Don't fear weight gain during pregnancy, mothers told

Mums-to-be have been warned not to put too much emphasis on staying slim during their pregnancy. The advice comes from experts who are worried by a growing trend among women to copy celebrity mums who maintain their figure, despite the risks to the health of both mother and baby, reports the Daily Mail. A baby needs nutrients from his or her mother's body and if stores of these are low, problems can arise. "It's vital women know that pregnancy is no time to be starving yourself," Pat O'Brien, a consultant obstetrician at University College Hospital and the Portland Hospital, told the newspaper.

"During the nine months it is in the womb the baby is growing faster than it ever will in later life."

One food source being avoided is dairy, which can be dangerous as babies in the womb need calcium to grow.

Ms O'Brien added: "It used to be said that women would lose a tooth for each child they had.

"That is because the baby really will strip what it needs from your body unless you are getting enough in your diet."

High-intensity exercise can to keep slim can also cause problems.

Brisk walking, swimming and cycling are all recommended, but harder activities like aerobics are warned against, particularly later in the pregnancy, because there is a higher chance of injury.