To have a healthy pregnancy, it is important that you have regular prenatal appointments, eat nutritious food, stay active, and refrain from eating raw or undercooked foods. You also should take a prenatal vitamin with plenty of folic acid, avoid chemicals or substances known to negatively affect pregnant people and their babies, and rest when you are tired. If you are a smoker, you should quit smoking, and if you drink alcohol, you should refrain from drinking while pregnant. Here are some additional tips on how to ensure you have a healthy pregnancy.
At this first visit, your healthcare provider will probably do a pregnancy test, then figure out how many weeks pregnant you are based on a physical exam and the date of your last period. They'll also use this information to predict your delivery date (an ultrasound later in your pregnancy will help confirm that date).
If you're healthy and have no complicating risk factors, most healthcare providers will want to see you:
- every 4 weeks until the 28th week of pregnancy
- then every 2 weeks until 36 weeks
- then once a week until delivery
Your healthcare provider will regularly check your weight and blood pressure, and check the growth and development of your baby (by doing things like feeling your abdomen, listening for the fetal heartbeat starting during the second trimester, and measuring your belly). You'll also have prenatal tests and probably at least one ultrasound.
When choosing a healthcare provider to counsel and treat you during your pregnancy, your options include:
- obstetricians: doctors who specialize in pregnancy and childbirth
- obstetricians/gynecologists: doctors who specialize in pregnancy and childbirth, as well as women's healthcare
- family practitioners: doctors who provide a range of services for patients of all ages — in some cases, this includes obstetrical care
- certified nurse-midwives: advanced practice nurses specializing in women's health care needs, including prenatal care, labor and delivery, and postpartum care for pregnancies without problems. There are other types of midwives, too, with different levels of training. Midwives often work together with doctors, but in some states, they might work independently.
Nutrition and Supplements During Pregnancy
Now that you're eating for two (or more!), don't cut calories or go on a diet. Women who are pregnant with one baby need about 300–400 extra calories a day in the second trimester and a little more in the third trimester. If you're very thin, very active, or carrying multiples, you'll need even more. But if you're overweight, your healthcare provider may advise you to take in fewer extra calories.
Healthy eating is always important, especially when you're pregnant. So, make sure your calories come from nutritious foods that will boost your baby's growth and development, such as:
- lean meats
- fruits
- vegetables
- whole-grain bread
- low-fat dairy products
Eating a healthy, balanced diet helps you get the nutrients you need. But you will need more of the essential nutrients — especially calcium, iron, and folic acid — than you did before you became pregnant. Your healthcare provider will prescribe prenatal vitamins to be sure both you and your growing baby are getting enough.
Women 19 and older need 1,000 mg of calcium a day for healthy bones and teeth. During pregnancy, your growing baby's calcium demands are high, so you'll need to get even more of it to prevent losing the mineral from your own bones.
Most prenatal vitamins contain some extra calcium, but dietary sources are also important. Good food sources of calcium include:
- low-fat dairy products including milk, pasteurized cheese, and yogurt
- calcium-fortified products, including orange juice, soy milk, and cereals
- dark green vegetables including spinach, kale, and broccoli
- tofu
- dried beans
- almonds
Pregnant women need about 30 mg of iron every day. 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 work well. So it's especially important for pregnant women to get enough iron in their daily diets — for themselves and their growing babies.
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