Guide to A Healthy Pregnancy
It's important to take whatever measures to be healthy, but when you are pregnant it's even more crucial: You are not only taking care of yourself, you are also impacting the life of your baby.
If you are a smoker the best thing you can do is to stop smoking. Babies that are born to mothers who smoke will likely be born prematurely and are at risk to die from sudden infant death syndrome than babies born of women who do not smoke. If you are already pregnant, giving up smoking will benefit the baby for the remainder of your pregnancy. The baby will not be the only one who benefits, you will also benefit by experiencing less morning sickness and fewer complications.
Taking a good multivitamin and also a mineral supplement is a good idea. A sufficient supply of vitamins and minerals is important right from conception. example, Omega-3 fatty acids which you can get by eating oily fish, walnuts and spinach or taken as a supplement are important for the development of the baby’s brain and eyes. Omega-3 also reduces the risk of premature birth.
It is very important to monitor what you eat. Many women feel they should eat extra because they are pregnant but women only need a extra few hundred calories a day while pregnant. It is important that you get the protein and the necessary vitamins and minerals to help your baby develop. The extra calories should not consist of junk food, but rather vegetables, fruits etc. Also increasing the amount of water you drink will help you avoid constipation.
During pregnancy rest is also important, mojority of experts believe that healthy pregnant women should be doing at least half an hour of moderate exercise every day.
No one knows what amount of alcohol is safe to consume during pregnancy, so health experts believe it is better to avoid alcohol totally for the safety of the baby. This can be hard on the pregnant woman who drinks alcohol, but it is important to remember that alcohol is not good for the baby, and no caring mother would give her baby alcohol.
Exposure to toxic chemicals should be kept at a minimal level while pregnant, so painting the garage and other chores involving chemicals is not a good idea, particularly in the early stages of pregnancy when the baby is most vulnerable.
