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Making sure your body is in top physical condition before labor begins can reduce the likelihood of a prolonged labor. Preparing your body for what's to come can make labor easier and quicker when your baby arrives. Walk or swim regularly, and incorporate a few specialized exercises. Kegels, small internal contractions of the pelvic muscles, can help your body with the pushing stage of labor and also reduce the risk of hemorrhoids in the weeks after childbirth. You can do kegels virtually anywhere. Simply contract the muscles around your vagina, as you would when holding in urine, then hold for four seconds and release. Repeat this 10 times. Three or four sets, done about three times a day, is ideal. The pelvic tilt, also known as the angry cat, can strengthen abdominal muscles and reduce back pain during pregnancy. Get on your hands and knees, keeping your arms straight without locking your elbows. Tighten your abdominal muscles when breathing in and move your buttocks below your back. Relax your back when you breathe out and repeat at your own pace. Move in time to the rhythm of your breath. Squatting helps open your pelvis, important for labor. Stand with a chair facing your back and, using the chair for support, contract abdominal muscles, lift your chest, and relax your shoulders. Lower your tailbone to the floor, as if you were going to sit down on the chair, and then rise again to the standing position. Making sure your body is healthy before delivery is vital to a smooth labor. Nutrition is just as important as exercise. Each woman's body is different, so there's no one-size-fits-all guideline to how much weight you should gain. The adage that you're eating for two is false as your caloric intake does not double. However, you should increase the amount of calories you're eating as your pregnancy progresses. In general, a woman with a BMI between 18.5 and 25.9 should gain between 25 to 35 pounds during pregnancy. A woman with a BMI higher than this should only gain 15 to 25 pounds. Discuss how much weight you should gain with your doctor and know how much you should increase your caloric intake to achieve this goal. If you are pregnant with twins or multiples, you will probably need to gain more weight; discuss this with your doctor. Be sure you get plenty of fresh fruits and veggies. Focus on whole grains, such as oatmeal, whole wheat breads and pastas, brown rice, and barley. Incorporating dairy will give you plenty of potassium and calcium for you and your baby. Be careful with fats. Stick to heart-healthy fats found in avocados, nuts, and olive oil. Fruits and veggies high in vitamin C, vitamin A, iron, and folate are especially good for pregnant women. Try apples, oranges, green beans, spinach, sweet potatoes, pineapple, mangoes, and squash. Zinc is particularly important during pregnancy as its vital in cell development. Chicken, turkey, ham, shrimp, dairy products, beans, and peanut butter are all great sources of zinc. Eating fish can also be a great source of protein, but you should avoid fish that may have high mercury levels, such as swordfish, king mackerel, tilefish, and shark. When your contractions begin, stay calm so you're able to relax in between. This saves up energy for the later and more trying stages of labor. There will be continual breaks between contractions throughout labor. Take advantage of such respites, especially during early labor when contractions themselves are gentler. If possible, sleep between contractions. Practice deep breathing and other relaxation techniques. Have reading and viewing material on-hand so there's something present to distract you and help you relax during the process.
Stay fit during pregnancy. Monitor your weight during your pregnancy. Follow the food pyramid during pregnancy. Rest between your contractions.