Pregnant pilates exercises are not particularly strenuous but you should pay attention to your body and baby by pacing yourself. Your body’s energy levels will be changing and you don’t want to overdo it. Fitness professionals usually apply the talk test. If you are too breathless to talk in a relaxed tone and tempo, it is time to slow down. Other signs that you need to take a break are lightheadedness, feelings of faintness, queasiness, racing heart, shortness of breath, uterine contractions, bleeding or leaking fluid, and headache. As the baby grows, your center of gravity will change. You may find out that you need to be a bit more careful when doing Pregnant pilates exercisessuch as getting up and down for mat exercise, using pilates equipment or working out on an exercise ball.

Hormonal changes during pregnancy encourage suppleness in the joints and muscles. Pregnant women experience more strain to the muscles and ligaments because their bodies are making them more “flexible”. Be sure not to exceed your limit. A number of moderate pregnant pilates exercises can be designed for you.

Discussions about the safety of Pregnant pilates exercises are aplenty; but on the whole, sensible exercise is appropriate during pregnancy.

The compensations of pilates are evident and a great number of pilates followers have testified that doing regular Pilates classes has resulted in well balanced, toned and stronger bodies. Related benefits to pregnant pilates exercises are weight loss, increased energy levels and a general sense of wellbeing. Pilates is uncomplicated and very effective, a great complement to any exercise routine.

According to NAVA, “There is a lot of debate on the subject of Pilates and pregnancy, and exercise in general. Generally speaking, moderate exercise is safe throughout a normal, healthy pregnancy and many gentle pilates exercises are appropriate. However, keep the following cautions in mind.

• Do not over-exert the abdominal muscles to avoid diastases recti (separation of the abdominal muscles).
• Take care of your lower back, which can be strained with the weight of the fetus.
• Avoid all Pilates exercises that require you to lie on your back. The American Council of Obstetrics and Gynecology cautions women in the second trimester of pregnancy against doing any exercises that require this position as it can compromise the vascular system of both the mother and fetus.
• Do not over-stretch as relaxants and progesterone levels increase during pregnancy causing the ligaments around the joints to become lax, loose and vulnerable.
• Be aware that your center of gravity and therefore your sense of balance have changed.
• Do not start a brand new exercise regimen in the first trimester (except for Prenatal Yoga classes or Lamaze classes).

Everything considered, pregnant pilates exercises is more beneficial than detrimental to mother and child. As long as you are guided by an expert who knows how to handle a woman in a delicate condition, any pregnant woman would reap the optimum advantage of this exercise.

Author: Matt Murren
About the author: Matt D Murren owns and operates Pilates-exercises-advisor & Pilates Exercises

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Being hungry all the time is the number complaint of women during pregnancy. The main reason why pregnant women always feel hungry is because of the increased metabolic demand on the body. Many pregnant women also experience several numbers of cravings within the nine months period, which make eating healthy for the whole period of pregnancy a challenging task.

Here are some diet tips for pregnant women:

1. Get rid of the concept that you need to eat for two. You do not have to eat for two; you only need an additional 300 calories everyday. These calories are not needed until you are on your 2nd and 3rd trimesters.

2. What you need to remember during pregnancy is not to cut your calorie intake. If you cut it back, there is a possibility that your body will not be able to provide the necessary nutrients that your baby needs for his growth and development.

3. Never skip meals. Pregnant women who skip breakfast are more prone to fatigue. This is also the reason behind overeating during pregnancy. So make sure that you eat every meal each day and even graze on healthy snacks between meals.

4. It is best to eat frequent and small amounts of meals throughout the day instead of eating heavy meals three times a day. This will minimize dizziness and nausea during the first trimester.

5. If you have cravings, satisfy yourself with nutritious snacks. It is better to pack small amounts of healthy foods. It will help to avoid overeating. It is better to drink a cup of hot chocolate or have some mini chocolates with you if you are craving for something sweet. These are much better instead of eating the whole candy bar.

6. Do not forget to exercise while you are pregnant. Make sure to consult your doctor on what types of exercises you can do. This will make you feel better with more energy throughout the day. It will also give you a reminder to eat healthy everyday.

