Stay Active

Whilst the advice remains clear that you should stay at home as much as possible, your daily exercise will improve your physical and mental health, helping you get through the lockdown and preparing you for the birth of your baby.  Continuing to aim for 30 minutes of exercise each day throughout pregnancy will give you a daily rush of feel good endorphins, even more important at the moment.
Try and fit in some form of outdoor exercise once a day – walking, running or cycling are all ideal activities during pregnancy.
If you’re not able to do any of these, unroll your exercise mat make sure you maintain your pregnancy fitness at home.  Gyms and fitness studios are out of bounds but whatever your trimester, hop over to www.active-pregnancy.com and you’ll find a raft of advice, workout videos and exercise routines you can follow at home to help you maintain your strength, flexibility and overall fitness.

Eat well

Make sure you maintain your health and well-being by following a nutritious, well-balanced pregnancy diet – those essential vitamins and nutrients are so important for both of you during pregnancy.  Visit www.active-pregnancy.com for friendly, easy to access advice and delicious easy to prepare recipes produced with healthy pregnant Mammas in mind!

Stay Calm

Sometimes easier said than done but doing all you can to minimise stress and anxiety is good for you and good for your baby.  Regular yoga and meditation will help you to stay calm as well as preparing you for the birth of your baby.
We have a series of prenatal yoga videos that you can follow at home whether you prefer a morning flow to set you up for the day or some gentle calming breathing exercises.

Don’t get too anxious

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists states, ‘Generally, pregnant women do not appear to be more likely to be severely unwell than other healthy adults if they develop the new coronavirus…..as yet, there is no evidence that pregnant women who get this infection are more at risk of serious complications than any other healthy individuals.’
Pregnant women ARE in the ‘vulnerable group’ but this is due to ‘caution’, especially as this is a new virus and we are only just beginning to learn how it works. In a small proportion of women, pregnancy can alter how your body handles serious infections.
Naturally you will be anxious about your baby but reassuringly, RCOG say  ‘There is no evidence to suggest an increased risk of miscarriage’ and they state that very small number of newborn babies developing the virus soon after birth recovered quickly (they mention just two cases).

Remember the guidelines

If you follow the government and NHS guidelines you are no more at risk than any other member of the population.

• Wash your hands regularly and thoroughly
• Use a tissue when you or anyone in your family coughs or sneezes, discard this and wash your hands
• Avoid contact with someone who is displaying symptoms of coronavirus. These symptoms include high temperature and/or new and continuous cough
• Avoid non-essential use of public transport when possible
• Work from home if you can.
• Avoid gatherings in public spaces,
• Avoid gatherings with friends and family. Keep in touch using remote technology such as phone, internet, and social media
• Use telephone or online services to contact your GP or other essential services – keep in touch with your antenatal team to check if there are any changes to your appointments but it’s important to maintain your scheduled routine care

For information, advice and more details about antenatal care, labour and postnatal care during the COVID-19 pandemic, visit the RCOG website.