Health

Getting Fit Before Getting Pregnant

By CBSNews.com staff CBSNews.com staff

January 31, 2002 / 8:40 AM EST / CBS

Having a healthy baby begins long before it's time for Mom to quit smoking or Dad to hand out the cigars. In a two-part series on "fit pregnancy," Dr. Emily Senay talks to us about the importance of taking the basic health steps for Moms-to-be.

Folic Acid

Women should be taking vitamin B during their childbearing years to prevent serious birth defects of the brain and spine. Taking a daily multi vitamin containing 400 micrograms of folic acid can help prevent neural tube defects. The most common NTD is spina bifida, a leading cause of childhood paralysis. Women should take folic acid a minimum of three months prior to conception. A recent March of Dimes poll found that 9 out 10 women do not know that folic acid must be consumed prior to pregnancy to be effective. The research has shown that consumption of 400 micrograms prior to pregnancy reduces the risk of NTDs by up to 70%.

Proper Diet

During pregnancy women need to increase the amount of nutrients to support their own health and the growth of the developing baby. Women should monitor their diet and include enough calories to get those nutrients. There are some recommended amounts:

6 to 11 servings of grain products
3 to 5 servings of vegetables
2 to 4 servings of fruit
4 to 6 servings of milk products
3 to 4 servings of meat and protein foods
6 to 8 glasses of water, fruit juice or milk

Exercise During Pregnancy

Getting regular exercise, at least three times per week, can promote a feeling of wellbeing and help relieve stress. It's OK to exercise but women should avoid overdoing it. Don't get overly tired. Pregnant women should do warm-up and cool-down exercises. Avoid exercising in hot, humid weather. It is important to avoid any exercises that make you overextend your muscles like deep knee bends or full sit-ups, and avoid any high impact motions. Drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration. Walking and water sports and calisthenics are good choices.

Things To Avoid

Drinking alcohol--there's no known safe level of alcohol consumption during pregnancy. The US Surgeon General, along with many other medical authorities, recommends that women who are pregnant or trying to become pregnant should not drink alcohol.
Quit cigarettes--smoking during pregnancy has been linked with low birth weight, pre-mature birth, miscarriage, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, and other complications.
Medications--pregnant women need to tell their doctor or nurse if they're taking any over-the-counter and prescribed medications. They will evaluate whether it's safe to continue the medication.
X-Ray exams--women need to let their doctor, dentist or technician know that they're pregnant before any X-ray examination is performed.
Caffeine--it's found in coffee, tea and many soft drinks, chocolates and some pain medicines. Most doctors will advise women to limit or consume as little as possible.

Morning Sickness

Although called morning sickness, nausea and vomiting can occur at any time during the day or night. It's the result of hormonal changes affecting a woman's body. Not all women have morning sickness. But, for those who do, take heart. Some say it's a sign of healthy prenancy. Women can try eating five or six small meals a day and snacking on crackers, dry toast or a peeled apple.

Interview with Dr. Emily Senay

1. First, you say that a fit pregnancy really starts before a woman is actually pregnant, why?

That's right if the goal is to have the healthiest pregnancy possible, then couples need to plan before, well before the actual pregnancy. Women who want to get pregnant should act as if they already are and take care of themselves accordingly. The primary reason for that is make sure that a woman's nutritional status is up to par. Women who are contemplating getting pregnant need to take folic acid at least 400 mcg a day for three months prior to conception.

2. Why is folic acid so important?

Folic acid can help prevent neural tube defects known as spina bifida that causes paralysis and other problems. Now I have said this many times on television and this information has been available for years now but for some reason the word is not out there enough. The March of Dimes did a study recently that 9 out of 10 women still did not know that they should be taking folic acid prior to becoming pregnant. So once again folic acid before and during pregnancy is extremely important.

3. What else should women do before getting pregnant?

Here's a to do list for women considering pregnancy. First visit a physician for a "preconception care check up" that looks not only at weight and nutritional status but also a history of "other medical problems" that could affect the fetus like diabetes or anemia for example and a medication history. "Genetic risk assessment" that will explore whether or not you are at risk for things like cystic fibrosis, sickle cell disease etc. and how to handle those issues.

Check the "immunization" history. Are you up-t-date on vaccines like rubella and chicken pox?

4. Isn't it true that half of all pregnancies are unplanned so what do you do if you find that your pregnant unexpectatly? is it to late to do some of these things?

Well of course many women discover they are pregnant and worry about the alcohol they may have consumed early on in the pregnancy before they knew. Relax, unless you are a drug user or alcohol abuser, things should be okay. It is not too late to start taking folic acid if you are in the earliest stages of pregnancy and this is something you can start right away. Once you know you are pregnant, act as if you are and obviously stop smoking and alcohol consumption.

5. Once you are pregnant how much extra do you need to eat a day for a healthy baby?

We hear all the time that when a woman is pregnant she is eating for two. NOT TRUE. You may want to eat for two, but a woman needs only about 200 extra calories a day during the first trimester, which is not a lot. That should come from a good source that is some lean meat or bread not from chocolate chip cookies. During the first trimester you should not gain more than a pound to a pound and a half a month. There is however a lot of variation.

6. What about exercise?

It's good. If you are active before pregnancy and you have discussed it with your doctor, keep right on. But listen to your body you may be more fatigued than usual.

Here is a list of things to avoid before and during pregnancy:

Don't drink alcohol or smoke
Don't drink more than one cup of coffee a day
Don't take medication unless prescribed by a doctor
Don't use a hot tub
Don't use household cleaners without checking the label

We will talk about fit pregnancy in the later months in our second part of "fit pregnancy" series.