Shape Magazine
The New Facts of Life
Today, fewer than 14 percent of American women get 30 minutes of activity most days of the week, according to a recent study in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise; after conception, that number plummets to about 6 percent. "The ideal time to start an exercise plan is now, before you get pregnant," says Minkin. That way, once you conceive, you'll already be in the habit. Regular cardio during pregnancy may help relieve morning-sickness symptoms and reduce water retention, leg cramps, and excess weight gain-as well as boost your energy and endurance. "By your second trimester, your heart will be working about 50 percent harder than it is now," Minkin says. "The better shape you're in before you conceive, the better you'll feel down the road." Start with a realistic goal, like walking a few days during lunchtime.
Clear the air
Smoking just six to 10 cigarettes a day reduces your chances of getting pregnant during any given month by 15 percent, according to a study in the American Journal of Epidemiology. The 4,000-plus chemicals in cigarette smoke have been proven to lower estrogen. "Smoking also seems to reduce the quality and quantity of a woman's egg supply, meaning that it speeds up the natural process of egg loss that occurs as women age," says Daniel Potter, M.D., author of What to Do When You Can't Get Pregnant.
Quit before you conceive and you'll be able to take advantage of the nicotine-replacement products on the market (such as the patch or nicotine gum); they release small amounts of nicotine into the bloodstream, which is why pregnant or nursing women shouldn't use them. Give yourself time to adjust to life without cigarettes and you'll be less likely to relapse once you do get pregnant. Smoking during pregnancy accounts for 20 to 30 percent of low-birth-weight babies and for about 10 percent of infant deaths, according to the U.S. Surgeon General.
Nonsmokers should also take steps to minimize their secondhand exposure-it can lead to abnormal lung function in a developing fetus and low birth weight. And after you deliver, a child exposed to cigarette smoke is especially vulnerable to ear infections, allergies, and upper-respiratory infections.
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