Nutrition

Have a healthy diet in pregnancy

Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables. These provide vitamins and minerals, as well as fibre, which helps digestion and can prevent constipation.

Eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day—these can include fresh, frozen, canned, dried, or juiced fruits and vegetables. Always wash fresh fruit and vegetables carefully.

Find out what counts as a portion of fruit or vegetables.

There's no need to "eat for 2"

You will probably find yourself more hungry than usual, but you do not need to “eat for 2″—even if you are expecting twins or triplets.

Try to have a healthy breakfast every day. This can help you avoid snacking on foods that are high in fat and sugar.

Eating healthily often means changing the amounts of different foods you eat so that your diet is varied rather than cutting out all your favourites. You can use the Eatwell Guide to get the balance of your diet right. It shows you how much of what you eat should come from each food group to achieve a healthy, balanced diet.

You do not need to achieve this balance with every meal but try to get the balance right over a week.

Fitness - During Pregnancy

Exercise in pregnancy

The more active and fit you are during pregnancy, the easier it will be for you to adapt to your changing shape and weight gain. It will also help you to cope with labour.

You can keep up your normal daily physical activity or exercise (sport, running, yoga, dancing, or even walking to the shops and back) for as long as you feel comfortable.

• Read more about Fitness in pregnancy.
• Read more about stress incontinence.
• Read more about pelvic floor exercises

Fitness - After Pregnancy

When can I start exercising after birth?

If you had a straightforward birth, you can start gentle exercise as soon as you feel up to it. This could include walking, gentle stretches, pelvic floor and tummy exercises.

It’s usually a good idea to wait until after your 6-week postnatal check before you start any high-impact exercise, such as aerobics or running.

If you exercised regularly before giving birth and you feel fit and well, you may be able to start earlier. Talk to your midwife, health visitor or GP.

If you had a more complicated delivery or a caesarean, your recovery time will be longer. Talk to your midwife, health visitor or GP before starting anything strenuous.

Hydration

Questions & Answers

What should I drink when I am in early labour at home?

• Drink your usual amount of water and soft drinks when you are thirsty.

Do I need to drink extra fluids?

• No, you do not need to drink more than is usual for you.

How does being in labour make it difficult to manage your fluid input and output (how much fluid you drink and how much you wee out)?

• Hormones that your body makes when you are in labour can cause your fluid input and output to change.

Can I tell from the colour of my wee if I’m drinking the right amount?

• Yes. If your wee (urine) is pale yellow or light amber this is usually a sign that you are drinking the right amount.

What might happen if I drink more than I need or more than I wee out?

• If you drink more than you need or more than you wee out, your blood can become watered-down (diluted). The levels of some chemicals called salts, including sodium, in your blood can become too low. This is called hyponatraemia.