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Healthy Pregnancy Written by: Nancy Wurtzel |
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To give yourself the best chance of a healthy pregnancy you need to take care of yourself both physical and emotionally. As soon as you confirm you are pregnant talk to your partner and agree what steps you will be taking in the future, and make sure you sort out any accommodation or financial issues as soon as possible to avoid having to stress about them later in the pregnancy. Make sure you have a few good friends or close members of family available to provide you with support as well as your partner, and you may want to join an antenatal class so you can make friends with other woman in your situation and learn more about pregnancy in general. Here are a few other basic steps you can take to give you the best chance of a healthy pregnancy:
1. Eat a balanced diet - to help you to control healthy weight gain during pregnancy and also to provide you and the baby with the right amount of vitamins and minerals it is important that you eat a balanced, healthy diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables. You will also need to check with your doctor what foods to avoid during pregnancy, as some things like seafood and ripe cheese can contain dangerous pathogens that are harmful to unborn babies. Your doctor will also be able to advise you whether you need to take any supplements such as folic acid.
2. Quit smoking - smoking has been linked to increased risk of premature birth, miscarriage and cot death so it is important that you give up smoking, or at least drastically reduce smoking as soon as you confirm you are pregnant. If you are having trouble giving up then your doctor should be able to advise you of the various methods available to help you quit, such as NHS Smoke Stop classes.
3. Reduce Alcohol - alcohol crosses the placenta and directly affects the baby, and can cause the condition 'foetal alcohol spectrum disorder' (FASD) which coverts a range of birth defects from learning difficulties to physical abnormalities.
4. Reduce Caffeine intake - Coffee, tea, and sports drinks are mild stimulants, and have been linked to low birth weights in newborn babies and also are thought to increase the risk of miscarriage in high doses. Try to drink no more than two cups of coffee or four cups of tea a day, and avoid energy drinks altogether during pregnancy and supplement your fluid intake with fruit juice, herbal teas and water.
5. Antenatal Care - make plans and organise the professional care you want to receive during pregnancy and labour, whether it be a midwife or obstetrician, hospital or home birth. Having plans in place early on will take the stress off you as your pregnancy develops, and also help you to organise all of your domestic and work commitments in preparation for the birth.
6. Exercise regularly - pregnancy and labour are very strenuous on the body, so make sure you continue with a light exercise programme during pregnancy to give you the strength and endurance you need to carry the extra weight of the baby and give birth. Keeping active during pregnancy will also help you to get back into shape again after your baby is born, and will help you to handle the stresses and strains of looking after a newborn. Avoid heavy physical exercise and any sport that might involve falls or knocks, and stick to light activities such as walking, swimming and yoga. Doctors also believe the exercise helps to boost positive thinking and wards off the depression that can come with pregnancy and after labour.
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