In years past, women were told to “lie low” during pregnancy. Instead of continuing their active lives, they were “confined”—to the house or even the bed. Did you know that because the heart rate increases by 20 percent even in the first trimester, just being pregnant causes a woman’s body to perform a low- level of aerobic exercise?

If you have a healthy pregnancy, you can generally plan on maintaining an active lifestyle—including exercise—with time out for napping. Even in your last trimester, when your form seems less than stable to the eye, you can still exercise to enhance your well being—as long as you are careful! Let the following tips help you to stay fit during pregnancy:

• Consult your doctor. Before you sign up for an exercise program, talk to your doctor. Explain the type of exercise you will be doing—or program you will join. The following conditions or problems will affect choices you make about an exercise routine—anemia, heart problems, asthma or lung problems, hypertension, diabetes, seizures, thyroid problems, muscle or joint problems, extreme under- or over-weight, history of miscarriages, carrying multiples, history of premature labors, persistent bleeding, incompetent cervix, placental abnormalities (placenta previa), a previous sedentary lifestyle (couch potato).
• Determine your personal fitness level. Did you exercise frequently before pregnancy? How did your instructor rate your fitness level? If you are fit when you enter pregnancy, there is no reason to safely continue your prepregnancy levels of exercise, although the movements may have to change (i.e., NO jarring movements). Keep in mind that you are now exercising for two. If you are a two-mile per day jogger, that little one inside you may not want to go that far! Reduce your mileage to protect baby’s health. Walking four miles may be better for mom and baby. If you were not active prepregnancy, then start slow and gradually build up the time and intensity of exercise. Warning—do not try to lose weight through exercise during pregnancy because of harmful effects on the fetus from the byproducts of fat and stored toxins when they breakdown.
• Dress for the occasion. Wear loose-fitting pants with a loose elastic waistband. Avoid overheating by layering your clothes. Wear supportive shoes that allow swollen feet to “breathe.” See if a special runner’s bra may help prevent chaffing on your nipples, or try a protective emollient such as Lansinoh.
• Exercise regularly. Short regular exercise routines are healthier than being a weekend warrior! Begin with 10 to 15-minute sessions twice daily, three times a week. Gradually build from this time until you are doing 30 to 45 minutes of medium-intensity exercise at least three times a week.
• Know your limits. The key to exercising safely during pregnancy is to work your body without stressing it or your baby’s. A general guide is—if it’s too strenuous for you, it’s too strenuous for baby. Check your heart rate. Can you talk during exercise? Or are you out of breath? You know which is best for your health—and baby’s. If you are too winded to carry on a conversation, ease up until you can comfortably converse.
• Go easy on your joints. Due to the influence of relaxin and other pregnancy hormones, making your joints less stable and more prone to injury. Use light weights (five-pound is safe). Gymnastics is OUT. Avoid jarring movements in tennis and racquetball.
• Don’t shake the baby. For now, baby is safely snuggled in her own pool, so exercise is unlikely to bother baby. But, avoid jarring exercises and sudden stops—such as jumping or changing directions. Go softly on your feet. Avoid running on hard surfaces. Upright weight-bearing exercises are more likely to bother baby’s heart rate that non-weight bearing exercises such as swimming. Avoid hopping and jerking exercises.
• Realize you are now off-center. Your enlarging breasts and uterus change your body’s center of gravity, increasing your chances of falling during workouts. Avoid risk ventures that require precise balance (gymnastics and downhill skiing).
• Rehydrate and refuel. To avoid dehydration, drink two 8-ounce glasses of juice or water before and after exercising. Dehydration makes muscles tire more easily. A before and after exercise snack may protect your body and baby from hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).
• Keep cool. In the first trimester, prolonged body temperatures above 102 degrees F. can hard baby’s development. Avoid exercising in hot and humid weather. Keep the room cool or well ventilated. Wear loose clothing to allow body heat to be released.
• Warm up and cool down. During pregnancy your body’s extra blood supply knows its priorities: your uterus and its resident. It takes time for your cardiovascular system to ease into the extra demands of exercising muscles. Ease into exercise. Take five minutes to build up to your peak, and then take time to cool down from your peak.
• Choose the right sport. Swimming is the number one recommended baby- friendly exercise for pregnant women. Brisk walking is much less jarring to joints and uterus than bouncy jogging. Street cycling is great during the first trimester, but because you get more off-balanced, it would lead to a risky fall in later months.
• Mommy slows as baby grows. In the final months, your baby and uterus need more of your blood in order to grow. Your heart has to work even harder when you are resting. There is less reserve blood supply for exercising muscles, so slow the intensity of your exercise routine.
• Keep off your back. After month four, avoid exercising while lying on your back. By this stage of pregnancy, your uterus is large enough to compress the major blood vessels (vena cava and aorta) that run along the right side of your spine. Allow your body and baby to REST after exercise, but lie down on your LEFT SIDE. This prevents your uterus from pressing on the major blood vessels and promotes circulation to your uterus.

The article above was writtten by Dr. Sears and can be found, along with a lot of other great articles on pregnancy, birth, and parenting, at http://www.askdrsears.com/html/1/T011700.asp.

It’s October, which is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Did you know that breastfeeding can reduce a woman’s risk of breast cancer? Check out the story below, it talks about a recent study that found moms can cut their risk of breast cancer by up to 59%.

That’s right, it is World Breastfeeding Week. Yipee! So, New Life will be giving back to the community double time this week. On Saturday, we will be teaching a free Breastfeeding Basics Class at Nurtured Family, and will then head to Babies R Us for a Q & A Session about Breastfeeding, as part of their World Breastfeeding Event! See our community calendar for details.   

