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Healthy Pregnancy Weight Gain

How to maintain a healthy pregnancy weight

1. Establish healthy eating habits, such as cooking for yourself and stocking up on healthy snacks, such as dried fruit, nuts and granola. "Even if you never really cooked for yourself before, experiment with a few healthy recipes so that you have a few you like and are comfortable with–it will not only help you practice healthy eating during pregnancy, but is also a good investment for after the baby comes," says Kalnins.

2. Eat a balanced, nutrient-rich diet with plenty of fruits, veggies, whole grains and protein, Kalnins says. Follow Canada's Food Guide and add an extra two or three Food Guide Servings each day to meet your nutritional requirements during pregnancy.

3. Forget about "eating for two." During the first 10 to 12 weeks of pregnancy, you only need an extra 100 calories a day (the equivalent of a banana or half a cup of yogurt). In your second and third trimesters, your energy needs increase to an additional 300 calories a day.

4. If you did moderate exercise before getting pregnant, you can continue your usual routine, as long as you listen to your body. In addition to helping you maintain a healthy weight, other benefits of exercising during pregnancy include reducing common pregnancy discomforts, such as swelling, backache and constipation.

Even if you didn't exercise prior to getting pregnant, you can still introduce prenatal exercise into your routine–just do it slowly. Kalnins recommends starting by walking a few times a week and gradually increasing the amount of exercise you do with guidance from a physician.

Meet our expert:

Daina Kalnins is a registered dietitian at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. She has co-authored several books on healthy eating and nutrition in association with the Hospital for Sick Children, including Better Baby Food (the second edition was just released in summer, 2008) and Better Food for Pregnancy. Her latest book, YUM, is about nutrition and the importance of good food choices for children aged eight to 13.