7. Do not drink soda. It is much better if you will avoid drinks that have high calorie content. It is best to stick in drinking water instead of artificial juices and other flavored drinks.

During pregnancy, you may feel hungry but in fact, you are just thirsty. Therefore, it is better to drink lots of water. The brain’s thirst and hunger centers usually are mixed up during pregnancy. If you are properly hydrated, there will be lesser chance that you will overeat.

Author: Bette Daoust
About the author: Bette Daoust is the writer of -Diet for Pregnancy , She writes articles for - baby care help and baby care items

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This short video clip shows the basic prenatal yoga positions including stretches, pelvic floor exercises (Kegels), strength building poses, standing poses and sitting poses.

This is an excerpt from Gaiam’s prenatal yoga DVD. You can follow along with these poses and if you decide you enjoy the poses you can sign up for a local pre-natal yoga class, get a book to follow along or buy a prenatal yoga DVD. Prenatal yoga is an excellent and safe way to maximize maternal and fetal health and prepare for childbirth.

Shop the Natural Pregnancy Store for natural pregnancy books, prenatal fitness DVDs, prenatal vitamins and supplements and organic pregnancy items. ]]> http://pregnancy.amuchbetterway.com/gaiam-prenatal-yoga-dvd/feed/ http://pregnancy.amuchbetterway.com/prenatal-belly-dance/ http://pregnancy.amuchbetterway.com/prenatal-belly-dance/#comments Sun, 13 May 2007 19:48:27 +0000 Natural Pregnancy http://amuchbetterway.com/pregnancy/2007/05/13/prenatal-belly-dance/

Source: www.PRWeb.com

Prenatal Belly Dance Fitness DVD — Make Your Pregnancy Fun and Sexy

New York, NY (PRWEB) — “Prenatal Bellydance Fitness” — now available on DVD (WorldDance New York) — The ancient art of bellydance is a natural and graceful way to stay active during pregnancy and prepare for motherhood.

Originating in ancient dances and rituals related to fertility, family, life cycle and childbirth, bellydance is based on movements that come naturally to the female body. Some bellydance movements mimic the intuitive natural motions associated with pregnancy and childbirth. Others have been traditionally used to move the baby into the best position or to relieve the discomfort of labor.

The organic, flowing, energizing movement of bellydance helps to improve abdominal control and awareness, relieve aches and discomfort associated with pregnancy, promote better circulation, avoid swelling and cramping and prevent excessive weight gain.

Bellydance hip movements will tone the muscles of your pelvic floor, whose strength is all-important for the birth, as well as for your postnatal recovery. And, beyond these benefits, it offers women a fantastic motivation to stay beautiful and graceful throughout the pregnancy — remain in touch with your inner goddess.

The unique prenatal fitness and dance instruction DVD based on the movement vocabulary of bellydance. Safe and effective for pregnancy, the fitness program and features a 25-min workout including warmup, cooldown, and 3 exercise sections: lower body, upper body, and aerobics composed of faster moves and steps.

Benefits include improved abdominal control and awareness, relief of aches and discomfort associated with pregnancy, and the prevention of excessive weight gain.

This unique dance/workout program has been designed to be safe and effective for pregnancy and follows the guidelines of the American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists.

“Prenatal Bellydance Fitness” DVD is available at Amazon.com, and distributed to retailers by Navarre Corporation (www.navarre.com)

Buy the Prenatal Belly Dance DVD from Amazon.com

A developing fetus is highly susceptible to outside influences. Most people know for example, that smoking and drinking can have serious adverse effects on a fetus, some permanent. Unfortunately many women are not as aware of the effects of common household chemicals and how they can affect not only their baby but even their great, great grandchildren.

What can affect a fetus? There is very little that a pregnant women consumes, breathes, or slathers on her skin that will not affect her fetus in one way or another. Some chemicals are clearly dangerous and should be avoided at all costs. An excellent starting point for a pregnant woman is to consider how natural a substance is. If something grew out of the ground it is quite likely safer than something developed in a lab. There are obviously exceptions to this rule such as poisonous mushrooms and certain herbs but for the most part it holds true.

