How can you lose weight during pregnancy without harming your baby?

The course of pregnancy is a difficult and very exciting question for any woman. Expectant mothers during this period allow themselves to eat an extra piece of something tasty. They argue that the baby is asking for a treat. After frequent errors in the diet, excess weight usually appears.

Why is the expectant mother getting better?

A woman can gain weight during pregnancy for several reasons:

A strongly changed hormonal background provokes an increase in appetite several times. During this period, the concentration of progesterone and prolactin increases significantly. These female hormones affect the appetite site in the brain and can trigger a brutal appetite. Progesterone also affects water and mineral metabolism. It is with this that the insatiable craving of pregnant women is connected to eat a pickled cucumber or a piece of herring. If the expectant mother is expecting a boy, she will almost certainly be drawn to salty much more often. This is due to high levels of progesterone.
Significant weight gain. During pregnancy, a woman usually gains at least 5-6 kg. This is totally normal. The weight of the unborn baby (about 3 kg), the volume of amniotic fluid (up to a liter), as well as the weight of the placenta (about 700-800 g) are added to the total mass. With multiple pregnancies, when the mother is expecting twins or twins, these values can increase by 1.5 - 2 times. It turns out that the physiological gain can be about 10 kg.
Excessive consumption of fatty and high-calorie foods provokes the deposition of fat on the belly. The body fat increases noticeably. We can say that this is good. The fat protects the baby from possible shocks and bumps (like a pillow). However, it can cause severe harm to both the mother and the baby. When there is too much fat, it tightens the diaphragm strongly. This can interfere with breathing. In this case, it is very difficult for a woman to breathe, especially when walking fast. She often has shortness of breath.

For a child, this is dangerous because the fat begins to press on the mother's womb, where he is. Large blood vessels that carry nutrients from mother to baby are compressed.

What foods can help you lose weight during pregnancy?

The menu for pregnant women must be composed very competently. The need for all nutrients, vitamins and trace elements increases significantly. It is also important to increase the calorie content of the diet (up to 2500 - 3000 kcal per day). However, this does not mean at all that you need to increase the calorie content with buns and fried pies!

There are a lot of products that can help you lose weight. Using their combinations, you can prepare delicious and healthy dishes for mom and baby.

A handful of walnuts and a couple of slices of dark chocolate with a high cocoa content will be an excellent substitute for Snickers.

There is practically no sugar in such chocolate, which significantly reduces the risk of extra inches on your waist. Eating chocolate every day is not recommended. This is a rather fatty product, and you do not need to use it very often.

During pregnancy, nuts and fruits are needed not only by the mother, but also by the baby. Gynecologists prescribe multivitamin complexes immediately after a pregnant woman is registered with a dispensary. It is recommended to consume vitamins daily. The child, being in the mother's tummy, is actively growing and developing. This growth is the fastest and most active in all human life. For normal development, vitamins and minerals are needed. Mom also needs them - for her immunity.

Fruit contains a huge amount of different vitamins. They contain a lot of potassium, magnesium, vitamin C. They are excellent helpers in the formation of a healthy child's body. Mom should eat at least three servings of different types of fruit every day. It is better to choose fruits that are not too sweet. Limit your consumption of persimmons and bananas during pregnancy. They are too high in calories, you can put on a lot of weight.

What foods trigger obesity?

To stay slim and beautiful throughout the pregnancy, you should limit the use of:

Fatty, salty, fried and smoked foods. Salty and smoked foods can make swelling worse. Fried food is too high in calories. After regular consumption of products fried in butter or vegetable oil, an increase of 3-4 kg is provided.
Sweet carbonated drinks. They have too much sugar in them. Moreover, they are very quickly absorbed into the bloodstream, causing a sharp rise in insulin. An increased amount of insulin in the blood is very dangerous for a pregnant woman's body. She may develop diabetes mellitus during pregnancy.
Instant coffee. Drinking coffee makes the body more thirsty and can raise blood pressure. Large amounts of water also lead to swelling and weight gain.
Chips, croutons and snacks. These sweets, which expectant mothers often eat in packs, also provoke the appearance of extra pounds. They contain a lot of salt. They usually have few natural ingredients. The composition is 98% synthetic. Eating a lot of these foods can negatively affect the development of the fetus.
Sweet and flour dishes. It is quite acceptable to include durum wheat pasta in the menu. However, it should be consumed no more than 1 - 2 times a week. It is better for expectant mothers to forget about the existence of pies, pancakes and donuts.

Balanced diet

The only correct diet that can help get rid of extra pounds without harm to the child is a healthy diet. This system is time-tested and approved by all doctors in the world.