And, to bring your more info on World Breastfeeding Week, who has initiated it, and it’s goals, I’ve included a press release from The World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action below. See you on Saturday!   

World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) 2010, 1-7 August 2010  

Towards A Baby-Friendly World   

From 1-7 August 2010, the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA), and breastfeeding  advocates in more than 170 countries worldwide will be celebrating World Breastfeeding Week for the 19th year with the theme “Breastfeeding: Just 10 Steps. The Research shows that the best feeding option globally is the initiation of breastfeeding within the first half hour of life, exclusive breastfeeding for a full six months and continued breastfeeding through the second year or beyond. Breastfeeding improves short and long term maternal and child health; and thus contribute to the attainment of the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) 4: REDUCE CHILD MORTALITY and 5 IMPROVE MATERNAL HEALTH, to which many countries and agencies are committed. UNICEF recently noted that the reduction of child deaths from 13 million globally in 1990 to 8.8 million in 20081 is partly due to the adoption of basic health interventions such as early and exclusive breastfeeding. More and more studies have shown that implementation of the Ten Steps with continued postnatal support contributes to increased breastfeeding initiation and exclusive breastfeeding at the local, national and global levels. 2,3,4   

Today, an estimated 28% of all maternity facilities in the world have at some point implemented the Ten Steps which has contributed to an encouraging increase in breastfeeding rates despite aggressive commercial promotion of infant formula and feeding bottles. However this is a far cry from the original goal of ALL maternity facilities practising the Ten Steps by 1995 as stated in the Innocenti Declaration (1990) on the protection, promotion and support of breastfeeding which had outlined what countries should do to support breastfeeding.   

In 2005, fifteen years after the original Innocenti Declaration, the Innocenti+15 Declaration had called upon individuals, health care professionals, communities, governments and multilateral, bilateral organisations and international financial institutions to ensure that all women can succeed in breastfeeding.   

In 2007, UNICEF and WHO completed an update and revision of the Baby-Friendly materials which acknowledge new research and experience, and suggest new approaches to Baby-Friendly beyond the maternity hospital in other health settings and in the community.   

 Action at community level is particularly important since globally only 56% of women deliver their babies in a health facility, (only 33% in the least developed countries) and they may be discharged within a day or two. Women need ongoing support in the community whether they deliver in hospital or at home.   

Whilst rates of exclusive breastfeeding have increased in many countries, there has been stagnation or decrease in some, partly because reduced political support for BFHI and poor compliance with the Ten Steps in BFHI certified facilities.   

Recent studies have shown that with more of the Ten Steps in place, the more likely women are to achieve their breastfeeding goals.5 This confirms that importance for every maternity, hospital, clinic and community to strive to increase the number of steps in place, even if they cannot achieve all ten steps immediately. Therefore every step counts!   

 Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding   

Every facility providing maternity services and care for newborn infants should:   

1. Have a written breastfeeding policy that is routinely communicated to all health care staff.
2. Train all health care staff in skills necessary to implement this policy.
3. Inform all pregnant mothers about the benefits and management of breastfeeding.
4. Help mothers initiate breastfeeding within a half-hour of birth.
5. Show mothers how to breastfeed, and how to maintain lactation even if they should be separated from their infants.
6. Give newborn infants no food or drink other than breastmilk unless medically indicated.
7. Practice rooming-in – allow mothers and infants to remain together – 24 hours a day.
8. Encourage breastfeeding on demand.
9. Give no artificial teats or pacifiers (also called dummies or soothers) to breastfeeding infants.
10. Foster the establishment of breastfeeding support groups and refer mothers to them on discharge from the hospital or clinic.

‘Let’s join hands in taking the reliable Ten Steps to making this world a Baby-Friendly World!’   

For further information contact Julianna Lim Abdullah, IBCLC, International WBW Coordinator   

Tel: (604) 658 4816 Fax: (604) 657 2655 Email: wbw@waba.org.my Website: www.waba.org.my and www.worldbreastfeedingweek.org   

The World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) is a global network of individuals and organisations concerned with the protection, promotion and support of breastfeeding worldwide based on the Innocenti Declarations, the Ten Links for Nurturing the Future and the WHO/UNICEF Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding. Its core partners are International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN), La Leche League International (LLLI), International Lactation Consultant Association (ILCA), Wellstart International and Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (ABM). WABA is in consultative status with UNICEF and an NGO in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations (ECOSOC) l WABA, PO Box 1200, 10850 Penang, Malaysia l Tel: 60-4-6584 816 l Fax: 60-4-6572 655 l Email: wbw@waba.org.my l Website: www.worldbreastfeedingweek.org and www.waba.org.my   

References:   

1 UNICEF State of the Worlds Children 2010   

2 Merten S, Dratva J, Ackermann-Liebrich U: Do baby-friendly hospitals influence breastfeeding duration on a national level? Pediatrics 2005, 116(5);e702-708   

3 Abrahams SW, Labbok M. Exploring the Impact of the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative on Trends in Exclusive Breastfeeding, Int Breastfeed J, 2009 Oct 29;4(1):11   

4 Saadeh R and Casanovas M, Implementing and Revitalising the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative. Food and Nutrition Bulletin 2009, 30(2)p S225-9   

5 Declerq E, Labbok MH, Sakala C, O’Hara M. The impact of hospital practices on women’s likelihood of fulfilling their intention to exclusively breastfeed. Am J Pub   

Health 2009 May; 99(5):929.

 Press release can be viewed at: http://worldbreastfeedingweek.org/pdf/wbw2010pr.pdf .