The Second Trimester – Nutrition & Exercise Tips

Nutrition

As far as what you’re supposed to eat, the food choices will be the same for all 3 trimesters. The only difference is that the calories will vary. As you go into your second and third trimester you should increase your daily caloric intake by 300 calories.

This will help to compensate for the increasing rate of your baby’s growth. If your pre-pregnancy caloric intake was 1800 calories you should consume 2100 calories a day. If it was 1400 calories you should consume 1700 calories, and so on and so forth.

Will you gain weight? Yes, definitely.
Is that ok? You bet it is. Now is not the time to worry about losing weight.
In fact, it is healthy to gain some weight during pregnancy. Eat the correct foods and eat more so that there are sufficient calories and nutrients in your body for both you and your baby.

Unlike the first trimester, most women do not experience morning sickness or fatigue. The body has adapted to the pregnancy and usually, that means more energy.

You should probably feel like you have more energy in your second trimester.
That will mean that you can be more active. Of course, the same rule applies about low impact exercises. However, now you should aim to incorporate strength training exercises in your regimen.

Pay more attention to exercises that tone your back muscles, neck muscles and legs. Pregnancy will place some strain on all these muscles. You often hear of pregnant women complaining that their backs, necks and legs ache or feel tired. Now you know why.

These are some of the best strength exercises that you can do during your second trimester. If you do not know how to do them, you can always Google them or look them up on YouTube.

•  Squats
• Step ups
• Lunges
• Modified side planks (knees at 90 degrees on ground) Bird dog
• Bicep/triceps curls
• Straight Leg calf stretch
• Hip flexor stretch
• Yoga

As far as cardio goes, you may carry on with your walking or stationary bike workouts sessions.

The thing about exercise is that it really depends on the individual.
There are women who are extremely sporty before pregnancy and can go running or even play sports during pregnancy.

Is this advisable? It depends. Only you will know your own capabilities.
Ideally, contact sports should be avoided.

The best person to speak to, will be your doctor. He/she will be able to advise you on the best types of exercises that are best suited for you.

Generally, most women will do just fine walking or doing a stationary bike. There is really no need to overdo it or try and prove that pregnancy is not holding you back.

Also, do not exercise more than you have to just because you’re consuming more calories during your second trimester and you want to burn them off and stay slim.

This is counter-productive and will affect both you and the baby adversely.
Enjoy your pregnancy. You will have the happy glow of a pregnant woman. There is no need to worry about looking like a Swimsuit Illustrated model.