Healthy Pregnancy

During pregnancy, your body changes in many ways to support your baby’s growth. Some weight gain is expected and needed for your baby’s development – it includes extra fluid, your baby and the placenta. It is important to try and avoid gaining too much or too little weight during pregnancy, but everyone’s experience is different, so there isn’t one ‘right’ amount. Rather than focusing on a number, it’s more helpful to think about eating well and staying active.

Healthy eating in pregnancy

Eating healthily during pregnancy helps your baby to develop and grow. You may find that you’re hungrier than usual, but you don’t need to ‘eat for two’. Try to focus on eating:

• Plenty of fruit and vegetables
• Wholegrains such as oats, wholemeal bread, and rice
• Sources of protein like beans, lentils, eggs, fish, or lean meat
• Dairy or fortified alternatives
• Healthy fats such as olive oil, nuts, and seeds

Try to limit foods high in sugar, salt and saturated fat, and drink plenty of water.

You can find more advice on healthy eating in pregnancy here:

• A healthy diet in pregnancy – NHS
• Vitamins, supplements and nutrition in pregnancy – NHS

Staying active during pregnancy

Being active during pregnancy is safe for most people and brings lots of benefits, it can help reduce tiredness, ease backache, and support your mood.

You don’t need to start anything new or strenuous, small amounts of movement can make a big difference.

You could try:

• Walking or gentle swimming
• Pregnancy yoga or aqua-natal classes
• Simple stretches or light household activities

If you were active before pregnancy, you can usually keep going but listen to your body and slow down when you need to. If you have any health concerns or complications, check with your midwife before starting new exercise.

In South Gloucestershire, the Active Lifestyle Centres offers free swimming for pregnant women.

To be eligible, visit your local Active Lifestyle Centre and present your Maternity Notebook, Maternity Exemption Certificate, or MATB1 form (issued by your doctor or midwife). You’ll also need to show proof of address before your first session.

Eligibility for free swimming ends three weeks after your due date. Women can attend any public swimming session.

To find out more visit:

• Free Swimming for Pregnant Women – Active Centres
• or call Active Lifestyle Centres: 0300 333 0300

You can find more advice on physical activity in pregnancy here on the Exercise in pregnancy NHS page.

Key points to remember:

• Focus on healthy habits, not numbers on the scales
• Avoid trying to lose weight during pregnancy
• Stay as active as you comfortably can
• Ask for support if you’re unsure about your diet, weight, or activity levels

Everyone’s pregnancy journey is different – be kind to yourself

• The NHS recommend that if you’re pregnant or planning to become pregnant you should not drink alcohol. This will keep any risk to your baby to a minimum.
• If you are pregnant and use illegal or street drugs, it could cause harm to your baby, the NHS recommend addressing this by accessing support from your GP, midwife or drug services.
• If you have used drugs and alcohol before finding out you were pregnant, you can access local services who can answer questions, give advice and connect you with a specialist worker if you need it at Developing Health and Independence.  They can be contacted on 01454868750.
• You can ask for an appointment with a Doctor or Nurse at your local GP practice to provide you with information and advice about drugs and alcohol and services that could help.

Stopping smoking is one of the best things you can do for your baby/infant to have the best possible start in life.

The risks of smoking both during and after pregnancy are serious, from premature delivery to increased risk of miscarriage, stillbirth or sudden infant death and adverse health effects in children.

Quitting smoking helps your baby develop healthily during pregnancy and beyond.

No matter what stage you’re at in your pregnancy, it’s never too late to quit.

Whether you’ve just found out you are pregnant or you are nearing you due date, or you have just given birth, the sooner you quit, the better.

What support is available to you? 

You don’t have to do this alone, if you would like further support in stopping smoking during pregnancy, please contact your midwife to discuss further.

Second-hand (passive) smoke harms your baby 

If your partner or anyone else who lives with you smokes, their smoking can affect you and your baby before and after their birth. You may also find it more difficult to stop if someone around you smokes.

Second-hand smoke can also reduce your baby’s birth weight and increase the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), also known as “cot death”. Babies whose parents smoke are more likely to be admitted to hospital for bronchitis and pneumonia during their first year.

Why is having a smokefree home important? 

Over 80% of cigarette smoke is invisible and stays in the air for several hours after a cigarette has been put out. Quitting smoking completely is the best thing you can do for your baby. If you are unable to quit, smoking outside, away from the house, also decreases the risk that your baby could die suddenly or develop middle ear disease, chest infections or asthma.

Can’t I just open my window? 

No. Opening windows doesn’t protect your baby from second-hand smoke, as it’s invisible you won’t know how much smoke is still in the room. If you need to smoke, and it is safe to do so, you should take at least 7 steps outside to stop smoke drifting inside.

The smoke-free vehicles legislation 

It is illegal to smoke in vehicles with someone under the age of 18 present; the driver and any passenger over 18 smoking in a vehicle with a child present could be fined £50.

National Smokefree helpline: 0300 123 1044 (Monday – Friday: 9am-8pm, Saturday-Sunday: 11am-4pm)

It’s possible to become pregnant again very soon after the birth of a baby, even if you’re breastfeeding and even if your periods have not returned.

You usually release an egg (ovulate) about 2 weeks before your period starts, so it’s possible to get pregnant before you have a period. 

• • The NHS provides helpful information on their website about contraception after having a baby.  It is important to plan contraception in advance.
  • You can discuss contraception with your midwife before you go home and/or with your health visitor at your postnatal check.
  • You can ask for an appointment with a Doctor or Nurse at your local GP Surgery to provide you with contraception and advice.
  • Our local Yuno sexual health service can also provide you with contraception and information on contraception choices