Taking care of yourself throughout pregnancy can ensure that your growing child has the best possible start in life. Getting some exercise, eating right, and attending your antenatal checkups all contribute to a good pregnancy. Find out more about the straightforward measures you can take.
1. MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH YOUR DOCTOR OR MIDWIFE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
Get yourself registered for antenatal care as soon as you find out you’re pregnant. Make an appointment with your GP or a midwife at your local clinic or children’s centre, or register online with your local maternity service. Organizing your care ahead of time ensures that you receive sound counsel for a healthy pregnancy from the start. You’ll also have plenty of time to prepare your schedule for any ultrasound scans or testing you may require.
2. EAT HEALTHILY.
It is extremely crucial for pregnant women to eat nutritious foods. In order to grow healthy and robust in the womb, your baby requires nutrition. Consume a variety of brightly coloured fruits and vegetables, whole grains, calcium-rich foods, and low-saturated-fat foods. When you’re pregnant, you don’t need to eat for two. In reality, for the first six months of pregnancy, you don’t require any additional calories. You’ll just need 200 calories every day for the next three months.
Keep yourself moisturised as well. To create extra blood and amniotic fluid, you’ll need more water now that you’re pregnant. Drinking enough of water also helps to reduce constipation and fatigue. Water is the healthiest method to stay hydrated, but fruit teas and skimmed or semi-skimmed milk are alternative possibilities for increasing your regular fluid consumption. Fresh fruit juice is high in vitamin C, but it also contains a lot of sugar, so drink it in moderation.
3. TAKE A DIETARY SUPPLEMENT
Taking a daily prenatal multivitamin can help ensure that you and your baby get the correct amount of important nutrients during pregnancy. Take folic acid and vitamin D pills for yourself and your growing baby. The majority of women acquire all of the nutrients, vitamins, and minerals they require through their diet and do not require additional supplements. A prenatal multivitamin, on the other hand, may help you acquire the vitamins and minerals you need if you struggle to eat correctly.
4. AVOID CONSUMING ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES.
Avoid consuming alcohol before, during, and after pregnancy, as well as while breastfeeding. Having a baby with foetal alcohol spectrum disorder is more likely if you drink alcohol (FASD). FASD can result in facial abnormalities, severe learning impairments, and behavioural problems. Alcohol can have a negative impact on a baby’s health even before a woman realises she is pregnant. As a result, women who may become pregnant should abstain from consuming alcohol.
5. REDUCE YOUR CAFFEINE INTAKE.
Caffeine consumption during pregnancy may raise the chance of miscarriage and stillbirth. Coffee, tea, cola, chocolate, and energy drinks all contain caffeine. It may also increase your chances of having a low-birth-weight baby or giving delivery prematurely. Caffeine, like alcohol, may be best avoided during pregnancy, especially in the first trimester. Safe choices include decaffeinated tea and coffee, as well as fruit teas.
6. EXERCISE ON A REGULAR BASIS
Regular exercise offers numerous advantages for both you and your baby.
Gentle exercise might help you cope with changes in your posture and joint problems that come with pregnancy.
- Assists you in maintaining a healthy weight, despite the fact that it’s natural to gain weight during pregnancy.
- Assists in preventing pregnancy problems like high blood pressure and gestational diabetes.
- Increases your chances of a smooth labour and delivery.
- Makes it simpler to get back into shape after the birth of your child.
- Improves your mood if you’re having a bad day.
Exercises that are good for pregnant women include:
- brisk walking
- swimming
- Yoga classes
- Aqua natal classes
Always inform your fitness instructor that you are pregnant, or choose classes that are specifically designed for pregnant women.
7. MAINTAIN A HIGH LEVEL OF FOOD HYGIENE.
Before handling food, wash your hands, especially if you’ve just used the restroom, changed a nappy, or handled a pet or other animal. After handling raw meat, thoroughly wash your utensils, chopping boards, and hands. Raw foods should be kept apart from ready-to-eat foods. Food safety is especially vital now that you’re expecting.
There are a few foods that pregnant women should stay away from:
- Milk that hasn’t been pasteurised
- Ready-to-eat meals that are undercooked
- soft, mold-ripened cheeses like brie; blue-veined cheeses like Roquefort; raw or undercooked meat
8. DECREASE YOUR STRESS LEVELS
Improving birth outcomes necessitates stress reduction. Stressful situations should be avoided as much as possible by pregnant women. Recruit your loved ones to assist you in coping with stress.
9. QUIT SMOKING.
Smoking during pregnancy can be harmful to both you and your baby’s health.
Smoking raises your chances of:
- Miscarriage
- Ectopic pregnancy, which occurs when a fertilised egg implants outside the womb, generally in one of the fallopian tubes.
- Placental abruption, which occurs when the placenta separates from the womb wall before the baby is born.
Premature birth, low birth weight, stillbirth, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) or “cot death” are all risks associated with smoking.
10. GET SOME SLEEP.
The high amounts of pregnancy hormones circulating in your body cause the exhaustion you feel in the first several months. It’s more probable that you’ll wake up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom or that you won’t be able to get comfortable in bed later. Try to fall into the habit of sleeping on your side. When compared to sleeping on your back in the third trimester, sleeping on your side reduces the risk of stillbirth.
If you’re having trouble sleeping because of aches and pains, try lying on your side with your knees bent and a firm cushion between them. Placing a wedge-shaped pillow beneath your bump can help relieve back pain. Exercise may also help to alleviate back pain. It can also help you have a better night’s sleep. It’s better to avoid exercising too close to bedtime, so if you can, do so earlier in the day
