I guess we should also include the list of things to do while pregnant :)

Eat a Balanced Diet
Pregnant women need more calories and essential nutrients than other woman. Essentially, they are feeding their own bodies while supporting the growth of their baby. To ensure that a baby’s tissues and organs develop normally, especially during the first few months of pregnancy, proper nourishment in the form of food and vitamin supplements is crucial.

Remember these tips for healthful eating the next time you visit the supermarket:

Pack a protein punch. Protein is essential to the buildup of your uterus, breasts, blood supply and baby’s tissues. Low protein intake can result in low birth weight and other health problems. Good sources of protein: lean meat, fish, nuts, soy, dried beans and lentils.


Bone up on calcium. Calcium builds and strengthens your baby’s budding bones. All women—whether they’re pregnant or not—should maintain a diet high in calcium-rich foods, such as milk, yogurt and cheese. These foods will keep bones strong and fend off the onset of osteoporosis, a condition that causes bones to become brittle and more prone to fractures. For those who are lactose-intolerant, fulfill your daily calcium needs with canned salmon, sardines, dark-green leafy vegetables and tofu.


Pump some iron. Iron is vital to maintaining a healthy blood supply for you and your baby. Researchers have found, however, that about 10 percent of all pregnant women are anemic, meaning their bodies contain inadequate amounts of iron. While a diet high in iron-rich foods—such as liver, shellfish, whole grains and spinach—can meet the iron needs of most pregnant women, others may need iron supplements prescribed by their doctors.


Fill up on folate. Folate is instrumental in building and repairing tissue. Pregnant and lactating women require larger amounts of the vitamin because much of the folate they ingest is passed to the fetus or breastfed infant. Low folate levels have been linked to serious birth defects, especially anencephaly and spina bifida. Good sources of folate: dark-green leafy vegetables, dry beans, peas, fortified cereal and whole-grain products.

Nikita replied. Wow Avi, u did dig out a lot of useful info.

Thanx a lot again.

Nikita. Simmi replied. Thanks so much Avi. Would try to follow the suggestions asap. Cheers. payal replied. hi there,
it's really nice of u to provide us with this information.im from the dec boardmy edd is 2nd of dec.i too like u keep reding things related to preg so i just wanted to tell u something about liver. it's true that liver is rich in iron n vitamin n is very good for health .but due to excess of vitamin A which is found in liver it is recomended to avoid liver in pregnancy.i've read this in lots of books.i remember this cos i love liver but have stoped eating it after conceiving.excess of vit A can result in deformed ears n all.so plz check out about it with ur doc.
take care n thanks for the information Avi replied. Prenatal Workouts
Women who exercise during pregnancy report that they have:

greater endurance during pregnancy and labor,
greater ease in carrying the extra weight of their growing babies and
good posture as a result of strong, flexible muscles.
In addition to these benefits, regular exercise also relieves stress, strengthens the heart, lowers blood pressure and promotes healthy eating habits. Still, more than half of all Americans do not even come close to meeting the USDA’s recommendation of one hour of exercise a day. Most find squeezing exercise into their already busy schedules nearly impossible, especially those who balance a demanding career and a bustling household.

If this sounds familiar, don’t fret: a full hour of exercise may be out of the question, but 10 minutes is certainly doable and worthwhile. After all, a little bit of exercise now can go a long way toward building more established workout routines and a healthy future for you and your baby.

Help with Common Complaints
Some of the more common complaints women have both during and after pregnancy include back and hip pain, wrist pain, strained ligaments and intestinal problems, such as constipation, prolapsed organs and incontinence. All of these conditions result from stress on the musculoskeletal system, which strengthening and stretching can help prevent or alleviate.

Prenatal exercise should include both a strengthening and a stretching component because pregnancy unbalances muscles by stretching them. The goal of exercise during pregnancy is to give muscles an equal amount of strength and flexibility.

Strengthening Muscles
There are two major sets of muscles you should think about strengthening when you’re pregnant:

1. Abdominal muscles allow a woman to maintain correct posture and alignment and reduce strain on the ligaments. To strengthen abdominal muscles, sit on the edge of a chair and use your abdominal muscles to pull yourself up. Or, reach for something using your abdominals to stabilize your trunk.

2. Pelvic-floor muscles help prevent stress incontinence (urine leakage) and prolapsed uterus, rectum and bladder (a condition where these organs collapse into the vaginal walls). Strong pelvic-floor muscles also lower the risk of tearing during delivery and promote quicker healing from episiotomies and stretched perineum, which may result from childbirth. To strengthen pelvic-floor muscles, use Kegel exercises. Contract them (as if stopping urine flow), hold and release. Here’s how they are done:

-- Version 1: While lying down, sitting or standing, tighten then release the muscles around the vagina. Work up to 10 quick squeezes 10 times per day, for a total of 100.

-- Version 2: Tighten the pelvic floor muscles as in version 1, but this time hold for three seconds before releasing. Work up to five seconds. Start with five contractions five times a day, and work up to 15 contractions three to five times a day. Try not to hold your breath as you count.

Stretching Muscles
You should also stretch muscles that are typically tight during pregnancy in the following ways:

Hamstrings: Stand with one leg elevated and held straight on a chair or table or by lying on the back and lifting one straight leg at a time. Bend forward slightly.

Back: Sit on the floor with your knees bent, ankles crossed and allow the legs to fall apart. Bend slightly forward.

Hip flexors: Kneel half way, one foot in front of the other, with the weight transferred onto the forward foot until you feel a pull in the opposite side of the groin.
Safe Sports
Most of the following sports generally are considered safe for a normal, low-risk pregnancy.

walking
swimming
low-impact aerobics
stationary bicycling
jogging (if you jogged before pregnancy)
tennis (played moderately)
How and how much you exercise depends on your fitness level and general health during pregnancy. Consult your obstetrician or midwife about your exercise program both prior to and during your pregnancy.