pregnancy-care-tips

9 Tips to Ensure a Healthy Pregnancy

Taking good care of your health while you’re pregnant is very important since your health can greatly influence your child’s health too. Here are some tips that you should follow to ensure a healthy pregnancy.

1. Get your vitamins

During your pregnancy, you need to make sure you are getting enough folic acid and calcium. All of the necessary vitamins and minerals you need for your health can be found both in food and supplements. Some of the healthy foods rich in folic acid are spinach, broccoli, oranges, and kidney beans. However, besides that, you can also take a daily prenatal multivitamin to ensure that you get the right daily amount you need. Before you start taking these, make sure you consult your doctor.

2. Stay hydrated

Hydration is very important. A pregnant woman’s body needs more water and for that reason, you should aim to drink at least 8 cups of water per day.

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3. Proper prenatal care

Prenatal care is more important than you may think. Mothers who avoid getting regular prenatal care are more likely to have a child with low birth weight. So, try to find a professional who can provide you with their services and if you prefer, you can also find group prenatal care.

4. Eat right

Maintaining a healthy diet is especially important during your pregnancy. Your baby needs healthy food that will help stimulate its growth. You should avoid sugar and fat. Implement more colourful fruits and vegetables as well as whole grains and calcium-rich foods in your diet. If you don’t have enough time to cook every day, you can order tasty pregnancy meals that will keep you and your baby healthy throughout the pregnancy.

5. Avoid certain foods

Speaking of foods that you eat, some of them should be avoided. For instance, raw or rare meats, raw eggs, liver, sushi, soft cheese like brie and feta, and unpasteurized milk should be avoided during your pregnancy. Firstly, because raw animal products might end up causing food poisoning, while some types of fish, even if they’re properly cooked can contain high amounts of mercury.

6. Don’t drink alcohol

This one seems a bit obvious, but should be stated nevertheless. It’s best if you avoid drinking alcohol in the period of your pregnancy as well as while you are breastfeeding. It can put your baby at risk of having fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). This disorder can cause severe learning disabilities, behavioural issues, and abnormal facial features.

pregnancy-care-tips

7. Don’t smoke

Smoking is also extremely unhealthy for both you and your baby. It poses many health risks such as SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome, miscarriage, premature birth, and numerous other unhealthy outcomes.

8. Be active

Although you can’t really exercise much during your pregnancy, some lighter forms of physical activity are always recommended. Talk to your doctor to see what kind of physical activity would be right for you. You can start with some easier and laid-back activities such as walking around or doing light yoga. Then, maybe if you feel more comfortable you can move on to more complex exercises. It’s important that you stay active as much as you can.

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9. Get plenty of sleep

Lastly, make sure your sleep schedule is healthy. You should be getting about 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night. Also, consider sleeping on your left side. This sleeping position can improve your and your baby’s blood flow.

Conclusion

All things considered, taking good care of your health during pregnancy is very important for both you and your child. It all comes down to consuming healthy foods and beverages, while avoiding the harmful ones, getting enough sleep, and staying active as much as possible.

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