Staying healthy during pregnancy

It is recommended to:

• be active on most, preferably all, days of the week. A good goal is at least half an hour (30 minutes) of moderate-intensity physical activity every day.
• spread your exercise over the day in 10-minute blocks. For example, try three 10-minute walks or two 15-minute periods of activity.
• exercise at a comfortable pace. A good way to know if you're maintaining moderate intensity is to use the 'talk test'. You should be able to easily hold a conversation without being short of breath.

Benefits

• less lower back pain
• less nausea
• less heartburn
• less anxiety
• lower stress levels
• more energy
• better bowel habits
• better sleep
• more relaxed

What to keep in mind

• Minimise the amount of time you are sedentary or inactive.
• break up long periods of sitting time at work by standing during phone calls or taking walking breaks every 45 minutes.
• Always take the stairs when you can.

Use the information from the links and resources to learn more about being active during your pregnancy.

• Being active during pregnancy factsheet (PDF 148.6KB)
• Guidelines for physical activity during pregnancy
• Pregnancy and staying active
• Pregnancy health programs
• Physical activity and exercise for pregnancy
• Tips and ideas for being active for adults aged 18 to 64

There is no need to 'eat for two' during pregnancy. You don't need any extra food for the first 6 months of your pregnancy. 

Make sure your diet is varied and includes adequate amounts of fruit, vegetables, whole grains, dairy, meat or meat substitutes. This includes: 

• making sure your diet is varied and includes fruit, vegetables, whole grain cereals, dairy, meat or meat substitutes.
• the right balance of nutrients to maintain a healthy weight
• regular small meals and snacks and follows healthy portion sizes
• choosing water as your main drink. Avoid sugary drinks, sodas, sports drinks and juices.
• choosing high fibre foods like wholemeal or multigrain breads, cereals and crackers.
• choosing healthy snacks like a piece of fruit, a small tub of low-fat yoghurt, 4 wholegrain crackers with low fat cheese, 1-2 cups no added salt or butter popcorn, vegetable sticks with salsa or hummus or quarter cup nuts.
• limiting added fats. Use only small amounts of margarine, butter and oil, choose lean meats and trim visible fat or skin, limit deep fried foods, processed snack foods and takeaway.

How much to eat

You may only need an extra 200 kilocalories or 840 kilojoules per day in the last 12 weeks of your pregnancy. Learn more, by reading the important nutrients during pregnancy factsheet (PDF 476.56KB). 

Food and portion examples

Healthy eating suggestions

• If you are hungry, fill up on vegetables. Fibre in vegetables fills us up and has few calories.
• Limit starchy vegetables such as potato, sweet potato, taro, peas and corn.
• Bread and cereal are good sources of fibre but remember to watch portion size.
• Fibre can help improve blood sugar levels, if you have diabetes. It also helps keep your bowels regular.
• If you're starting out, start small and gradually increase your fibre intake.
• Drink 8 glasses of water each day.

Low carbohydrate vegetable list

Occasional foods

Limit the following foods, including those high in fat and sugar.

Try some of these quick and healthy snack ideas:

• sandwiches or Mountain Bread filled with lean meat or fish and heaps of salad
• salad vegetables e.g. carrots, celery, cucumbers with a low-fat tzatziki dip
• a boiled egg on toast
• baked beans
• plain yoghurt with 1 cup mixed fresh fruit
• 100g tuna with mixed salad
• stir-fried vegetables
• vegetable soup made with low carbohydrate vegetables
• smoothie with carrots, celery, fresh beetroot, ginger, yoghurt or skim milk and frozen berries

Find more quick and healthy meal and snack ideas

Meal planning can be simple, fun and easy. We've put together a few simple healthy meals plans and recipes to help you get started. 