The hard part is not determining what is safe as much as what is unsafe during pregnancy. Many substances have never been tested on pregnant women and their unborn children so the truth is, you may never know what is safe and what is not. So as a conscientious mother you may choose to err on the side of caution and avoid substances that may potentially be harmful to your baby. This is not feasible all the time but it is certainly worth the attempt.

What is potentially harmful to a fetus?

DRUGS & CHEMICALS
First you should evaluate all drug use including prescription, OTC, and illegal. The FDA has Use-In-Pregnancy ratings for drugs based on their known or unknown dangers. Perinatology.com has a fairly comprehensive list of prescription drugs, vaccines and illegal drugs and includes the class and the potential effects on a fetus or newborn.

What chemicals should you avoid if you are pregnant? Honestly, all of them. Some are clearly more toxic to your fetus than others and some may be totally safe but nobody knows for sure. Some of the dangerous chemicals which are proven to cause miscarriage, birth defects, developmental problems, and stillbirth are:

Pesticides, phthalates (found in some plastics, cosmetics, and bath products), paint, carpet, nail polish, gasoline fumes, routine dental procedures, some household cleaning products, polyurethane foam, hair dyes, and tap water (which can contain fluoride & chlorine). Read Pollution in Newborns by the Environmental Working Group to learn more.

You shuold also research your skin and hair care products at skindeep.org. The almost 15,000 beauty products in the Skin Deep database will tell you not only the safety rating of your products but what questionable chemicals your favorite beauty products contain. Skin Deep provides brand by brand comparisons and safety ratings. Search by product name, product type, brand, or even look up the highest concern brands. They will even give you a personalized shopping list of the safest beauty products.

PRENATAL TESTING (prenatal “scare”)
Additionally, prenatal testing carries inherent risks and potential benefits which must be weighed by each couple. In many cases the testing is totally unnecessary and can even result in miscarriage. What is the answer? Educate yourself. Thoroughly research prenatal tests prior to agreeing to them. The Center for Unhindered Living has a number of articles explaining the pros and cons of Ultrasound, Dopplers, Alpha Fetoprotein Test, Glucose Tolerance Test, Amniocentesis, Chorionic Villus Sampling, and Prenatal Rhogam.

If the test is not absolutely necessary then you have the right to refuse to have it done because it could potentially jeopardize your unborn child. Only you can decide if a test is necessary or not based on your physician’s advice, your research, and your instincts. Please do not take a “medical professionals” word for it. As a responsible adult do some research first.

Nutrition, exercise, and mental health.
Proper nutrition means avoiding processed foods, sugar, commercial meat and dairy products, caffeine, alcohol, among others. Soy, wheat, sugar, and caffeine should be avoided.

There are so many books available about pregnancy nutrition and if you need a bit of guidance then by all means get a book. Dr. William Sears has a great page on prenatal nutrition as well. In addition to avoiding negative food items, you need to accentuate the positive. Certain vitamins and minerals are vital to a healthy pregnancy. The RDA of most vitamins and minerals increases substantially during pregnancy. Folic Acid, calcium, and iron are essential. Organic produce should be your best friend. If this is all new to you then you are probably overwhelmed and confused. If you are committed though, making sensible food choices will be second nature in no time.

Lack of exercise generally will not result in direct harm to your baby but it will make your pregnancy and labor substantially more difficult. The increased blood flow from regular exercise will enhance your child’s development and some studies link prenatal fitness with increased apgar scores and mental development. A walking routine or prenatal yoga course is ideal. You certainly do not want to overdo and many fitness routines need to be modified for pregnancy. The key is to avoid inactivity and increase blood flow. So whatever you do, get off the couch and get moving.

Finally, if you are seeking a natural pregnancy, it is very important to avoid stress. Stress has been linked to miscarriage, autism, and other many other fetal developmental problems. Unfortunately it is unlikely you can quit your job and move to an island for nine months so you need to play the cards you have been dealt. In other word if you are prone to stress you can learn to identify your stress triggers and avoid stressful situations. You can also learn how to handle stressful situations once you are in them.

