I think one of the most feared part of having a baby is the fear of gaining excess weight over and above what your doctor tells you that you should gain.  How mush weight you should gain would depend on how mush you were prior to getting pregnant and also your body mass index (BMI).  Body Mass Index is a measure of body fat which is based on your height and weight.  BMI provides a reliable indicator of body fatness and is used to screen for weight categories that may lead to health problems.

The best thing to do is work with your doctor to determine what’s good for you.  For under weight women you should gain 28 to 40 pounds, if at your normal weight it would be around 25 to 35 pounds, overweight women 15 to 25 pounds and obese women at least 15 pounds.

What’s important is gaining the right amount of weight during pregnancy by eating the right foods because your baby needs all the nutrients to grow at a healthy rate.

Some women think well I have to eat for two now so I need to eat more. Not true, what is true is you generally need to eat ONLY 100 to 300 more calories than you would eat prior to becoming pregnant.

Now the problem is with all the social pressures that’s around pregnancy a lot of the times it’s just not that easy to figure out exactly what your should gain and how to keep off what you don’t need. 

Your eating habits change and your appetite will grow in strange ways.  You start having morning sickness which causes some nausea and vomiting.  Then you start eating things that you never ate before and more of it.  You start to worry about how mush you are gaining, is it the right amount, am I gaining too fast and of course will I be able to lose the weight after the baby is born. 

My daughter had these questions and feared the fact that she would gain 50 pounds and keep it for ever.  She was really getting depressed so I ask around and research the internet and every where I went the most recommended program was a book called "Pregnancy Without Pounds" by Michelle Moss. 

Michelle Moss is an expert diet and fitness nutritionist with 15 years experience teaching, counseling and coaching people on health, eating and exercise.  She’s a personal trainer and has a master degree in both Holistic Nutrition and Psychology Degree.

Based on my finding I ordered a copy, read it, gave it to my daughter and my research was over.  She loved it.

What Michelle has focused on is exposing the TRUTH about why you don’t have to go through pregnancy feeling over weight and unattractive.  She will teach you how to keep your pregnancy weight gain to a healthy minimum.

"Pregnancy Without Pounds" is a best selling 90 page book that comes in 4 parts.

• “Pregnancy Without Pounds” You’ll learn EXACTLY how to avoid unwanted pounds, overcome your food cravings, and much more.
• Exercise Manual which includes a  list of top exercises and stretches with 3 workouts to chose from with pictures, Tired Mama, Moderate Mama, and Fit Mama.

• Exercise Journal will help you keep track of what exercise/activity you’re doing each day/week.  It has Michelle’s suggestion chart, your weekly exercise chart and your daily exercise chart.

• Weight Gain Chart Manager to keep up with your weight gain as you progress through your journey.
• Exclusive Members Forum

I highly recommend "Pregnancy Without Pounds" if you want to control your weight during your pregnancy and lose your weight after pregnancy.  I think Michelle Moss has done a wonderful job putting together this program and has covered everything you need to be successful with your weight concerns.  All you have to do is follow the program.

Get "Pregnancy Without Pounds" Now!

Gestational Diabetes: What it Means for Me and My Baby

What is gestational diabetes?

Gestational diabetes is first recognized or develops during pregnancy. A women loses the ability to control the level of sugar in her blood automatically. This means that your blood glucose is too high.

What causes gestational diabetes?

In pregnancy, the placenta produces hormones to sustain your pregnancy. Theses hormones make your cells more resistant to insulin.  In the second and third trimesters pregnancy complications can occur when your placenta grows larger which secretes more of these hormones.  This makes it harder for insulin to do its job.  
Your pancreas responds by producing extra insulin to fight this resistance. Your pancreas sometimes can not keep up with the higher demand for insulin then the body falls behind in processing glucose and the result, gestational diabetes. 

What are the symptoms and signs of gestational diabetes?

Usually there are no symptoms for gestational diabetes so for good pregnancy wellness you need to be tested for the condition. It’s very important to be tested for gestational diabetes because high blood sugar can cause problems for you and your baby.

If a women has another type of diabetes without knowing it she could have symptoms, they may include:

• Increased thirst
• Increased urination
• Weight loss in spite of increased appetite
• Fatigue
• Nausea and vomiting
• Frequent infections including those of the bladder,  vagina, and skin
• Blurred vision

Beware that having these symptoms does not mean that a women has diabetes.  What you need to do is talk with your doctor and be tested for diabetes.

Will my baby have diabetes?

Babies are not born with diabetes when their mother had diabetes when pregnant.  The most common problem would be if the mothers diabetes was not controlled during pregnancy could cause low blood sugar in the newborn baby.  The baby will have to be watched closely to make sure the babies body adjusts the amount of insulin it makes.

How is gestational diabetes treated?

Gestational diabetes can be treated by controlling your blood sugar level.  You can control your blood sugar level by changing your diet and make sure you get the right pregnancy exercises .  You may need to check your gestational diabetes at home and make sure you see your doctor on a regular basic.  Just do not discard the importance of good pregnancy nutrition.

I have diabetes and want to get pregnant how do I prevent problems to myself and my baby? 

Here are some of the things to look at to prevent problems to the mother and her baby.

• Need to plan the pregnancy – It’s important for a women with diabetes to get her body ready before getting pregnant. 
• Eat Health Foods – A women with diabetes should eat the foods from a meal plan that was made for a women with diabetes.
• Exercise Regularly – A women should be on an exercise program prior to getting pregnant. Help keep blood sugar under control.
• Regular Visits To Your Doctor – Your doctor can recommend the things you need to do prior to getting pregnant.
• Take Required Medications – Very important to take your medications on time.
• Monitor Blood Sugar At Home Regularly – Checking blood sugar levels often can help a woman keep her blood sugar in control.