Take more water
Your blood volume grows by up to 50% during pregnancy to accommodate all the additional activity, which includes transporting waste and carbon dioxide away from your body and giving oxygen and vital nutrients to your unborn child through the placenta. To support that gain, you must thus drink more.
Additionally, drinking water can help you avoid exhaustion, headaches, edema, hemorrhoids, UTIs, and other unpleasant pregnancy symptoms. If you don’t like the taste, try adding a squeeze of lime or a splash of fruit juice. Aim for 8 to 10 glasses each day.
Exercise
The overall health benefits of staying active include stress reduction, improved circulation, and mood enhancement. Additionally, it may promote restful sleep. Attend a pregnancy fitness class or stroll for at least 15 to 20 minutes per day at a moderate pace. Avoid sweating by walking in cool, shaded settings or indoors.
For the majority of expectant women, Pilates, yoga, swimming, and walking are also fantastic exercises, but before beginning any exercise program, make sure to speak with your doctor first. On most days of the week, try to get in 30 minutes of exercise. Don’t overdo it, though; pay attention to your body.
Learn for Yourself
Attending a birthing class will make you feel better prepared for delivery even if this isn’t your first child. You will not only get the opportunity to learn more about labor and newborn care, but you can also express your concerns and ask specific questions. Additionally, you’ll get to know the facility’s staff better.
Additionally, this is a wonderful moment to review the medical background of your family. Inform your doctor of any issues you’ve had with prior pregnancies as well as any birth defects that have occurred in your family.
Eat Fruits for Recharge
The majority of medical professionals advise avoiding caffeine during pregnancy because it may be detrimental to both you and the unborn child. However, cutting back might be challenging, especially if you depend on your morning coffee. Try munching on some fruit for an instant energy boost. According to registered dietitian Frances Largeman-Roth, “fruits like bananas and apples have natural sugars that can help increase energy levels.”
Understand when to call a doctor
It might be challenging to become pregnant, especially if it’s your first time. How can you distinguish between a regular twinge and an abnormal one? If you have any of the following symptoms, you should call your doctor, advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):
- Any type of pain
- Powerful cramps
- Contractions every 20 minutes
- Hemorrhage or fluid leakage from the vagina
- Fainting or vertigo
- Breathing difficulty
- Heart flutters
- Persistent diarrhoea and vomiting
- Difficulty walking with edema (joint swelling)
- Baby’s decreased activity
Take Fish
A 2020 study found that eating fish while pregnant is not only healthy but also outweighs the concerns. That, according to scientists, is caused by fish’s high omega-3 content, which is an essential ingredient for brain growth. Additionally, it improves the metabolic profile of kids. The only catch is that some fish species contain mercury, which can be hazardous to both adults and newborns.
Stay in a Clean Environment
The Food and Drug Administration advises pregnant women to consume no more than 12 ounces of fish per week for safety’s sake. Stick to canned shrimp, salmon, pollack, mild tuna, and catfish. Swordfish, shark, king mackerel, and tilefish should all be avoided since they are high in mercury.
Regular hand washing can shield you from diseases like chickenpox, group B streptococcus, fifth illness, CMV, and others that can seriously harm your unborn child and result in birth problems. When you can’t get to a sink, ethanol-based hand sanitizers are a fantastic alternative. Anjan Chaudhury, M.D., an OB-GYN at St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center in Boston, claims that they shield users from the majority of infectious illnesses.
Eat Foods High in Folate
You should consume five or six well-balanced meals every day, along with eight to ten glasses of water, and lots of foods high in folate, such as fortified cereals, asparagus, lentils, wheat germ, oranges, and orange juice. According to Frances Largeman-Roth, R.D., author of Feed the Belly, “Folic acid is crucial for the proper development of the baby’s neural tube, which protects the spinal cord, and is vital for the creation of new red blood cells.”
Verify Any Medications
Before using any over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, dietary supplements, or “natural” therapies, see your doctor or midwife. Even over-the-counter (OTC) NSAIDs like ibuprofen ought to be avoided.
The National Health Service warns that using this medicine while pregnant can harm fetal blood vessels and raise your chance of miscarriage. It is best to see your doctor before taking any drug, whether it is prescription or not.
Remove toxins
You should abstain from using tobacco, alcohol, illegal drugs, and even solvents like paint thinner and nail polish remover while pregnant because of their connection to birth deformities, miscarriage, and other issues. For instance, smoking cigarettes reduces the oxygen flow to your unborn child and is associated with issues including preterm birth.
Roger Harms, M.D., an OB-GYN at the Mayo Clinic, advises, “If you can’t stop smoking, drinking, or using drugs, let your doctor know.” A doctor might recommend a program to help you quit and provide guidance and support.