Healthy meal plans

• Healthy meal plan 1 (PDF 224.32KB)
• Healthy meal plan 2 (PDF 223.76KB)
• Healthy Indian meal plan 1 (PDF 225.17KB)
• Healthy Indian meal plan 2 (PDF 575.56KB)
• Healthy Indian meal plan 3 (PDF 224.33KB)
• Healthy Indian meal plan 4 (PDF 224.94KB)

Healthy recipes on a budget

• Vegetable pasta with bacon and chilli (serves 4) (PDF 310.24KB)
• Chicken and coleslaw (serves 4) (PDF 309.74KB)
• Chicken and Asian greens stir-fry (serves 4 to 6) (PDF 312.44KB)
• Pesto and zucchini spaghetti (serves 2) (PDF 311.25KB)
• Beef or chicken curry (serves 4) (PDF 310.22KB)
• Roast chicken breast with ratatouille (serves 4) (PDF 313.22KB)

Use the healthy recipes page to find inspiration and easily plan your week with a variety of healthy meals and snacks.

• Healthy eating when you're pregnant or breastfeeding
• Nutrition advice during pregnancy
• Maintaining a healthy diet during pregnancy
• Healthy easy recipes
• Healthy eating for busy people
• Iron needs during pregnancy (PDF 13.77MB)
• Get Healthy Service NSW - free phone and online health coaching
• The Australian guide to healthy eating
• Vitamin D for babies
• Vitamin D - information for pregnant women and mothers (PDF 1.15MB)
• Vitamins and supplements during pregnancy

• Wash fruit, vegetables and salads to remove all traces of soil, which may contain toxoplasma, a parasite that can cause toxoplasmosis – which can harm your unborn baby
• Wash all surfaces and utensils, and your hands, after preparing raw meat – this will help to avoid toxoplasmosis.
• Make sure that raw foods are stored separately from ready-to-eat foods, to avoid cross contamination. This is to avoid other types of food poisoning from meat (like salmonella, campylobacter and E. coli).
• Use a separate chopping board for raw meats.
• Heat ready meals until they're piping hot all the way through – this is especially important for meals containing poultry.
• Make sure that some foods, such as eggs, poultry, burgers, sausages and whole cuts of meat like lamb, beef and pork are cooked very thoroughly.

Learn more about food safety basics to reduce the risk of foodborne illness for yourself, your family and friends.

Listeria bacteria can cause miscarriage, premature birth or, in rare cases, still birth. Thorough cooking of foods kills the bacteria, so ensure you cook food until it is steaming hot.

Some foods carry a higher risk of listeria, to be safe you should:

• only keep leftovers for 1 day and reheat them until steaming hot
• If you buy ready-to-eat hot food such as BBQ chicken, make sure it is hot and either eat immediately or store in the fridge, and use within 1 day

Food to avoid

• ready-to-eat food from salad bars, sandwich bars, buffets and delicatessens
• foods which are past their ‘use by’ or ‘best before’ date
• soft cheese e.g. camembert, brie, feta, ricotta, cottage, blue cheese
• raw seafood e.g. sushi and oysters
• deli meats and pate
• smoked salmon and precooked prawns
• soft serve ice cream

Learn more about listeria in food and how to reduce your risk

Fish is an excellent source of protein, vitamin D, iodine and omega-3 healthy oils. You can safely eat 2-3 serves of most types of fish, however there are some to limit during pregnancy because they can contain higher levels of mercury.

You can safely consume fish like cooked salmon or barramundi, canned tuna, salmon and sardines. 

Use this as a general guide to safely eat fish during pregnancy:

• 2-3 serves (150g) of any fish or seafood that is not listed here.
• 1 serve (150g) per week of Orange roughy (Sea Perch) or Catfish and no other fish that week.
• 1 serve per (150g) fortnight of Shark (Flake) or Billfish (Swordfish, Broadbill or Marlin) and no other fish that fortnight.

Learn more about mercury in fish and safe fish consumption during pregnancy

Alcohol

If you are pregnant, no alcohol at all is the safest choice. There is no safe time to drink during pregnancy as alcohol can harm your baby for life. Learn more about alcohol, pregnancy and breastfeeding

Caffeine

It is safe to consume 1-3 coffees (depending on strength) or up to 5 cups of tea per day. Energy drinks can contain large amounts of caffeine, guarana and other stimulants, and should be avoided. Learn more about the effects of caffeine during pregnancy and breastfeeding

Limit eating liver to 50g per week as it contains very high levels of retinol, a form of vitamin A. Having more than the recommended levels of vitamin A in your body can be harmful to your unborn baby. 

Vitamin A helps keep your skin, eyes and immune system healthy. You can get this safely with a healthy, well-balanced diet that includes moderate levels of butter, eggs, cheese and oily fish, which contain much lower levels of retinol than liver. 

