
Staying Healthy During Pregnancy
It is a common understanding that when you are pregnant you eat for two, while forgetting it’s not the quantity but rather the quality of your meals. Knowing that diet isn’t the only factor that affects your health and in turn your baby’s is crucial. Paying special attention to routine events of life such as getting proper rest, exercising, managing stress, and managing existing medical conditions becomes even more important. The goal is to make yourself comfortable during this physically taxing time, and ultimately bring a healthy child into this world.
Getting Proper Nutrition:
Expecting mother need to consume approximately 300 extra calories per day, which are used in the baby’s growth. The most essential nutrients for you and your child are calcium, iron, and folic acid. These nutrients aid in the development of your baby’s bones, brain, blood, and spine. Consuming foods that contain a sufficient amount of essential nutrients may be difficult which is why doctors often recommend Prenatal vitamins..
Things to Avoid:
There are several things that we need to avoid during pregnancy. Some commonly known items to avoid are smoking, alcohol consumption, and recreational drug use. Some consumables on the list to avoid during pregnancy might surprise you.
Excess caffeine consumption is one habit that many expecting mothers have trouble with, but it is very important to control as it can increase the risk of miscarriage. Another surprise to many pregnant women is chocolate contains small amounts of caffeine, but you don’t have to give it up completely. Moderation is the key.
Pregnant women should also avoid certain types of fish. These include sharks, swordfish, king mackerel, and tilefish. These often contain high levels of mercury, which can cause brain damage in your baby. Other foods to avoid include unpasteurized dairy and juice, foods containing raw eggs, and undercooked meat.
It is important not to take any medications during pregnancy without first consulting with your doctor. Even herbs and over-the-counter medicines can present a danger to your baby. Ideally, the only medication a pregnant woman should take is a good prenatal vitamin. If a situation arises where medication is needed, your trusted source for a list of pregnancy safe medication is always your doctor.
Pregnant women should also avoid contact with animal feces as they put themselves at risk of contracting toxoplasmosis. The disease usually causes no symptoms in the mother, but is known to have devastating developmental effects on the baby.
Staying healthy should be a priority at all times, but it becomes much more important when you’re pregnant. Keeping yourself in good health and avoiding certain foods and substances will help your baby grow strong and healthy.