10 Things You Must Do For A Healthy Pregnancy (Part One)

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A healthy pregnancy begins with you; what you eat, your environment and most importantly, your mental and emotional state of mind.

The first thing is to get prepared – set your mind for the journey ahead, and start taking your folic acid from the very moment you become aware you are pregnant or as soon as you begin trying for a baby, so your body can be healthy and ready.

Apart from the aforementioned, here are other guidelines to steer you in the right direction:

1. Healthy Eating

It is essential that expectant mothers choose foods carefully and follow a balanced and healthy eating plan.

Eating the right foods, especially foods which are rich in essential vitamins, minerals and nutrients, will provide great benefits for the growing baby and mother.

Avoid raw meats, alcohol, smoking, toxic ingredients, etc., as all these are bad for your health, especially during pregnancy, and could affect your baby’s health.

Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. Fresh vegetables and fruits are very rich sources of vitamins and because these foods are low in fats, they can be chosen as snack any time of the day. Since fruits are light foods, occurrence of bloating will be at a bearable minimum. Fruits like apples, strawberries, or avocado being rich in fibre, will prevent constipation. Drink plenty of water too, as much as 8 glasses per day.

Minimize eating junk and sugary foods like pastries and deep fried foods. Eat as many as 6 times a day but in small quantities to help stem food cravings and keep healthy snacks around to reduce cravings, nausea and vomiting.

2. Be Informed

This is especially important for first time mothers. Since the pregnancy experience will be your first, you would need to keep up with the many changes occurring in your body. Many expectant mothers because of lack of knowledge endanger their health and that of their unborn baby. Necessary and helpful information can be gotten first hand from your doctor or midwife.

Other sources of information include books, websites and blogs touching on pregnancy and pregnancy related issues.

Note that whenever in doubt you should get information verified by your doctor.

3. Get Quality Medical Support

It is important that expectant mothers seek medical help and support during pregnancy, especially from the very start. Regular visits to the doctor are advised so you can be placed on antenatal care and other birth programs designed to help you have a safe delivery and fast recovery.

4. Avoid Non-Prescribed Drugs

Pregnant women must remember that during pregnancy, whatever you ingest is also shared by your unborn baby. Therefore, it is advisable to stay off over the counter medications or herbal remedies. Only take drugs prescribed by your doctor and as prescribed.

5. Visit A Dentist

Most people rarely visit the dentist and only do so when they need to remove a tooth or have serious issues with their teeth.

However, pregnant women are advised to visit the dentist regularly during pregnancy. This is because during pregnancy, due to hormonal changes and increased blood flow, the gums are more likely to bleed or become inflamed and this could cause an infection. Having a gum disease does not in itself affect the unborn baby, however, the overall health of the mother is compromised, and the baby’s growth may become adversely affected.

Part two continues