Most medical consultants recommend a weight gain of 10 to 20 kilograms in pregnancy. Some women will put on more, others less, and still have a healthy-sized baby and not have gained excessive weight themselves. We are all different. The key is a balance between your energy needs, your baby’s and the amount of kilojoules you consume.

The weight you gain during pregnancy will be made up of extra circu¬lating blood, larger breasts, extra muscle and fat and, of course, your baby, uterus, placenta and amniotic fluid. It is the distribution of the extra fat on hips and thighs that causes some women to be very concerned about their weight gain, particularly if they do not understand that this weight distri¬bution is normal and is caused by the hormones of pregnancy.

Excessive weight gain in pregnancy is not recommended because this puts extra strain on your body and can lead to physical discomfort for you and a less than optimal environment for your baby. Controlling excessive weight gain by diet and exercise is therefore a healthy alternative. Research has shown that the best exercise for anyone, pregnant or not, wishing to control their weight is mild to moderate aerobic exercise, maintained over an extended time. This is also an ideal type of exercise during pregnancy. Walking and swim¬ming are probably the most common forms of aerobic exercise used by pregnant women.

Make sure controlling excessive weight gain remains your aim with your program and don’t become obsessive. Exercising in order not to gain weight at all tips the balance to unhealthy exercise. If you are concerned about your weight gain during pregnancy or whether your diet is adequate nutritionally for the demands of both pregnancy and exercise, you may wish to consult a dietician.

Labour is a very physical event, an event that requires you to have both endurance and strength. If you enter this event physically prepared, your ability to handle it will be enhanced. Just as no sensible athlete would ever consider entering an endurance event without suitable training, adequate rest and appropriate diet, neither should you. Suitable training for child¬birth aims to make you strong and flexible, both in body and mind, and to give you specific skills and movements such as pelvic rocking for use during labour.

Physical strength and flexibility can be gained from the exercises, and mental preparation from the relaxation time you spend at the end of each session as you become in tune with your body and your baby. It can be used on its own or as a complement to other general fitness activities.

As a general rule, you can increase your calorie intake by about 500 calories a day. Instead of eating two or three main meals a day, try spreading your food intake into five or six smaller meals so that your blood sugar doesn’t dip between meals. This will help avoid energy lows and morning sickness in the first three months.

Carbohydrates provide the essential fuel that give you energy. Most of your calories should come from carbohydrates, but rather than sugar-based carbohydrates you should eat complex unrefined carbohydrates in the form of wholegrains, wholemeal bread, porridge, brown rice, potatoes, peas, beans and lentils because these provide long-lasting energy and fibre. It is now well known that the closer your food is to its raw state, the better, so avoid processed carbohydrate where possible. However, simple carbohydrates are absorbed by the system in minutes, so the sugar from fructose (fruit), lactose (milk) and dextrose (honey) are good for a quick energy boost and can help to relieve morning sickness.

The protein is the building block to enable all your baby`s tissues – bone, muscle, cartilage and blood to grow, so you should eat at least lOOg (4oz) of protein a day if you can. You may not necessarily eat red meat very often (or at all) but in pregnancy it is important because red meat is the most concentrated source of iron. For vegetarians, milk (skimmed), yoghurt, cheese and eggs are excellent sources of protein, as are seeds, nuts, peanut butter (although high in calories), and the vegetable protein in peas, beans and lentils. Most bread is protein-enriched. Eat as much fish as you can – its easily digested pure protein, rich in minerals and vitamins and oily fish also contain essential fatty acids.

All the vitamins are important for maintaining general good health but some vitamins such as B and C cannot be stored by the body and a daily intake is required. Some vegetables and fruit contain B vitamins, as do meat, fish, dairy products, grains and nuts. Vitamin C is provided by fresh fruit and vegetables. Vitamin D is found in fish oils and can be. manufactured by the body; this process is triggered by j the action of light on the skin and most people in the UK require about 40 minutes of sunlight per day to produce adequate amounts. Folk acid is important in the prevention of spina bifida and supplements should be taken three months before conception and during the first trimester. Avoid liver or liver pates because they are high in vitamin A and this can cause problems.

Minerals are essential for your body to function efficiently. Calcium is needed to build the baby’s bones and teeth, a process which starts as soon as you conceive. It is wise to make sure your diet is rich in calcium before you become pregnant, then keep your calcium intake high by eating broccoli, dried milk and tinned salmon with the bones. Leafy green vegetables and dairy products also contain calcium. Remember that vitamin D is needed to promote calcium absorption.

Iron is vital, not just for your baby but for your own needs too. Your own iron level must be kept high throughout pregnancy because your baby uses iron so fast that it is cleared instantly from his blood. He is, so to speak, in a constant iron-deficient state.

If you are iron-deficient when you become pregnant, or become so later on, your doctor will prescribe iron tablets or injections to prevent you from developing anaemia. Eat foods that are rich in iron including red meat, eggs and offal (not liver); non-animal sources include fish, haricot beans, apricots, raisins and prunes.