Pregnancy means following a healthy lifestyle more important than ever. It is important to understand what steps you can take to keep you and your baby healthy.
Antenatal care is one of the most important factors in ensuring a smooth pregnancy. The first test should take place during the first 6 to 8 weeks of your pregnancy, when the menstrual cycle is about 2 to 4 weeks. For healthy women and no serious risk factors, you will probably see your healthcare provider every 4 weeks to 28 weeks of pregnancy, and then every 2 weeks to 36 weeks of pregnancy. After that, you will have an appointment every week until you give birth through delivery or otherwise.
Nutrition
Nutrition is one of the best ways to enjoy a happy pregnancy. Because you eat both, it is important to eat a healthy diet and avoid things that could harm your baby as he or she grows up. If you are pregnant, eating and cutting calories is not a good thing - you will need to take about 300 more calories a day to make sure you and your baby are well nourished, especially as your pregnancy progresses. Caloric intake, however, may vary depending on the woman. For younger women, as well as women carrying twins, you may need to eat more than 300 extra calories. Or, if you are overweight right now, you may need a little more. Whatever the case, you will need to contact your healthcare provider to find out what is best for you.
Of course, pure calorie intake is not the only goal - you need to make sure what you eat sounds healthy. A nutritious diet contains important vitamins and minerals that contribute to the baby's growth and development.
While a healthy diet is important in taking care of your body during pregnancy, it is actually easy to incorporate a healthy lifestyle into your daily life. Maintain a healthy diet by following basic dietary guidelines. Low-fat meats, fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy products are all important for maintaining good health.
Real, healthy food will give your body the nutrients it needs. At the same time, during pregnancy, certain essential nutrients are needed in higher doses than usual. For example, calcium, iron, and folic acid are especially important in a pregnant woman's diet. Although your doctor may prescribe vitamin supplements, your diet still needs to contain nutritious food to give your body a large portion of your nutrition.
On a regular basis, women need 1,000 mg of calcium a day, but during pregnancy, calcium intake should be increased to match the loss of calcium in your bones. You can find calcium in many food products, including low-fat dairy products such as milk, cheese, and yogurt; orange juice, soy milk, and calcium-fortified grains; dark green vegetables like spinach, kale, and broccoli; and tofu, dried beans and almonds.
A pregnant woman needs 27 to 30 mg of iron a day because the iron is used by the body to make hemoglobin, which helps the red blood cells to carry oxygen throughout the body. Iron deficiency causes a deficiency of red blood cells, which means that the body's tissues and organs are not getting enough oxygen. As the baby rides, women need to pay close attention to their iron intake.
Iron is found in both plants and animals, but the body can easily absorb it from body sources. The following are some foods that are high in iron: red meat, black chicken, salmon, eggs, tofu, nutritious cereals, dried beans and peas, dried fruits, raw vegetables, black strap molasses, and iron-rich breakfast cereals.
Many people have heard of the importance of folate (folic acid) to a pregnant woman. For a pregnant woman, or those planning a pregnancy, it is recommended that you take 0.4 milligrams of folic acid daily. Many women prefer to supplement their diet with more vitamins than any other folic acid foods they find in the diet.
It has been found that taking folic acid 1 month before and during the first 3 months of pregnancy reduces the risk of neural tube defects by 70%, which is why it is considered very important. The neural tube forms during the first 28 days of pregnancy, usually before a woman even realizes she is pregnant, and eventually grows into a baby brain and spinal cord. Lack of adequate nutrition, especially folic acid deficiency, can cause neural tube defects such as spina bifida.
To stay healthy during pregnancy, it is also important to drink plenty of fluids. During pregnancy, your blood volume increases, so drinking plenty of water is the best way to avoid dehydration and constipation.
Exercise is a great way to feel happy throughout pregnancy. There is no reason to stop physical activity when you are pregnant; in fact, dietary guidelines recommend that you take 30 minutes or more each day to exercise at a moderate pace.
During pregnancy, regular exercise prevents obesity, reduces problems such as back pain, inflammation, and constipation, improves sleep, increases energy, promotes a positive attitude, prepares your body for childbirth and reduces the recovery time after childbirth.
Proper sleep is another key to maintaining health and comfort during pregnancy. Pregnancy can have serious consequences, and after a long day you will feel more tired than usual. As the baby gets older, it will be harder to fall asleep, but try to sleep as much as you can - it will work wonders for the way you feel!
Following a healthy diet, getting enough sleep, exercising, and drinking plenty of fluids are all important for your overall well-being during pregnancy. If you strive for a healthy diet and maintain a positive attitude during your pregnancy, good times will outweigh any difficulties.
