As a pregnant mother-to-be it is important you take care of yourself. In a new way you have to think responsibly because you now are not just you but your uterus is the temporary home of a little child. If you take smart lifestyle choices now it can directly benefit the health of the baby. These choices can be small adjustments to your daily life. Don’t feel overwhelmed and stressed out over feeling you have to turn your life upside down. Guilt, stress or overwhelm will not benefit neither you nor baby.
First off you should be aware of habits or even vices that should be banned during pregnancy (and during the child’s upbringing as well). The most important habits to get rid of are smoking (cigarettes etc.), drug abuse (pot, hash, heroin, cocaine etc.), and drinking alcohol. Remember that everything that you take in, the baby must take in as well. When you ban these things you lay a foundation for your baby to become healthy and strong.
To do the best for yourself, you should begin thinking about your health even before you get pregnant. In this respect you should begin taking a multivitamin with at least 400 micrograms folic acid which is a B vitamin that helps preventing neural tube defects. And you should also stop smoking, drinking and using drugs even before getting pregnant.
Your upgrades to your daily lifestyle encompass two areas: healthy eating and exercising.
Eat Healthy Nutritious Food
You must eat enough, though not too much. The food should be rich in essential nutrients as protein, folate and iron, which will nourish you and your baby. Foods high on fibre are essential to avoid constipation. Drink plenty of water, which also can prevent constipation, as well as it will support your increased blood volume (which increases up to 50%). Drinking water also help prevent haemorrhoids, fatigue, headaches, swelling and other unpleasant symptoms during pregnancy.
You must avoid foods which may be dangerous during pregnancy. These can be unpasteurized soft cheese; undercooked meat; raw or undercooked eggs; raw seafood; large fish Shark, Swordfish, King Mackerel, or Tilefish, which may contain high levels of mercury. Avoid farmed fish, as they are often more contaminated than wild fish. But do eat some fat fish; they contain healthy omega-3 fatty acids which are beneficial for body and brain.
Eat bananas and whole grains which are rich in vitamin B6 to encourage red blood cell formation.
Sweet potatoes contain Vitamin A for growing bones.
Spinach is full of calcium which aids the growth of your baby’s bones. Raw spinach is a super food and very healthy however it contains oxalic acid which can bind with calcium. Unless you have been diagnosed with a kidney disorder and the doctor has said not to eat spinach, by all means eat it! It is an excellent source of vitamin K, vitamin A (in the form of carotenoids), manganese, folate, magnesium, iron, copper, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, vitamin E, calcium, potassium and vitamin C.
Exercise
Daily, moderate exercise gives boosts to your mood, and can improve your stamina during labour and delivery. When you do daily exercises you may get more energy, you will sleep better, you will have less back pain and speedier recovery after birth.
It is important to exercise the pelvic floor, a layer of muscle which supports the uterus and help you maintain bowel and bladder control. This muscle will be put under immense pressure during pregnancy. Clench your muscles as if you are trying to prevent a bowel movement while at the same time you draw in your vagina as when you try to stop the flow of urine. Hold this position as long as possible, and then relax. When you do that exercise every day your back and spine will be strong, and it will flatten your tummy after birth, and you are likely not to have problems with bladder and bowel control post birth.
Power walk in your neighbourhood, hike an easy trail (maybe together with the father of your child).
Do not do any sports during pregnancy where you are likely to fall. Do low-impact, low-risk, non-contact sports like biking, swimming, stretches, Pilates and dance.
The first and last thing to do during pregnancy and child birth is – if you can choose – to ally with a practitioner whom you trust. This goes for midwife and general practitioner and gynaecologist as well.
Last but not least: be good to yourself. Allow yourself to give in to cravings once in a while. Take a nap during the day. Listen to your body and consult with your midwife or GP.
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