Exercise During Pregnancy

There are very few people who realize the importance of exercise during pregnancy. People either go one way or the other. Either they do not exercise at all during pregnancy, which can lead to back problems, weight gain, and a decline in cardiovascular health, or else they exercise too much. Exercising too much is even worse than not exercising at all. Some experts think that you can strain your body, hinder the baby's development, and even induce a miscarriage with exercises during pregnancy. Exercising during pregnancy should be done, but it should be done with caution.

Of course, you can continue to exercise during early pregnancy. In most respects, you can actually keep up your normal exercise routine. If you are accustomed to pushing yourself very hard, however, you may want to slow down on your routine just a bit. You will not have as much energy, and your body will have more to do, after all. Nonetheless, for the majority of us, exercise during pregnancy can continue as normal for the first trimester. Exercise during the second trimester, however get a little bit more tricky.

Some exercise during pregnancy can be continued for the whole duration. For example, moderate walking can be continued almost until you are ready to deliver. There are some exercises designed to actually help pregnant women. For example, there are special yoga routines that can be done during pregnancy.

Most exercise during pregnancy, however, is off-limits once the second trimester begins. Serious running, martial arts, and gymnastics are all strongly cautioned against. Even weight lifting machines can be dangerous during pregnancy. The bottom line is you should ask a qualified health care practitioner about exercise during pregnancy before trying anything. Most of the time, you can trust your body, but it is better to be safe than sorry.

In my opinion, the best exercise during pregnancy is light walking and stretches. Stretching is especially important. Because your center of gravity will shift dramatically during pregnancy, it can put strain on your back and throw your muscles out of alignment. Through stretching and light strength building activities, you can prevent the back problems that are so common among pregnant women. Exercise during pregnancy is essential, because if you do not start doing an exercise routine during the early months you are likely to have serious aches and pains at the end of the pregnancy. It is always better to start early than to wait until it is too late.

Early Signs Of Pregnancy

When you are trying to conceive, you may be on the look out for the early signs of pregnancy to decide if you have been successful or not. These early signs of pregnancy often are different for each woman. Some will have signs right away, while others won’t feel a thing or miss a beat. Their only sign may be a missing period or a positive pregnancy test. What makes things even more confusing is that the early signs of pregnancy can be different for the same woman on her second or third pregnancy. This means you will just have to deal with them as they come, if they come at all.

My mother was sick the entire time she was pregnant with me. For her, the early signs of pregnancy were very obvious, and there was no question in her mind that she was expecting, even before she took a test. When my brother came along, however, she was not sick at all, and didn’t know she was pregnant for sure until she missed her second period and visited her doctor for confirmation. When it comes to early signs of pregnancy, you just don’t know what to expect, and you certainly cannot rely on past experience.

If you are curious about the early signs of pregnancy, you can pick up the book “What To Expect When You Are Expecting” or another similar publication. These books will give you the rundown of some of the most common early sings, as well as some of the rarer ones. This may help you understand what is going on with your body, and may also alleviate some of your fears if you think something is wrong. These books will guide you through your entire pregnancy, and will help you understand what is normal, and when you may need to consult with your doctor.

Perhaps the most telling of the early signs of pregnancy is knowing that something is different. If you are experiencing symptoms before your period is due that seem to be different from your normal PMS symptoms, perhaps you should consider something is up. Things like cramping can be a clue, believe it or not. Cramping is not only a sign of your period, but it can be one of the early signs of pregnancy. It can be very confusing, so don’t be afraid to grab a book to help you out.