This will be a 2-arm randomized 1-site trial. Recruitment will be within the community care clinics by poster and flyer advertisements.
Primary research question: Among pregnant women, does introducing a structured and monitored nutrition and exercise program (treatment) in early pregnancy compared with Usual Prenatal Care (control) increase the likelihood of attaining gestational weight gain within the Institute of Medicine (IOM) guidelines over the pregnancy period?
Experimental and Control groups: Both groups of mothers and their health care providers will be given the Health Canada materials on "Healthy Weight Gain during Pregnancy", "Eating Well with Canada's Food Guide" and the "Pregnancy Weight Gain Calculator". Baseline information will be recorded for eligible and consenting women after which they will be randomized to Experimental or Control group. Nutrition intake, physical measures and physical activity will be recorded at baseline, 26-28 weeks and 36-38 weeks of gestation and 6 months post partum in the same manner for both groups. All mothers will receive the study promotional materials and small incentives. Also, all mothers will be followed by their primary care provider and have usual access to Public Health.
