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SCMP Reporter

Facts and figures for a peaceful pregnancy.

A weighty issue

The average woman gains between  11kg and  16kg during her pregnancy, and it's not all baby...

Baby  3.2kg

Placenta  0.7kg

Amniotic fluid  1kg

Uterus enlargement  1kg

Extra breast tissue  1kg

Increased blood volume  2kg

Extra tissue fluids  2kg

Fat stores  3.2kg

Food for thought

While you are breast-feeding, pay attention to your diet, says Chrissy Denton, nutritionist and personal trainer at Pure Fitness.

To keep your energy levels up, eat  five or six small meals a day instead of three large meals.  Avoid skipping meals.

Try to snack healthily. Eat vegetable sticks, low-fat smoothies, fresh fruit, yogurt, dried fruit and nuts.

Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables.

Include  lots of wholegrain breads and cereals in your diet - about  six servings  a day.

Increase your intake of calcium by including low-fat dairy produce, nuts or wholegrain foods  in  two or three servings  a day.

An extra 16g of protein  a day is needed during the first six months of lactation.  Good sources are lean meats, chicken, oily fish,    eggs, nuts and pulses.

Avoid alcohol and coffee, as they can pass quickly into the breast milk.

Drink about two litres a day of fluids, as this will help with milk production.

Eastern promise

How do Chinese delicacies traditionally taken postpartum affect your health and weightloss efforts? Daphne Wu, dietician-in-charge at Matilda International Hospital, gives her diagnosis.

Korean or Changbaishan ginseng claims to improve blood circulation, but it may actually hinder the wound healing if taken too soon after delivery.

Swallow's nest will depend on the preparation - after double steaming, rock sugar and chicken fat can add extra calories. If the portion of bird's nest is small, the energy level will be negligible, so don't overindulge.

Sweet vinegar with pig's feet, boiled egg and aged ginger are traditionally served to friends and relatives 12 days after the birth. The ginger is said to improve the mother's circulation, while the trotter and eggs are good sources of protein. The skin of the trotter contains collagen which is good for wound-healing, and the sweet vinegar is energising.

Easy does it

One of the best ways  to stay in shape without stressing mother or baby is through yoga and Pilates.

Flex Pilates Studio, Stanley, tel: 2813 2212. Pre- and post-natal conditioning.

IsoFit Pilates and Gyrotonic Studio, Central, tel: 2869 8630. Pilates workouts for varying pre- and post-natal stages.

The Iyengar Yoga Centre, Sheung Wan, tel: 2541 0401. Pregnancy-supported postures and gentle stretching.

Matilda International Hospital, The Peak, tel: 2849 1111. Yoga for  mothers-to-be from the 14th week of pregnancy.

Pure Yoga, Central and Causeway Bay, tel: 2971 0055 or 2970 2299. Pre-natal yoga for pregnant women.

Streamline Pilates Studio, Central, tel: 2537 8074. One-on-one or group pre- and post-natal classes in Pilates.

Yoga Central, Central, tel: 2982 4308. Pregnancy yoga class to prepare mothers for the challenge of labour.

Yoga Limbs, Sheung Wan, tel: 2525 7415. Pre-natal and 'Baby & Mom' yoga classes.

YWCA, Central, tel: 3476 1340. Pilates for Pregnant Ladies.



Baby talk