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The Active Woman's Pregnancy Log
A Day-by-Day Diary and Guide to a Fit and Healthy Pregnancy
By Suzanne Schlosberg and Liz Neporent, M.A.
About The Active Woman's Pregnancy Log
At last, a pregnancy journal that doesn't focus on shower gifts and nursery decor but instead on your fitness, nutrition, and well-being. The Active Woman’s Pregnancy Log is a your healthy pregnancy headquarters — a portable, one-stop source of inspiration, information and organizational tools to keep moms-to-be feeling fit and confident and exercising wisely throughout this amazing journey. Spanning 40 weeks, this day-by-day diary features:
- a guide to cardio exercise and strength training through each trimester
- tips for working around morning sickness, heartburn, swollen feet and other symptoms
- eating advice to keep your baby well nourished and to keep you feeling satisfied and at a healthy weight
- charts, checklists, and places to record important dates, contacts, test results and more
- a list of key prenatal workout gear
- a bonus section on postpartum fitness
Keep this log on your nightstand, toss it in your purse when you head to the doctor or your birthing class, or whip it out for reference when you’re shopping for maternity yoga pants online. After the big day comes and you arrive home with your bundle – or bundles! - of joy, tuck your log away for safekeeping. You never know: If you get pregnant again, the notes you made during this pregnancy might inspire you to keep active the next time around, when life is even busier and more complicated. If you’re sure this is your final pregnancy, you’ll have a wonderful keepsake – a reminder of how dedicated you were to your own health, and your baby’s, even when you could no longer see your feet on the treadmill.
Sample Log Pages
Click to view two log pages (Adobe PDF).
Excerpt From The Introduction
Congratulations!
Actually, make that double congratulations: Not only are you pregnant, but you’re lucky enough to be with child in the era of the prenatal Pilates class and the maternity workout unitard.
Back when our moms were pregnant with us, "prenatal exercise" meant putting on men’s pants and propping their feet up for nine months. Obstetricians, fearful that exercise might somehow harm the growing baby, discouraged pregnant women from breaking a sweat. In fact, in the 1950s, the medical establishment recommended that pregnant women walk no more than 1 mile a day, broken up into several sessions! Even as late as 1985, the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology recommended that women limit their workouts to 15 minutes and never allow their heart rates to creep above 140 beats per minute.
But all that has changed, in a big way. Doctors now encourage their pregnant patients to work out at least three times a week, preferably more. That’s because research has proven that prenatal exercise is not only safe for most pregnant women but also — when doctor approved — actually advantageous. As numerous studies show, prenatal exercise does not increase the risk for miscarriage and offers a wide range of health benefits for mom and even for baby. For example, women who exercise regularly throughout pregnancy:
- have a lower risk of gestational diabetes and high blood pressure
- experience fewer aches and pains and take fewer back pain-related sick days from work
- gain on average 7 pounds less than pregnant women who don’t exercise, yet still are well within normal ranges for weight gain
- have a more positive body image than women who don’t work out
- may experience a lower rate of pre-term delivery
- tend to have easier and shorter labors than sedentary women, lowering the risk of complications for mom and baby
- recuperate more quickly after delivery
- weigh the same five years after pregnancy as they did before, whereas non-exercisers typically weigh at least 10 pounds more
You may already be aware of many of these benefits, but from our experiences — Liz’s rollercoaster pregnancy with her daughter, Skylar, and Suzanne’s 36 weeks carrying her twins, Tob and Ian — knowing isn’t as easy as doing. This is especially true when you’re so nauseous that the mere mention of a Hamburger Helper TV commercial makes you queasy (that was Liz), or you’re so wiped out that it’s an effort to press the remote-control button (that was Suzanne in her first trimester).
You might also have concerns about how much and what type of exercise is advisable — is it really OK to do abdominal exercises during that crucial first trimester? — or wonder how to modify your workouts to keep you and your baby absolutely safe. Plus, as both of us learned, you may need to adjust your entire workout mindset; pregnancy is a time to let go of your usual goals and shift to more relaxed expectations, accepting and embracing the transformation of your body.
No question: from start to finish, pregnancy poses challenges to staying active. But you can absolutely overcome these challenges!
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