Exercise and Nutrition during Pregnancy It must be current APA format 7th edition 5 page which does not include the cover page and reference page (2 must be peer-reviewed articles/journals);

Exercise and Nutrition during Pregnancy It must be current APA format 7th edition 5 page which does not include the cover page and reference page (2 must be peer-reviewed articles/journals);

Literature Review

During pregnancy, proper nutrition is vital for the health of the growing baby and the mother. Physical exercises also play a significant role in getting rid of excess gestational weight. Pregnant mothers should undergo the recommended physical exercises and have the required nutrition to reduce complications that are associated with pregnancy. This paper focuses on reviewing various literature on exercise and nutrition during pregnancy.

Kennelly et al. (2018) conducted research to find out how smartphone application supports pregnancy exercise and nutrition. The study’s main objective was to establish the effect of a healthy lifestyle on the cases of gestational diabetes mellitus among obese and overweight women. Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a kind of intolerance that can be identified during pregnancy. GDM is considered a risk factor for type 2 diabetes, excess gestational weight gain, and maternal adiposity. Pregnant women often find it a challenge to change their diet and physical activity behaviors necessary during pregnancy. According to the research conducted, both nutrition and exercise have contributed positively to reducing GDM.

The research utilized a randomized controlled trial. Pregnant women with a body mass index of 25 to 39.9 were enrolled in the study. The researchers used specific exercise and diet advice that aimed at addressing the behavior change among them. A designed smartphone application was tailored to support their behavior change. The other women in the controlled group were subjected to the usual care without any specific diet and exercise. The study results indicated that the incidence of GDM was not different in the two groups.

The researchers concluded that the mobile health-supported intervention did not affect the rates of GDM. However, the intervention contributed to some maternal benefits. The mobile health device replaced face-to-face consultation to bring about behavioral change among pregnant mothers. This study is relevant to nursing practice since it highlights the advantage of using mobile health-supported intervention to achieve maternal benefits.

The gestational weight gain experienced by pregnant mothers is often associated with long and short-term pregnancy complications. The recommended physical activities are beneficial, but adherence to the recommended activities has always been a challenge. Grenier et al. (2021) aimed to explore women’s physical activity and nutrition views. Also, the research intended to describe the barriers and facilitators of implementing the recommended physical exercise and nutrition during pregnancy.

The qualitative study used a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to determine the possibility of achieving optimal gestational weight gain through nutrition intervention and physical activity introduced in the early stages of pregnancy, like normal prenatal care. Healthy pregnant women between 16 and 24 weeks’ gestation participated in the study. Through focus groups, the information from the two groups was collected. The participants responded to the open-ended questions. Their responses were audio-recorded. With the assistance of a non-clinical research assistant, the women’s behaviors and beliefs were placed into different categories for further assessment.

The research identified the following as barriers to participating in healthy habits by pregnant women; lack of enough knowledge to participate in physical exercise safely during pregnancy, outdated values and beliefs, and lack of sufficient counseling services from care providers. The research findings are relevant to the nursing practice in that it has identified the challenges that healthcare providers can address to offer better prenatal care services.

Nagpal et al. (2020) conducted research to scrutinize the adherence to the sequential introduction of exercise and nutrition behaviors during pregnancy compared to the simultaneous approach. The researchers used the randomized control method in their study. They placed participants into three groups. In the first group, they introduced nutrition and exercise simultaneously. The second group was subjected to nutrition first, while the third group was subjected to exercise first. While at twenty-five weeks’ gestation, the second behavior was subjected to both the second and the third groups.

The research findings showed that the third group, out of the three, had the highest devotion to the program. Notably, the third group experienced less weight gain than the second group. The research shows that introducing the exercise first followed by the nutrition program at twenty-five weeks’ gestation is effective. Such an approach improves the ability of pregnant mothers to adhere to various behavior change programs that leads to a positive health outcome. This research