Pregnancy raises a lot of questions. While your doctor is a great resource, there is limited time in the doctor's office and those questions often surface while you're at home or weeks from your next appointment.

As summer approaches (the most popular time of year for births) we know there are many women who are expecting. So Little Rock Family wanted to answer some of those questions for you and make sure you and your baby are healthy.

Dr. Aline Andres is an associate professor of developmental nutrition at UAMS. She is currently doing research in pregnancy health at Arkansas Children's Hospital and took time to answer some common questions.

How much more should expectant mothers eat? Andres says that during the first trimester, there is not a need for more caloric intake. During the second and third trimesters, up to 500 calories more a day may be required.

"Which really is not much," Andres says. "It could be a peanut butter sandwich or a couple of glasses of milk more than what they're used to eating."

You always hear people say "you're eating for two" and this leads women to eat twice what they normally would, but that is unnecessary, Andres says. 

She also says that it's important for women to take a folic acid supplement if they are planning on getting pregnant. This helps prevent spina bifida and is vital for the stage of development before most women realize they are pregnant. She says that some women need prenatal vitamins to help get all of their micronutrients, but folic acid is the most important.

Exercise is healthy, but how much exercise is OK during pregnancy? What exercises should you do? Andres says that women can generally keep up their same exercise intensity from before the pregnancy.

Some exercises are off-limits because they are dangerous for pregnant women, but they can be tweaked to allow women to continue doing them. For instance, a pushup can be performed with hands elevated to allow more room for the belly. Many exercises have variations for pregnant women.

In general, sedentary women are encouraged to begin exercising in some way when they become pregnant, Andres says. A doctor should help decide if exercise is safe for a sedentary mom.

Even if it's just walking or light jogging, healthy women should get about 150 minutes of exercise per week. It's recommended that the exercise be spread throughout the week, which would equate to about 30 minutes a day, five days a week.

If you are looking to get into a regimen, but want to be efficient with your time, check out our calendar and find some events that require walking. It still counts as exercise, even if you're having fun!