Have the best pregnancy ever with these 12 tips

Unless your doctor tells you otherwise, there is no reason to give up exercise. In fact, during the first trimester you don't even need to modify your workout routine. If morning sickness starts to interfere, just do the best you can and if you have to skip some workouts, don't feel bad about it. Just pick back up on the days you feel good.

For the first four months of my current pregnancy, my nausea, vomiting and fatigue were so bad that I pretty much lived on potato chips, vanilla ice cream, bland cereal and frozen grapes. They were the only foods I knew I could keep down. I felt guilty about the lack of nutrition and hydration I was providing my baby every day. Now that I'm feeling a bit better and can eat vegetables again, I realize how silly my guilt was. There's nothing you can do about it, so just eat whatever will stay down as often as you can.

One of the top early pregnancy symptoms is exhaustion. Don't fight it. Your body is working harder than it has ever worked before and it needs lots of rest to grow that tiny human. If you crash as soon as you get home from work, that's okay. Can't stay up past 10? That's okay too. If you're tired, sleep whenever you can. Trust me, restful sleep gets harder to achieve as your body changes and your belly grows, so get it while you can.

Every pregnant woman is going to experience some type of worry or stress, especially in the first trimester when the risk of miscarriage is the highest. And I know simply telling you not to stress, isn't going to make you not stress. But try to figure out how to alleviate some of your worry, whether it's praying, meditating, reading a ridiculous novel, chatting with others moms, etc. Whatever it is make time for it, because stress can manifest itself physically, and the last thing you need when you're pregnant is more strain on your body.

Once your tummy starts to return to business as usual, try incorporating some pregnancy super foods into your diet. You know, the usual suspects: berries, avocados, leafy greens, sweet potatoes, plus dairy, eggs and lean proteins. They'll fuel your body for the task at hand a a lot more efficiently than junky foods and will provide essential nutrients for optimal growth and development.

You may find that you're hungry more frequently during the second trimester, and your growing uterus could force you into eating smaller meals, further exacerbating the issue. Try not to worry about weight gain, and follow your body's cues instead–ignorning them could result in unbearable hunger pains and a complete lack of energy. Just be sure to keep plenty of nutritious, easy snacks at hand. Fruit, nuts, yogurt and the like.

Even if you weren't very active pre-pregnancy, a little gentle yoga is usually a safe exercise to incorporate during pregnancy (check with your OB first). You might want to stay away from the more extreme forms like Bikram, Ashtanga, and definitely hot yoga, but there are lots of pregnancy specific yoga stretches you can do daily. These will not only help improve core strength and help open up your hips and pelvis in preparation for labor and delivery, but they can also ease aches and pains and help your mind and body to relax. Browse online prenatal yoga videos to get started.

Drinking plenty of fluids can actually alleviate and even prevent a number of uncomfortable pregnancy symptoms, such as bloating, leg cramps, fatigue, mild contractions and more. Water is best, but if that gets boring, natural fruit juice, decaffeinated tea and milk all count too. Your body is making more blood and just doing far more work than usual and it needs the fluids more than ever.

Most medical professionals agree that staying moderately active equates to a healthier pregnancy, but even marathon runners may find anything other than walking too taxing towards the end of pregnancy. If you can get even 20 minutes of walking in a day (it can be broken up), your body will reap the benefits. In fact, sitting for long stretches of time can be really hard on pregnant hips, and a nice walk is the perfect remedy. Plus, some say that a few good, long walks as you near your due date, can help bring on labor.

The height of pregnancy digestion issues usually occurs in the third trimester, when your baby is putting the most pressure on your other internal organs. Heartburn, constipation and even the return of nausea can leave you feeling uncomfortable 24/7. Try eating several smaller meals throughout the day instead of three big ones, as it's easier for your body to digest smaller amounts more frequently. It won't cure you, but it'll help.

The aches and pains are getting serious now. Treat yourself to a prenatal massage–you deserve it. Seriously, a little pampering can go a long way toward getting you through those last few arduous weeks. While you're at it, throw in a mani-pedi–you won't have time for one for a while after the baby is born. Bonus: your feet will look pretty when you deliver your bundle of joy.

You're almost there! Keep up as many good habits as you can, then cut yourself some slack. It's okay to rest whenever you feel like it, to splurge on that extra thick chocolate shake and to take a little time off from work before your baby arrives. Do what feels right and be confident that you've done the best you can by your little one.