By Beverley Brooke

There are many things that you can do to improve your diet and ensure that you gain a minimal but healthy amount of weight during pregnancy.

Choosing the right foods is important because you will be able to loose weight more quickly after delivery if you manage your diet during pregnancy.

So here is what you need to do during pregnancy to ensure weight loss success after you have your baby:

Tip #1
Choose whole foods. Whole foods are foods that are dense in nutrients. Think wild rice, whole grains, and unprocessed foods. Whole foods don’t include waffles and pancakes!

Tip #2
Add calories during the second trimester. Eating for two doesn’t literally mean eating for two. In fact during your first trimester your baby is about the size of a small bean! Most women don’t actually need to start adding 300 calories a day to their diet until the second and third trimesters.

Tip #3
Be sure you get a serving of protein, carbohydrate and fat at every meal. It will help you if you break your meals into six mini meals per day. This will help rev up your metabolism. Next be sure that you eat some protein, carbohydrate and fat at each mini meal session. This will help nourish your body more completely and help prevent cravings later in the day.

Tip #4
Choose foods high in fiber. High fiber foods will help fill you up when you are ravenous during pregnancy, and they will also help relieve constipation and help you feel great! A high fiber diet is good for anyone, whether or not they are pregnant.

Tip #5
Drink extra water. You’ll be thirstier than normal anyway during pregnancy. Drinking water helps flush toxins from your system and helps prevent excessive edema. Believe it or not you can actually fight weight gain associated with edema if you drink more water!

Remember that pregnancy is a short period of time in the long journey that is your life. You should enjoy every moment of it. By following the tips above, you can gain the right amount of weight and feel great throughout your pregnancy.

About the Author
Article by Beverley Brooke, author of How To Ensure A Safe, Healthy Pregnancy And Lose Weight After Pregnancy. Visit her site for more on www.pregnancy-weight-loss.com.

Besides a woman’s breasts being tender and swollen early in the first trimester of pregnancy, a woman may notice changes to her areolas and nipples. New hormones running through her body may cause your nipples to become bigger and darker than they normally are.

As your breasts get bigger, your nipples naturally get bigger as well. The darkening of the nipples is caused by a temporary increase of melanin, the natural pigment that your body produces that gives your hair, skin and eyes their color. For most women, within a few months of having their baby, the nipples will return to their normal color and size. If a woman is breastfeeding, the nipples may not return to their normal size until after she weans her baby.

Another change in the nipples that a woman may discover once she gets pregnant are the Montgomery’s tubercles (glands or little bumps surrounding the nipples) getting bigger, elevating and becoming more prominent. Not all women experience this, and some may not experience it till the second or third trimester.

If you do not believe you are pregnant, there are other things that can cause these changes in your nipples. Weight gain can cause your breasts to enlarge, therefore causing your nipples to enlarge. If you like to tan, your nipples may become darker. A hormone imbalance may cause your nipples to get darker, or left over melanin from a previous pregnancy may cause this darkening. If you are not sure what is going on with your body, be sure to ask your doctor.

Your baby is growing and growing fast. The average baby weighs approximately 7 ½ pounds at birth when born at 40 weeks. Obviously, since most babies are not born at 40 weeks, babies are born at various different sizes. Non-preemie babies can be anywhere from five pounds on the low side to 11 pounds on the high side when they are born. The good thing about babies is that no matter what size they are when they are born — they will all grow, and during the first year will go through several growth spurts.

Growth spurts are normal in both breastfed and bottle fed babies. It may however be a little more noticeable in babies who are breastfed because it would be felt more by mom. She would have to nurse more frequently in order to build up her milk supply to satisfy her baby.

There is no set time for a growth spurt to appear, however there is a generality. A baby’s body is not a clock but they will generally go though a growth spurt between 7-10 days old, around three weeks, six weeks, three months, four months, six months and nine months. Most of the weight they gain during the first two years will be gained during this time and they will also grow in inches.

Growth spurts are less frequent after the first year but they still occur. Your baby will probably gain more in inches than pounds after their first birthday. Through out the toddler years and into adolescence however you will notice growth spurts.

Growth spurts generally only last 2-3 days, but can sometimes last as long as a week. During a growth spurt it is important to follow your baby’s lead. When he seems hungry, feed him. While still young be prepared to nurse more or offer more bottle of formula. If breastfeeding have a bottle of breast milk prepared and waiting to top your baby off if he still seems hungry after a nursing session is complete.

As a nursing mom you may also feel more hunger or thirst while your baby is going through a growth spurt. As your baby eats extra calories from you, it is important for you to replenish yourself and keep your energy up. If you are feeling extra hungry or thirsty, eat and drink a little more, but be sure to keep it healthy.