY!

Ever heard of botulism? Pediatricians recommend waiting until your baby is at least 12 months before introducing honey because it may contain spores of bacteria that can cause botulism. These bacteria are however harmless to adults and children over 1.

It is also advisable to avoid the following until your baby becomes 12 months:

- Cow's milk and soy milk: Please stick with breast milk or formula until your child's first birthday. This is because your baby can't digest the protein in cow's milk and soy milk for the first year, they don't have all the nutrients he needs and they contain minerals in amounts that can damage his little kidneys. A baby who was ignorantly fed with cow's milk in Enugu, died a couple of months ago, so let's be careful.

- Food that is either sticky or really hard such as hard candies, popcorn, marshmallows. They can cause your baby to choke.

- Hard raw vegetables like carrots should be shredded or cooked and cut up. Fruits like grapes, blueberries, cherry tomatoes, etc should be cut into pieces before serving, to prevent them from being stuck in your child's throat.

- All kinds of nuts present choking hazards in children under 4. Nut butters stirred into purees or spread on toast are however safe.

- Shellfish like shrimp, crayfish, lobster, crab etc can cause serious allergies. 

DID YOU KNOW THAT IT'S NOT SAFE TO SLEEP ON YOUR BACK WHILE PREGNANT?

Well, it's typically safe to sleep on your back during the first trimester. But as your uterus gets heavier from your second trimester and onwards, it becomes unsafe for you and your baby.

The weight of your uterus presses on the major vein that returns blood from your lower body to your heart. Lying on your back for a long period of time could make you feel dizzy and also interfere with the flow of blood and nutrients to the placenta and your developing baby.

It becomes a major problem if you have a condition like high blood pressure or diabetes that affects how much oxygen and nutrients the baby is getting.

Don't be alarmed if you go to sleep on your side and wake up flat on your back. It happens all the time and shouldn't have any serious adverse effect on your baby's health. Just shift your position as soon as you realize it and go back to sleep.

Try to get used to sleeping on your sides, preferably on your right side as this encourages the flow of blood to your baby. A pillow between your legs can also make side sleeping more comfortable.