12 Ways to Stay Healthy During Pregnancy

Pregnancy comes with many challenges, especially those to do with your health. You will often get advice as to what and what you should not eat, places you should not go and all manner of advice. All of these can seem overwhelming and confusing or overwhelming. However, the truth is that pregnancy brings about new nutritional needs, limitations, and concerns.

When you get pregnant, the demands of your body change. This means there are certain foods and drinks you will have to avoid or take more often. It is your responsibility to ensure that you stay healthy throughout the pregnancy period to avoid any mishaps.

Below Are 12 Ways to Stay Healthy During Pregnancy

Eat Healthy and Enough Food

Your body becomes susceptible to diseases when you become pregnant. As such, you must be careful about what gets into your stomach. Your unborn baby requires enough nutrients to grow strong and healthy in the womb.

Ensure you eat a lot of whole grains, colorful fruits, calcium-rich foods, and foods with low saturated fat. Other than healthy foods, you also need to take the right amount of food. Most women require approximately 300 more calories per day for at least six months of pregnancy.

Take Daily Prenatal Vitamin

Taking daily prenatal multivitamins is essential in keeping your baby healthy. It ensures both you and the baby get sufficient nutrients during pregnancy. These include iron, folic acid and calcium. Iron is important because it helps your blood and that of the baby to carry oxygen. Folic is also important in preventing extreme birth defects of the spinal cord and brain.

Stay Hydrated

Your body needs more water when you are pregnant compared to when you were not. Target at least eight cups of water every day.

Go For Regular Check-ups

Early and regular prenatal visits are important because they help your doctors monitor your health and that of the baby. Doctors will often conduct tests to see if there’s anything to worry about.

You should keep seeing the doctor at least for the first 28 weeks of pregnancy. Don’t hesitate to contact a doctor if you fill something is wrong. It would be a good idea to seek for you to search for an “OBGYN near me” for professional care throughout your pregnancy period.

Avoid Certain Foods

There are certain types of foods that you are not supposed to eat when you are pregnant. Some of the foods you should keep include:

• Soft cheese

• Raw or rare meats

• Unpasteurized milk

• Liver, raw eggs, sushi

Raw and pasteurized animal products can lead to food poisoning. Certain types of fish can be harmful to the baby even when cooked.

Avoid Alcohol

Don’t take alcohol before and during pregnancy or even when breastfeeding. Taking alcohol when pregnant can increase the chances of your baby having fetal alcohol spectrum (FASD). FSD can result in abnormal facial features, extreme learning disabilities, and behavioral issues

Don’t Smoke

Smoking is not healthy for a pregnant woman and her unborn baby. It accelerates the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), miscarriage, premature birth, and other negative effects.

Exercise

Although pregnancy often leads to weight gain and exhaustion, you should try as much as possible to stay active. Ensure you exercise regularly to avoid complications. You can inquire from your doctor about the best type of physical activity for you.

Get More Comfortable

You definitely have to change your wardrobe after getting pregnant. You should try to wear clothes that are loose and comfortable at all times. Avoid clothes and shoes that are tight and uncomfortable.

Get a Flu Shot

As mentioned earlier, pregnancy makes your body susceptible to many things including diseases. A simple thing like flu can make you very ill and increase the chances of developing complications. But a flu shot can help protect you from serious illness as well as protect the baby after birth.