When it comes to food and pregnancy, it seems like the topic is always enshrouded in confusion. How much should one eat? What should one eat? What should be avoided?

Here are a few key points that I have done my due diligence on.

• We need only an additional 300 calories per day when pregnant and 600 more when lactating.

• Avoid raw fish, raw meat like deli meat, and unpasteurized soft cheeses. Some raw, soft cheeses like imported brie have been linked to fetal-harming bacteria called Listeria.

• Increase protein intake up to 65-70 grams per day.

• Skip caffeine, refined sugar, and alcohol.

• Try to eat every two hours (always including some protein) to keep blood sugar balanced.
• And stay hydrated (2-3 liters of water a day).

When it comes to pregnancy eating, think about how you will want your child to eat when he is about 3-4 years old. Include plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, protein, fiber, and (sure, every now and again) a treat. Everything you eat is helping your baby grow and develop, so honor your cravings but do your best to help create a strong and healthy foundation for your child.

P.S. Pick up Domenica Catelli’s wonderful cook book Momalicious: Fresh, Fast, Family Food for the Hot Mama in You! You will use it for years.

Exercise: Yoga for You and Baby

The most frequent question I am asked as a prenatal yoga teacher is whether it is safe to begin yoga during pregnancy even if one has never done yoga before.

Yes, if one receives the thumbs up from their doctor or midwife that it is okay to do exercise while pregnant Prenatal Yoga is not only safe but a wonderful form of exercise throughout one’s pregnancy. It is a great way to strengthen and tone your body to prepare for childbirth, a great way to stay fit during your pregnancy, and a wonderful way to connect with your body and your growing baby inside you.

If you are new to yoga stay away from non-prenatal yoga classes and if you have had a deep practice for years continue doing what feels comfortable for you, modifying the Asanas over time.

Prenatal yoga is nurturing and a modality of exercise that has been designed for your changing body and getting into a class is a wonderful way to connect with other pregnant women who are going through similar changes as you. If you can’t find a class near you I encourage you to pick up my yoga dvd , Anna Getty’s Pre and Post Natal Yoga Workout. It includes a disc designed for all stages of your pregnancy and a second disc with 9 short post baby workouts.

If yoga is not for you find something else that feels good like Pilates, swimming, pregnancy belly dancing, or hiking. The most important thing is to keep your body moving.

Visit Anna’s website PureStyle Living.

Declared and founded by holistic lifestyle expert Anna Getty, May is officially Pregnancy Awareness Month (PAM). Anna’s intention is to empower pregnant women with information, ideas and inspiration on how to incorporate healthy changes into their lives, for themselves and their children. This month, we’re lucky to have Anna as a weekly guest blogger!

Exercise: Clean Up and Clean Out

I recently learned that on average, babies are being born with over 200 chemicals in their systems.  This was discovered by studying the cord blood of newborns. This is not meant to scare you, although it may. This bit of information is meant to get you to be proactive at any stage of parenthood.

Whether you are deciding to conceive, are recently pregnant, about to give birth, or have young children already, it is not too late to get proactive, to educate yourself, and to make different choices. For example, I am often told that eating small amounts of tuna during ones pregnancy is safe. Well, The Environmental Working Group recommends that women of child bearing age and young children under 5 do not eat any albacore tuna at all. Most albacore has very high levels of mercury.  My doctor often asks me “if I were to hand you a class half full of poison and a glass full of poison, which would you drink?” My response is always a resolute, “neither.”  So why chance it with fish when you have a vulnerable developing baby growing inside you? Another study recently revealed that some infant formula has the ingredient perchlorate, which is found in rocket fuel! Again, the point is not to terrify you but to remind us that we are indeed living in a toxic world and it is up to each and everyone one of us to do our research and seek out reliable sources to help us decipher the toxic from the healthy.

Eat organic food whenever possible, get rid of beauty products and household cleaners filled with chemicals, and begin to take care of the temple that your body is. We will pass our good health onto our children.

P.S. Pick up a copy of Sara Snow’s Fresh Living: The Essential Room-by-Room Guide to a Greener, Healthier Family and Home.

P.P.S And of course the new paperback addition of Healthy Child Healthy World by Christopher Gavigan.

Visit Anna’s website: Pure Style Living