Both meditation and yoga are proven, fabulous ways of lowering stress levels. Counseling may also help with current stressors in your life. Even a ten minute walk has been proven to reduce stress levels considerably. In any event, please do not resort to drugs or alcohol which don’t reduce stress, they only numb you temporarily and they will certainly cause harm to your child.

You may also want to try other stress reducing techniques include biofeedback, EFT, or a mantra such as “This too will pass”. And never underestimate the value of a good friend or family member that you can call if things get rough.

If you are committed to an organic pregnancy you can certainly do it. Having a partner and family who support your decision will certainly help but even without their help you are certainly capable of trusting your instincts and standing your ground. Your body and your baby will thank you.

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Prenatal belly dancing is also an excellent exercise during early labor to help move your baby into position, relax and energize you for the coming event.

“In addition to its many physical benefits, prenatal yoga helps women through the evolutionary process of pregnancy by connecting with other pregnant women, allowing the opportunity for inward reflection, providing a healthy physical and emotional outlet for one’s experiences, and ultimately preparing one for birth on a holistic level.” Source : Expectant Mother’s Guide

Author: Michelle Oberton
Prenatal yoga is an exercise that is designed to promote breathing exercises, posture and emotional relaxation. This approach is often sought by pregnant women who are preparing for a natural childbirth or who wish to stay physically and emotionally healthy during their pregnancy. One of the many benefits of prenatal yoga is the lack of physical exertion that is required, which makes it a safe practice for many moms-to-be.

Due to the pain that can be associated with childbirth, prenatal yoga attempts to promote proper breathing that will help to make the process an easier one. In addition, relaxation is essential during the childbirth process and although it can be difficult, prenatal yoga can help to teach women how to relax themselves and their pelvic floor as much as possible.

For some, prenatal yoga may be sought as part of a spiritual process that helps them to connect with their unborn child and/or prepare for the new arrival. In some cases, prenatal yoga may even be beneficial after the birth as it instills techniques that are associated with relaxation. As every new mom knows, there is a definite need for postpartum relaxation.

For some, prenatal yoga may help women to return to their pre-pregnancy weight more quickly than others. For most, this is a struggle that takes a lot of patience and determination. In general, yoga is an exercise that promotes physical fitness, relaxation, breathing, spiritual and emotional connections, etc.

“Benefits of Prenatal Yoga
· Increase energy
· Decrease anxiety
· Strengthen birthing muscles
· Quicken postpartum recovery
· Improve sleep
· Reduce backache
· Improve circulation
· Increase chance of a healthy birth”
Natural Family Online

If you are searching for a prenatal yoga class or instructor, the best place to start is through your physician. During your next visit, ask the doctor if prenatal yoga would be safe for you and, if so, who you could contact for instruction. Most physicians are aware of any local classes or instruction being given and will often be able to refer patients to a class that is most convenient for them.

Most women prefer that the father of their child or a friend or family member attend prenatal yoga classes for support and guidance. Having someone familiar will also make the classes more enjoyable and relaxing for the mom-to-be. Before enrolling in prenatal yoga, it’s best to make sure that the instructor is licensed, certified or highly trained and experienced in teaching this type of relaxation method.

The information in this article is to be used for informational purposes only. It should not be used in place of, or in conjunction with, professional medical advice. Anyone with questions regarding prenatal yoga must consult their physician for further information.

Sheryl’s comment: If you are looking for a prenatal yoga class in your area, you may not have much luck if you simply ask your doctor unless your doctor is a Naturopath or particularly young or open minded. You might have more luck if you are working with a midwife. If that fails, check your yellow pages, local YMCA or health club or bulletin board at your local health food store.

I love using yoga DVDs first thing in the morning. While you may miss out on the camaraderie that comes with meeting other pregnant women, many people find it is much easier to pop in a DVD in their pajamas, than to trek across town in full yoga gear.

About the Author:
Want to learn more about prenatal yoga? Make sure you visit our site at: http://www.prenatalyogaguide.info for access to additional prenatal yoga tips and information.

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