Calcium
Most women 19 and older — including those who are pregnant — don't often get the daily 1,000 mg of calcium that's recommended. Because your growing baby's calcium demands are high, you should increase your calcium consumption to prevent a loss of calcium from your own bones. Your doctor will also likely prescribe prenatal vitamins for you, which may contain some extra calcium.
Iron
Pregnant women need about 30 mg of iron every day. Why? Because iron is needed to make hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying component of red blood cells. Red blood cells circulate throughout the body to deliver oxygen to all its cells.
Without enough iron, the body can't make enough red blood cells and the body's tissues and organs won't get the oxygen they need to function well. So it's especially important for pregnant women to get enough iron in their daily diets — for themselves and their growing babies.
Folate (Folic Acid)
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that all women of childbearing age — and especially those who are planning a pregnancy — get about 400 micrograms (0.4 milligrams) of folic acid supplements every day. That can be from a multivitamin or folic acid supplement in addition to the folic acid found in food.
So, why is folic acid so important? Studies have shown that taking folic acid supplements 1 month prior to and throughout the first 3 months of pregnancy decrease the risk of neural tube defects.
The neural tube — formed during the first several weeks of the pregnancy, possibly before a woman even knows she's pregnant — goes on to become the baby's developing brain and spinal cord. When the neural tube doesn't form properly, the result is a neural tube defect such as spina bifida.
Again, your health care provider can prescribe a prenatal vitamin that contains the right amount of folic acid. Some pregnancy health care providers even recommend taking an extra folic acid supplement, especially if a woman has previously had a child with a neural tube defect.
If you're buying an over-the-counter supplement, remember that most multivitamins contain folic acid, but not all of them have enough to meet the nutritional needs of pregnant women. So, be sure to check labels carefully before choosing one and check with your health care provider.
Fluids
It is important to drink plenty of fluids, especially water, during pregnancy. A woman's blood volume increases dramatically during pregnancy, and drinking enough water each day can help prevent common problems such as dehydration and constipation.
Exercises
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends at least 150 minutes (that's 2 hours and 30 minutes) of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week if you're not already highly active or doing vigorous-intensity activity.
If you are very active or did intense aerobic activities before becoming pregnant, you may be able to keep up your workouts, as long as your doctor says it's safe. Before beginning — or continuing — any exercise routine, talk to your doctor.
Sleep
It important to get enough sleep during your pregnancy. You'll probably feel more tired than usual. And as your baby gets bigger, it will be harder to find a comfortable position when you're trying to sleep.
Lying on your side with your knees bent is likely to be the most comfortable position as your pregnancy progresses. It also makes your heart's job easier because it keeps the baby's weight from putting pressure on the large blood vessels that carry blood to and from your heart and your feet and legs. Lying on your side can also help prevent or reduce varicose veins, hemorrhoids, and swelling in your legs.
Some doctors specifically recommend that pregnant women sleep on the left side. Because one of those big blood vessels is on the right side of your abdomen, lying on your left side helps keep the uterus off of it.
Ask what your health care provider recommends. In most cases, lying on either side should do the trick and help take some pressure off your back. For a more comfortable resting position either way, prop pillows between your legs, behind your back, and underneath your belly.
Some Things to Avoid
When you're pregnant, what you don't put into your body (or expose your body to) is almost as important as what you do. Here are some things to avoid:
Alcohol
it may seem harmless to have a glass of wine at dinner or a mug of beer out with friends, no one has determined what's a "safe amount" of alcohol to consume during pregnancy. One of the most common known causes of mental and physical birth defects, alcohol can cause severe abnormalities in a developing fetus.
Alcohol is easily passed along to the baby, who is less equipped to eliminate alcohol than the mother. That means an unborn baby tends to develop a high concentration of alcohol, which stays in the baby's system for longer periods than it would in the mother's. And moderate alcohol intake, as well as periodic binge-drinking, can damage a baby's developing nervous system.
If you had a drink or two before you even knew you were pregnant (as many women do), don't worry too much about it. But your best bet is to not drink any alcohol at all for the rest of your pregnancy.
Pregnant women who use drugs may be placing their unborn babies at risk for premature birth, poor growth, birth defects, and behavior and learning problems. And their babies could also be born addicted to those drugs themselves.
If you're pregnant and using drugs, a health clinic such as Planned Parenthood can recommend health care providers, at little or no cost, who can help you quit your habit and have a healthier pregnancy.
If you've used any drugs at any time during your pregnancy, it's important to inform your health care provider. Even if you've quit, your unborn child could still be at risk for health problems.
If you smoke, having a baby might be the motivation you need to quit. Talk to your health care provider about options for kicking the habit.
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