Learn more about Vitamin A and your health

Herbal medicine in Australia is generally not regulated as strictly as conventional medicines. If you choose to use any herbal medicine, make sure that your product is from a reputable source. 

Herbal medicines, like conventional medicines, may cross the placenta in pregnancy and transfer into your milk while breastfeeding. Many herbal preparations have a drug-like effect and should be used with the same caution as with other drugs. 

Contact Medicines Line on 1300 MEDICINE (1300 633 424) for information on prescription, over the counter and other medicines (including complementary medicines). Calls are answered by registered pharmacists. The service is available Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm AEST (excluding NSW public holidays).

Use the information from the links and factsheet to learn more about:

• medicines during pregnancy
• complementary therapy during pregnancy
• herbal teas during pregnancy and breastfeeding
• vitamins and supplements during pregnancy
• herbal medicines in pregnancy and breastfeeding factsheet (PDF)

Gaining too much weight during your pregnancy can increase your risk of developing gestational diabetes and your baby becoming overweight. 

If you develop gestational diabetes, you will be referred to the Diabetes Endocrinology Ambulatory Care Centre (DEACC). You can call the DEACC at (02) 9845 6224.

Learn more about gestational diabetes at Diabetes Australia Gestational Diabetes | Diabetes Australia

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Video transcript

Gestational diabetes (GDM): What everyone should know

[Music] 
[A smiling couple sits facing a doctor. Text overlay appears on the screen and reads 'Gestational diabetes - what everyone should know]

Dr Suja, Endocrinologist, Westmead Hospital: 
My name is Dr Suja and I'm an endocrinologist specializing in caring for women with diabetes in pregnancy. Today I want to talk to you both about your gestational diabetes diagnosis, which we also call GDM.

Man:
What does having GDM mean?

Dr Suja:
GDM is a type of diabetes that women get during pregnancy, which usually goes away after the birth of baby. Rest assured it's very common and in most cases we can treat it just with a healthy diabetes diet. We will have an entire team to support you including midwives, specialists like myself, and diabetes educators, dieticians and other doctors as well.

Woman: 
Is there anything I need to do after the birth?

Dr Suja:
So that's a good question and one of the most important things that you can do for yourself, and baby is to breastfeed. Now breastfeeding as you may know is beneficial for the baby, but did you know it's also very beneficial for yourself? It can prevent heart disease and diabetes in the future, and it can also reduce your risk of getting gestational diabetes in your next pregnancy.

We recommend that you attend one of our breastfeeding classes where we will be able to teach you how to express colostrum, which is the first milk in the final weeks of your pregnancy. And we'll also have specialist staff who you can talk to about any questions you may have from breastfeeding experiences in the past with your baby. So, remember we are here to support you, and we can answer any questions or concerns that you may have.

[Music] 
[A woman walks into a medical treatment room with chairs and wall-mounted medical equipment and monitors. Text overlay on the screen reads: Special Care Nursery - Dr Kavita]

[Music continues in background. The woman now lifts a newborn baby from a hospital cot. Text overlay on the screen reads: Most babies stay with their mothers. Some babies may need to go to the Special Care Nursery for a short time.

[As the woman lifts the baby, another woman enters the room. Both smile at each other. They both greet each other and sit on chairs facing each other]

Dr Kavita: 
Hello, have a seat. I'm Kavita one of the neonatologists that's a baby specialist. Congratulations on the birth of your baby.

Mother: 
Thank you

Dr Kavita:
Your baby is doing really well. However, when babies are born to mothers who have gestational diabetes, which is called GDM, they have a tendency to drop their blood sugar levels. So your baby's admitted to the nursery so that we can monitor and check baby's blood sugar levels making sure that they in the normal range.

Mother: 
Can I breastfeed my baby?

Dr Kavita:
Absolutely, we totally encourage you to breastfeed your baby because that's really good for your baby's health. The more you breastfeed and give your baby expressed breast milk, the more the body is stimulated to make more milk which is the best for your baby. So again to emphasize breast milk is really good for your baby's health, for your baby's growth, brain development and the gut development.

Mother: 
Am I able to go visit her at the nursery?

