Being pregnant is a crucial time in any woman’s life, and it’s the most important time to focus on being healthy for you and your baby. Keeping yourself informed with all the things you should and shouldn’t be doing is the best way to take care of yourself.
If you and your spouse are trying to conceive, you should already practice healthy changes in your lifestyle. It’s also highly recommended that you get tested and obtain immunization shots prior to pregnancy, to avoid contracting diseases while expecting. This includes measles, the pox, and other illnesses.
Prenatal care is needed as soon as you know you are pregnant. Your doctor will give you various prenatal tests such as any health problems you might have, determining a baby’s sex, his position in the uterus, any genetic disease your baby might have, sexually transmitted disease, and fetal abnormalities. Don’t forget to see your doctor every four weeks, from as soon as you find out you’re pregnant, until about the 28th week of pregnancy. You should also get your urine tested for levels of sugar and protein, which could be symptoms of various complications.
Being pregnant also entails eating for two. On the average, you can gain anywhere from 25 to 45 pounds from your pregnancy. This is not the right time to go on a diet and be concerned about looking slim, because you need to provide your baby will all the proper vitamins and nutrients. It’s crucial that you maintain a balanced diet that consists of lots of fruits and vegetables, milk, low fat dairy, fish and lean meat, and whole grains. Avoid consuming soft drinks and coffee because caffeine is harmful for your baby. Supplement your diet by taking vitamin B, calcium, iron, and folic acid. Folic acid is especially important because it prevents neural tube defects that can lead to a child with paralysis, mental retardation, and incontinence.
Get enough exercise but be sure to ask your doctor about what forms of exercise are safe at various levels into your pregnancy. This can prevent unnecessary weight gain, stretch your legs and muscles, and increase your energy throughout the day. Furthermore, exercise can actually help in easier labor and faster recovery as well. Remember to keep your exercise options low-impact and don’t do challenging forms of exercise. Stick to walking as well as light swimming that lets you use your muscles without harming your baby. Pregnancy leads to a production of relaxin, a hormone that makes loosens ligaments in the body therefore making you more prone to injuring yourself, another reason why you shouldn’t do stressful exercise.
Here’s a list of things you should NOT do during pregnancy:
- drinking alcohol
- smoking
- doing recreational drugs
- consuming unpasteurized milk, raw food, and processed meats
- eating shark, king mackerel, swordfish, and tilefish because these are prone to high levels of mercury
Remember to think for two throughout your pregnancy. A healthy pregnancy is essential to having a healthy child.
