Holding a lamp next to your face to achieve that glow and slouching in a chair playing tennis against Roger Federer with on your Nintendo Wii just isn’t going to cut it. It’s time to get serious.

1) Pilates or Yoga

Because of the gentle nature of both Pilates and Yoga and the ability to tailor it for your physical capabilities, Yoga or Pilates are perfect ways to strengthen your body all the way through pregnancy while helping to ease any aches and pains you have along the way.

Get along to a local class and if you start to feel self-conscious towards the latter stages of your pregnancy, there are also some great home DVDS on the market.

2) Run

I don’t mean run a marathon, or try to beat Usain Bolt’s record in the 100 metres – I just mean run.

Anything you do will help with your overall fitness, while the endorphins released during exercise will mean you feel much better on a day to day basis.

Do what is within your physical capabilities and run at a reasonable ratio to what you were doing prior to being pregnant. If you were doing a marathon worth of miles every week, then there is no reason why you can’t run half of that distance each week whilst pregnant.

Listen to your body and reduce the time spent running as you see fit and if you feel any pain at all, stop. Don’t overdo it, but do know that running can be good for you and your baby.

3) Swim

Unless you plan on going to the moon during your pregnancy, your only real option to get anywhere near zero gravity is to get down the local pool and swim.

The feeling of weightlessness is fantastic, with the water taking away the strain on your joints and back, while you keep fit in the process. The beauty is that you can enjoy the relaxing feeling and step the pace up or down as you see fit.

4) Cycle

Enter the Tour de France. Now that I’ve shocked you, what I’m really about to suggest is far less daunting.

Get an exercise bike and get peddling. Firstly, you will have the peace of mind and safety of knowing you’re not actually flying along the road looking like humpty dumpty on wheels. Secondly, you won’t even have to miss your favourite show, just pop your exercise bike in front of the TV and go for it.

5) Walk

If you don’t feel up to running or your physical health won’t allow it, go for a gentle stroll as often as you can. It’s a great way to get the blood pumping and release those feel good endorphins.

What things would you recommend for keeping fit during pregnancy?

This article was supplied by the team at Babysitter Search, a website that provides childcare solutions.

BabysitterSearch.com.au is a community of nannies, babysitters and nanny agencies, all driven by the same goal – to give parents easy access to child care they can rely on.

For babysitters looking for their next job, to parents searching for the perfect babysitter in their area, or a nanny agency wanting to attract the cream of the crop – BabysitterSearch.com.au has all the tools they need.

BabysitterSearch.com.au also hosts a parenting blog with tips to help visitors travel seamlessly through the journey of parenthood.

Parents can also search our comprehensive Nanny Agency Directory for a Nanny Agency in their area.

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1      Newborn is ok but don’t make it too new

Sometimes we don’t have a choice and we must travel for a family emergency or similar type of event. If none of those yukky things come up though I’d really recommend waiting until after the 6 week vaccinations before doing a big trip. The car isn’t so bad as you can limit the amount of people bub is exposed to but the plane, well, it is a cesspit of germs really isn’t it. It is basically a large number of people in a cabin with air circulating around and around and around.

In saying all that you can travel if you need to but maybe keep it to short trips if flying before that 6 week mark. Airlines don’t have a restriction so you are good to go there.

2      Be realistic about hand luggage

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I know it is sooooo tempting to just pack everything into hand luggage so you don’t have to pay for checked baggage but you are thinking like a single person, not like a new parent. If it is just you as well then you physically will not be able to carry all that luggage as well as your lovely little baby. And yes, you can put bubs in a sling or carrier but there are certain times at the airport (ie security) where they won’t allow you to do this so it is really complicated. Besides that hand luggage is just enough space for all your baby paraphernalia. You are going to need that checked bag for everything else you need (back up supplies as well as clothes). Trust me, you’ve never needed to pack like this.

3      Don’t forget the things you use often but not daily

I once went to visit a friend a 1.5 hour drive away without nappies and wipes. I kid you not. That’s what 6 months of broken sleep does to you! But usually you won’t forget these things.  It’s the stuff you use here and there that you are more likely to forget…special cream for a rash or cradle cap that appears now and then, baby panadol (1mth +), nasal spray (helps on planes) and that sort of thing. DO NOT FORGET your sling or baby carrier if travelling by air. They are immensely helpful in airports. Another one of my favourite travel items is a universal bath plug. Plug it into the shower drain and voila you have a bath!  If you are bottle feeding you can’t go past the pre sterilised bottle liners. Get some! They are so handy.

4      Go somewhere family friendly

Nothing will spoil your holiday more than people sneering at you because your baby is crying. Sadly “they” do that. So pick a family friendly destination. There are lots of options in Australia. The Gold Coast, Hamilton Island and Melbourne (the city has an amazing amount of kid friendly cafes) are favourites of mine.

5      Do activities that are easy with a baby along for the ride

Visit parks and beaches and the botanical gardens of the city you are in. Baby will enjoy being outside and seeing all the new things. At this age you can even eat out regularly without too much trouble from baby so take advantage of it while you can (I know I said this already but really I can’t reiterate it enough!). Try not to be out all day long. Everything she looks at stimulates so it is very tiring for a little one.

Kris Alexander is an experienced travel writer with three adorable kids. Kris loves to explore new family friendly destinations and find new ways to save money travelling.

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