Dr Kavita: 
Absolutely, we encourage you to come and visit your baby as much as many times as you want 24 hours a day. Because the more time you spend here breastfeeding your baby and expressing breast milk, the more you can help build your breast milk supply. And this will also promote bonding with the baby and generally improve the health of your baby. Have you any other questions?

Mother: 
No. You've answered everything that I need to know, thank you.

[Music]
[Screen shows two mothers with their newborns sitting and facing each other and talking. Text overlay reads: Two breastfeeding mothers]

Mother 1 sitting to the left of the screen: 
I love breastfeeding my baby now, but I had some trouble in the beginning. She had to go to the nursery, and she wasn't really attaching well, but I asked for help and now we've got the hang of it.

Mother 2 sitting to the right of the screen:
I had GDM and I know breastfeeding will help my baby and me. My baby is breastfeeding well and I'm feeling really good exercising and eating healthy food. I remember the doctor said these things are very important to do after having GDM. Going to the hospital breastfeeding class really helped me.

[Screen shows a woman breastfeeding her newborn in a private room.]

Female voiceover:
Breastfeeding can prevent heart disease and diabetes. Breastfeeding has many benefits for you and your baby. Your healthcare team is here to support you, if you have any questions please talk to your midwife or doctor.

[Music]

[Screen fades to black with white text. Text reads: The information in this video is general, see your health professional for more detailed advice. We would like to thank WSLHD lactation team, consumers, and health professionals who contributed to this project. Some information in this video is based on the BLISS breastfeeding research conducted by WSLHD and The University of Sydney, Reproduction and Perinatal Centre.] 

The Get Healthy Service NSW is a free government funded healthy lifestyle telephone-based coaching service. It is available to anyone over 16 years, including pregnant women. 

Pregnant women will receive 8 antenatal (before giving birth) and 2 postnatal (after giving birth) calls. Learn more about the Get Healthy in Pregnancy program

• You may need to get medical clearance from a doctor before beginning your Get Healthy journey.
• Interpreter Services are available for people who are from non-English speaking backgrounds.
• Other relevant telephonic services and supports are available for persons who are Deaf, with speech or hearing impairments.
• You can also refer yourself to the service by calling 1300 806 258 or by email to contact@gethealthynsw.com.au

Use the information from the links and factsheets to learn more about maintaining a healthy body weight during pregnancy. 

• Guide to a healthy pregnancy
• Looking after your physical health during pregnancy
• Maintaining a healthy body weight factsheet (PDF 347.84KB)
• Eating well factsheet (PDF 258.54KB)
• Health advice for women who are trying for a baby factsheet (PDF 759.96KB)
• Healthy eating and physical activity to support a healthy pregnancy (Healthy in Pregnancy » Get Healthy NSW

About 2 in 5 people experience constipation during pregnancy. You can help prevent and manage constipation by:

• eating a wide range of vegetables, fruit and whole grains
• drinking at least 8 glasses of water everyday
• keeping active

Learn more about constipation during pregnancy

Morning sickness is a feeling of nausea or actual vomiting (being sick) during pregnancy. You are more likely to have morning sickness during your first trimester. 

You can manage your morning sickness by:

• having a small snack like dry crackers or toast to start to your morning
• eating small meals more often rather than large meals
• avoiding spicy or greasy foods
• drinking water between meals.

Learn more about dealing with morning sickness and severe vomiting during pregnancy (hyperemesis gravidarum)

Indigestion (dyspepsia) is a feeling of pain or discomfort in your stomach, while heartburn is a burning pain in your stomach and chest due to stomach acid.

Ways to avoid heartburn or indigestion during pregnancy include:

• avoiding spicy or greasy foods, fruit juice and caffeine
• avoid lying straight after eating
• eat smaller meals more often rather than large meals.

Learn more about indigestion and heartburn in pregnancy

Useful links

• Gofor2and5
• Carb calculator
• Healthy recipes
• Healthy food swaps
• Heart healthy eating
• Healthy Eating Active Living
• Having a healthy pregnancy
• Participate in sport and active recreation
• Find an accredited exercise professional near you

Useful mobile apps

• FoodSwitch
• MyFitnessPal
• Easy Diet Diary
• Calorific (Apple store)
• Carb Counting with Lenny℠ (Apple store)