For most women during their pregnancy, they will experience some kind of change to their appetite. If you are one of the unlucky ones who experiences morning sickness, then you may be more or less inclined to want to eat. For some women, eating suppresses the nausea, whilst for others, the thought of eating is not inviting at all.

Doctor’s orders are to eat an extra 300 calories per day.

Weight gain during pregnancy is perfectly normal, and pregnant women should expect to put on a dress size or two. In fact, the normal expected weight gain throughout a pregnancy is between 10-15 kg. Malnourished mothers tend to produce smaller, malnourished babies.

A balanced diet of fresh fruit, plenty of vegetables and as little processed food as possible is a great way to go.

The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG) recommends, along with folic acid (500 mcg per day) to protect against neural tube defects, a diet rich in iron, iodine, vitamin B12, and omega-3 is essential.

The notion that whatever you eat during pregnancy will influence your baby’s taste buds, still requires much study, however eating lots of vegetables and fruit during the last trimester has been shown to help the baby to like vegetables too.

How much exercise should you be doing throughout your pregnancy?

Aside from an appetite change, you are likely to experience a change in your energy levels too.

If you are someone who has always exercised, then it is likely that you will continue to enjoy exercising.

You may want to modify the intensity of your exercise and perhaps change a few things. The type of exercise will need to change over the course of your pregnancy too. As your bump gets bigger, some exercises will become much harder to do. According to RANZCOG, it is recommended to do about 30 minutes of exercise per day.

Not only is exercise a great way to maintain your energy levels, fitness and weight, it is also a known stress-reducer. It stimulates lots of brain-friendly chemicals and reduces the risk of clinical depression and anxiety disorders.