After receiving the wonderful news that you are pregnant, you must have many questions, including what to expect and what will happen next.
The first thing that pops into your head when you learn you’re expecting may be what diet you should consume to ensure your baby gets the best nutrients. Perhaps, you love drinking alcohol. So you may wonder, how would you survive without drinks? You might even consider whether you can continue with your fitness plan.
The key to a successful pregnancy for you and your baby, whether you are a first-time parent or have several children, is to seek prenatal care early in your pregnancy. Good prenatal care will ensure your baby gets the best start in their life. In addition, regular prenatal care helps educate women on how to have a healthy pregnancy and can help prevent pregnancy and birth issues.
Thus, without further ado, read the below article that guides you on how you can keep your baby healthy during your pregnancy:
Table of Contents
1.Seek the proper medical assistance
Every parent hopes and anticipates that the new baby will bring the family countless blessings and happiness. Because of this, parents start their journey by seeking the proper medical assistance.
It is even more crucial because medical malpractice in the healthcare sector is nothing new and can occur to anyone. And the worst medical errors typically happen during childbirth, which can result in birth injuries.
Among different birth injuries, the most common one is Cerebral Palsy, in which the person’s balance, movement, posture, or muscle tone gets negatively impacted. Cerebral palsy affects about 10,000 newborns every year.
Certain factors put babies at an increased risk for cerebral palsy, including pregnant mothers who are underweight or have twins or triplets, breech or premature birth, moms with a history of consuming the toxic substance, etc. It is relevant to note that different types of cerebral palsy exist, and each type’s severity, symptoms, and treatments can vary.
2.Keep an eye on what you eat
There is a myth that a pregnant woman needs to eat for two. However, the truth is far from it. You just need to consume the nutrients your baby requires for good, strong, healthy development.
Try consuming fewer foods heavy in salt, sugar, and fat, as these could be detrimental to you and your unborn child. Instead, eat lots of fruits and vegetables in different colors, whole grains, and foods high in calcium, protein, and vitamins.
Pregnancy is a time when it’s crucial to avoid getting food poisoning, so try not to consume things like soft cheeses, pate, and raw eggs since they might contain bacteria. While at it, drink pasteurized milk to protect you and your child from bacterial or parasite infections. Moreover, when preparing and storing food, adhere to good hygiene measures.
3.Say no to alcohol and smoking
Avoid drinking when pregnant. Any alcohol you consume quickly crosses the placenta into your bloodstream, where it reaches your unborn child. As a result, your unborn child may have higher blood alcohol levels than you.
In other words, there is no known safe level of alcohol consumption when pregnant. Furthermore, there is never a safe moment to drink alcohol during pregnancy since your baby is constantly growing, and all forms of alcohol are dangerous.
Also, smoking cigarettes reduces your baby’s oxygen supply. As a result, there is a high probability of having a baby prematurely, at low birth weight, or with other health issues.
4.Stay active
Unless you are dealing with health problems during your pregnancy, try to do some physical activity. The moderate-intensity exercise you should perform each week should be between 150 and 300 minutes. If you weren’t physically active before getting pregnant, speak with your doctor about the safest activities you can engage in.
A healthy exercise regimen can provide you the stamina and strength you’ll need to carry the extra weight you gain throughout pregnancy, avoid or lessen aches and pains, increase blood flow to your legs, and prepare you for the physical demands of delivery. Additionally, it will make it much simpler to get back in shape following your child’s birth.
5.Hydrate, hydrate, and hydrate!
Mommy-to-be should consume 8 to 12 cups of water each day to stay hydrated throughout the day. Water is a natural hydrant that keeps our bodies healthy. Water consumption, however, is vital to the health of both the mother and the unborn child during pregnancy and is twice as crucial.
Your blood volume grows by up to 50% during pregnancy to accommodate all the additional activity, which includes transporting waste and carbon dioxide away from your body and giving oxygen and vital nutrients to your unborn child through the placenta. To support this, you must thus drink more water.
Add a squeeze of lime or a splash of fruit juice to a glass of water to change the taste if you wish.
6.Limit Your Exposure to Infections
Birth abnormalities can result from some infections contracted during pregnancy. Staying away from ill people, frequently washing your hands, and thoroughly cooking your meat can prevent you from contracting many infections. Simply put, regular hand washing can prevent you from diseases like chickenpox, group B streptococcus, CMV, and others that can seriously harm your unborn child and result in birth problems.
Additionally, getting vaccinated can guard you and your baby against diseases that can cause birth abnormalities. For example, regardless of the stage of pregnancy, it is advised for all expectant mothers to get the flu shot. Moreover, between 20 and 32 weeks into each pregnancy, it is recommended that you have the whooping cough vaccination.
7.Make sure to get rest
Many pregnant women have restless nights long before a hungry, crying baby is in the picture because of their increasing tummy, aches and pains, and heartburn. Are you also in the same boat? Well, that’s not good.
The risks of pregnancy issues may be higher for pregnant women who don’t get adequate sleep. Therefore, try to get at least eight hours of good-quality sleep each night.
Chances are your body is signaling you to slow down when you feel fatigued in the first and third trimesters. So pay attention and try to relax as much as you can. Put your feet up and relax if you cannot nap during the day. Allow yourself a rest and let your other obligations lapse a bit.
Conclusion
The news of pregnancy can be both exhilarating and challenging. An abrupt lifestyle change occurs when the little bundle of joy grows inside the womb, especially for new mothers. As a result, you’ll experience various emotions and feel a greater urge to keep your unborn baby safe and healthy.
That said, how you take care of your body can significantly impact the health of your unborn child before conception, during pregnancy, and after delivery. Thus, to maximize your chances of having a healthy pregnancy, it’s crucial to eat nutritious foods, be aware of what to avoid eating and drinking, exercise regularly, and give up smoking and alcohol.