Make a menu for the week by yourself or seek professional advice. This will help you understand which foods you should always have in the refrigerator. Keep in mind that it is better to eat at least 4 - 5 times a day. Write down all meals, focus on the regime. Be sure to start with breakfast! This is the most important meal of the day.
Fried foods should not be eaten often. For cooking, it is better to choose stewing or steaming. If you want to fry something, it's best to use the grill or bake the food in the oven. A multicooker and a double boiler will be great helpers for the expectant mother. It is very convenient to cook various dishes in them without using oil.

Any alcoholic drinks are strictly prohibited. Alcohol strongly provokes appetite and makes you eat a lot more. Not only spirits are prohibited, but also beer and wine. They negatively affect the fetus and can even lead to the development of abnormalities or the appearance of deformities.
Try to chew your food thoroughly. This will eat a small portion. In this case, saturation will come much faster. The more thoroughly the food is chopped, the easier it will be absorbed. The baby will quickly receive all the nutrients, and this will have a positive effect on his growth and intrauterine development.

Do not go to rest immediately after eating. Better to sit or walk around the apartment for a while. This way, the food will enter the stomach evenly and will not cause digestive disturbances. Developing in the mother's womb, the baby actively presses on the diaphragm. This contributes to some constriction of the stomach. If you lie down after a heavy meal, belching or nausea occurs.
Try to eat at the same time. This normalizes the functioning of the organs of the gastrointestinal tract. All the nutrients necessary for the development of the child will be supplied evenly, at regular intervals.

Weight loss at different stages of pregnancy

Losing weight in the earliest stages of pregnancy is much easier than later.

First trimester

In the first trimester, you should include as many protein foods as possible in your diet. At this time, the baby is developing all vital organs. For proper development, many protein molecules (more precisely, their constituents - amino acids) are required. With a deficiency of certain amino acids, organ development may be impaired. This is a very dangerous condition, as defects and abnormalities appear in the organs.

Second and third trimesters

In the first and second trimester, try to eat more protein foods (chicken, turkey, fish, beef, lean pork and dairy products). You can eat legumes. They contain a lot of vegetable protein. But don't overdo it!

Excessive consumption of peas or beans can cause excessive gas and bloating. This adversely affects the baby.

From the middle of the second trimester to the entire third trimester, it is important to carefully monitor the numbers on the scales. If the expectant mother is fond of salty foods, severe swelling and weight gain may appear. Swelling often appears on the legs. In this case, it will be very difficult to move. The face may swell. Usually, in such cases, doctors recommend using diuretic herbs and completely excluding foods that contain a lot of table salt. Cranberry or lingonberry juice are excellent helpers in the fight against edema!

Recommendations and tips for maintaining weight

In order not to desperately lose the kilograms gained during pregnancy, you should monitor your diet daily without harming the child. There is everything, just indulging your own whims, you can't! Moreover, it is even dangerous during pregnancy. Many foods increase the likelihood of a child developing various diseases and abnormalities.

Give your body vitamins! Include fresh fruits and berries in your diet (especially if your pregnancy is in the spring or summer). This is a great opportunity to consume natural vitamins.

Drink plenty of water (at least two liters per day). However, you should not lean on salty! Salty food makes you thirsty. At the same time, it strongly retains water. Under-eye bags and swollen ankles are guaranteed the next morning.

Don't forget to move.

Regular walks in the fresh air are the best recommendation for expectant mothers. During such walks, the blood is saturated with oxygen. The baby receives oxygen through the mother's blood and the placenta. This significantly increases its intrauterine activity and growth.

If you played sports before pregnancy, talk to your doctor. Perhaps he will be able to allow some exercises that are safe for the baby. Sign up for yoga for pregnant women. This is a great opportunity to strengthen your muscles and improve your mood! The post-workout serotonin release will improve the mood of mom and baby. Remember that any physical activity should be regular. Pace and speed are not important. Any exercise should be done at a pace that is comfortable for you.

Get enough sleep! A pregnant woman needs to sleep at least 8 hours a day. Melatonin is produced at night. This hormone restores the body, gives rest to the nervous system. During sleep, hormones normalize. Women who get enough sleep eat less at dinner.

The regime is also important for the child's body. This helps his nervous system to form properly. Before resting, it is better to ventilate the bedroom. This will ensure a good and sound sleep.

The development and growth of the baby is completely dependent on the mother. Only she can provide the supply of all the necessary nutrients, vitamins, trace elements. Monitoring the quality of nutrition during pregnancy guarantees excellent health for mom and baby.