Tips for a Healthy Pregnancy

Being pregnant is one of the most anticipated events in a woman’s life. During this stage, the woman should start to think not only of herself but of the baby she is carrying in her womb as well. It is also during this time that the woman’s body becomes very delicate. If you are expecting a baby, you should understand that there are things you used to do that you cannot do anymore now that you are pregnant. There are many cases that women miscarry or give birth to sickly babies simply because they failed to do the things every woman should do during the nine months of her pregnancy. One of these things is living a healthy lifestyle. If you desire to have a healthy pregnancy, then you should give up unhealthy habits such as smoking and drinking.
One of the first things you should be doing once you find out that you are pregnant is to have a medical
checkup. Set an appointment with a good OB gynecologist and make sure not to miss your monthly visits. A good doctor should check you and your baby’s health condition, and provide you with tips of what and what not to do while you are pregnant. Most of the time, you will be given a list of vitamins that you are to take the whole nine months of your pregnancy to ensure your health and health of your baby. Take note of these vitamins and make sure you take them on a regular basis because they are essential not only for your health but for your baby’s development. According to experts, a pregnant woman should have a varied diet that includes foods rich in protein, vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, and fat. To ensure your baby’s health, make sure your multivitamins include folic acid/folate, iron, vitamin A, vitamin B1 or thiamine, vitamin C, D, and E.
Aside from a having healthy diet, pregnant women should also take vaccines especially those that help prepare her for giving birth. Such vaccines include the ones for Tetanus, Hepatitis B, and Influenza. These vaccines are considered safe and should have no harmful effect to the baby at all. However, pregnant women are advised to avoid vaccines for Hepatitis A, Varicella, Measles, Pneumococcal Mumps, Rubella (MMR), Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) and Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV) because they can be potentially transmitted to the baby and may result to birth defects or miscarriage.
Regular physical activity is also advised to women who are pregnant. Not only does exercise help boost the immune system but it also helps ease swellings in body parts such as the lower back and the legs which are commonly affected by your weight during your pregnancy. Since pregnancy is not the right time for weight loss exercise, focus instead on light to moderate exercises such as walking, stretching, and even swimming. These are considered safe exercises and should help improve your cardiovascular health and eliminate stress as well. Meanwhile, avoid high-risk physical activities that involve running and jumping as these forms of exercises can increase the risk for miscarriage.
During your pregnancy stages, it’s normal to experience mood swings as a result of fluctuating hormones. However, you should understand that negative emotions such as depression can affect your baby’s mental development. Too much feelings of stress also carry the same effect to your unborn child. Therefore, see to it that you maintain not just your physical health but your emotional and mental health as well. How do you do that? Surround yourself with people who will understand you and support you during the nine months of your pregnancy. In addition, get as much needed sleep, rest, and exercise to combat stress.
While it can be very exciting, being pregnant can also be risky, that’s why you need all the information you can get to have a healthy pregnancy. However, you should also be careful as from whom you get your information. As much as possible, listen only to experienced professionals, because while there are sincere people who would want to help you, only your personal OB gynecologist should have the final say.
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