When NOT to Exercise

Exercise is a great addition to any healthy pregnancy but the health of your baby is the most important thing of all. So knowing when to put down the weights or hop off the treadmill and give yourself a rest is just as important.

No matter how fit you were before your pregnancy, you should not participate in any exercise with any of the following conditions:

- Pregnancy Induced hypertension
- Pre-term rupture of placenta membranes
- Pre-term labor now, or in previous pregnancies
- Incompetent cervix
- Persistent bleeding in 2nd or 3rd trimester
- Intrauterine growth retardation

If you experience any of the following signs or symptoms while you are exercising, you should stop and seek medical attention right away:

Pain of any kind
Bleeding
Amniotic fluid leak
Dizziness
Shortness of breath
Chest pain
Faintness
Muscles weakness
Swelling of the calves
Headache
Difficulty walking
Contractions/Pre-term labor
Unusual absence of fetal movement

If you weren't involved in a regular exercise program prior to getting pregnant, the 1st trimester isn't the time to start. If you are interested in incorporating exercise into your pregnancy try walking or other light exercise initially but wait until your 2nd trimester to add more challenging activities.

By this time, morning sickness should have subsided, you'll be feeling more energetic than before, and your body will be more ready to handle the demands of an exercise program.

Of course we recommend checking with your doctor about exercising while pregnant - regardless of your activities beforehand. They may have slight modifications and/or suggestions for you specifically.

For specific exercises to do during each trimester of your pregnancy, complete with photos and descriptions, refer to your copy of The Fit and Healthy Pregnancy Guide.

Vitamin Deficiency Even with Prenatal Supplements

Up to 80% of women who took prenatal supplements were deficient in one important nutrient.

Curious? Read on to find out the details...


A study by the University of Pittsburgh reported in the Journal of Nutrition that prenatal multivitamin supplements do not prevent a Vitamin D deficiency!

Maybe you are saying, "I've heard of foliate and pregnancy, but not Vitamin D". Well, let me fill you in on the importance of Vitamin D for you and your baby.

What Vitamin D does for your baby...

- proper tooth formation
- insulin production
- increased mineral absorption
- fetal organ and brain development
- In addition, babies born with a Vitamin D deficiency have been associated with having an increase of asthma, impaired growth, skeletal problems, Type 1 diabetes and schizophrenia.

What Vitamin D does for you...
- protection against depression
- insulin production
- increased mineral absorption
- improved bone health
- prevention of blood pressure during pregnancy (preeclampsia)
- prevention of colon and breast cancer

Are you ready to up your intake of Vitamin D?

This may come as a surprise, but the best sources are grass-fed dairy and eggs, grass-fed meats, lard, butterfat, shellfish, Salmon, marine oil, and liver/organ meat.

If you doubt that you'll eat enough of these foods then be sure to read Chapter 10 of

The Fit and Healthy Pregnancy Guide for the names of the best supplements and where to get them.