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Pregnancy is a special time. Baby showers, shopping trips to outfit the nursery, and hours spent choosing just the right name for your baby take center stage. Of course, pregnancy does arrive with a supporting cast: indigestion, heartburn and constipation, as well as morning sickness and anxiety over food choices and weight gain.

Kimberly Quach, 33, a family law attorney in Portland, Ore., suffered daylong flu-like symptoms during the first three months of her pregnancy, and she worried about adding too much weight to her stocky frame. She focused on not skipping meals, limiting her intake of unhealthy fats, and substituting a cup of soothing green or brown rice tea for her standard mug of coffee. She also switched from running five times a week to swimming, lifting weights or playing tennis. The result: a healthy baby boy and an improved tennis game.

Eating properly and maintaining your fitness during pregnancy are two of the most beneficial things you can do for your baby — and for yourself. Taking prenatal vitamin-mineral supplements, avoiding alcohol, gaining a healthy amount of weight, and not stressing over every extra brownie you eat are all part of achieving a successful pregnancy, too.

Next page: Gearing Up for Pregnancy