My second month turned out to be uneventful and quite a breeze. The feeling of being pregnant was still sinking in and with no physical symptoms/discomfort so far I was feeling on top of the world. I was positively glowing with all the extra attention being showered by my dear husband.
Along with the prescribed Folic acid and B12 supplements, I had switched over to a healthy diet which included lots of green leafy vegetables. Now Folic acid is the most important supplement in the first trimester. It is important for the development of the baby's spine and neural cells ( happens in the first trimester ). Folate is important for the mother too as it prevents anemia by helping in the formation of RBCs. This is why most doctors also prescribe folate to couples who are trying to conceive.
While folate naturally occurs in sprouts, beans, green leafy vegetables like spinach, liver, peanuts and soyabean, these should be consumed in addition to the vitamin supplements. Trying to replace the pills with these folate rich vegetables can be dangerous as it is rather difficult to quantify the amount of vitamin in each serving. Also, folate being a water soluble vitamin, improper cooking/preparation methods can lead to considerable loss.
Cutting back on the number of tea cups consumed everyday was second in line. I replaced the afternoon tea(s) with a glass of tender coconut water. Coffee became a strict no-no.
Keeping in line with the 'Eating-for-two' philosophy, an extra sandwich/fruit during the late evenings became an add-on to my regular diet. Now the fetus is really tiny during the first trimester and a mother needs to eat just a little extra during this stage. Too much indulgence will only lead to weight gain and complications during the labor.
While I had stopped going to the gym sometime back and was in no mood to start again, I started taking a walk everyday to improve the blood circulation. It is important to maintain the fitness levels during pregnancy and hence i started doing light floor exercises ( especially for the pelvic muscles ). Kegels followed by squatting is the best kind of exercise. It really helps with all that pushing that one needs to do in the labor room. Following a regular fitness routine only made it easier for me to get back into shape post pregnancy.
It is advisable to go for pre-natal yoga classes if OK-ed by your doctor. And make sure you start early before the side effects of pregnancy have kicked in. Just make sure that the practitioner is a certified one. In my case, I had to skip the idea as it involved a lot of travel.
NOTE: Kegels is a form of exercise which involves alternately tightening and relaxing the vaginal muscles. It also helps in reversing(atleast to some extent) the problem of urine incontinence that is common during pregnancy.
Along with the prescribed Folic acid and B12 supplements, I had switched over to a healthy diet which included lots of green leafy vegetables. Now Folic acid is the most important supplement in the first trimester. It is important for the development of the baby's spine and neural cells ( happens in the first trimester ). Folate is important for the mother too as it prevents anemia by helping in the formation of RBCs. This is why most doctors also prescribe folate to couples who are trying to conceive.
While folate naturally occurs in sprouts, beans, green leafy vegetables like spinach, liver, peanuts and soyabean, these should be consumed in addition to the vitamin supplements. Trying to replace the pills with these folate rich vegetables can be dangerous as it is rather difficult to quantify the amount of vitamin in each serving. Also, folate being a water soluble vitamin, improper cooking/preparation methods can lead to considerable loss.
Cutting back on the number of tea cups consumed everyday was second in line. I replaced the afternoon tea(s) with a glass of tender coconut water. Coffee became a strict no-no.
Keeping in line with the 'Eating-for-two' philosophy, an extra sandwich/fruit during the late evenings became an add-on to my regular diet. Now the fetus is really tiny during the first trimester and a mother needs to eat just a little extra during this stage. Too much indulgence will only lead to weight gain and complications during the labor.
While I had stopped going to the gym sometime back and was in no mood to start again, I started taking a walk everyday to improve the blood circulation. It is important to maintain the fitness levels during pregnancy and hence i started doing light floor exercises ( especially for the pelvic muscles ). Kegels followed by squatting is the best kind of exercise. It really helps with all that pushing that one needs to do in the labor room. Following a regular fitness routine only made it easier for me to get back into shape post pregnancy.
It is advisable to go for pre-natal yoga classes if OK-ed by your doctor. And make sure you start early before the side effects of pregnancy have kicked in. Just make sure that the practitioner is a certified one. In my case, I had to skip the idea as it involved a lot of travel.
NOTE: Kegels is a form of exercise which involves alternately tightening and relaxing the vaginal muscles. It also helps in reversing(atleast to some extent) the problem of urine incontinence that is common during pregnancy.
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