Lifestyle advice

Diet 

The advice around diet in pregnancy has two components- adequate nutrition and food safety. One of your readings for this module covers it in detail. In summary, pregnant women need to eat a variety of foods for the four main food groups every day. One of the misconceptions around eating in pregnancy is around the amount of additional food required when "eating for two." The additional calories needed by a healthy woman with a normal BMI after the 12th week of pregnancy is equivalent to a wholegrain cheese and tomato sandwich or a wholegrain peanut butter sandwich and a banana per day. Women should have an additional calorie intake of 340 kcal/day in the second trimester and 450 kcal/day in the third trimester. Women should drink plenty of water, and avoid sweetened or carbonated beverages. 

Food safety is also important, with the aim being to avoid food-bourne illnesses such as listeria. Hand hygiene is important, as is washing cooking utensils and chopping boards. Food should be cooked thoroughly and freshly cooked foods should be eaten as soon as possible. If food is reheated, it should be reheated until "piping hot." Vegetables should be washed thoroughly before eating. Ready-to-eat or deli foods should be avoided overall, as should processed meats, cold pre-cooked meats or raw meat/seafood, unpasteurised milk products, soft pasteurised cheeses, soft serve ice cream, pre-made cream or custard, foods containing raw eggs, and hummus and tahini.  

Exercise 

Women who exercise regularly feel better in their pregnancy than sedentary women. Activities that are low-impact or non-weight bearing are preferred e.g. swimming, walking, cycling. Exercise should be done at a moderate level, avoiding intense bursts of exercise. Women should also be cautious to avoid becoming overheated during exercise. Activities that involve lower levels of oxygen (scuba diving, mountain climing etc) should be avoided, as should sports where there is a risk of falls or trauma (rugby, horse riding, etc). Women should be aware that for activities that involve balance (yoga, dancing etc) will become more difficult as the pregnancy progresses. Exercise is recommended 3-4 days per week. Pelvic floor muscle exercises are also recommended in pregnancy to aim to prevent urinary incontience after birth.