Knowing about your pregnancy is exciting; it may motivate you to be careful about your lifestyle. Maintaining a healthy weight, keeping yourself active, and paying heed to your nutritional needs are just a few aspects that you need to look for during pregnancy.
The anticipation of holding your baby for the first time, touching their cotton-like cheeks, is so overpowering that you become ready to do whatever it takes to keep your child healthy. And when that day arrives, all the challenges faced during the nine-month pregnancy take a backseat.
Suppose you have already boarded the roller coaster ride called “pregnancy” or are thinking of conceiving soon. In that case, some health tips you can follow for a healthy and safe pregnancy and delivery are the following.
- Get rid of your bad habits
When you plan to conceive, get rid of bad habits. You must start before your pregnancy because it takes some time to break free of certain practices, such as smoking and too much alcohol consumption.
Your body needs time to process the fact that you will no longer smoke or drink. Since these habits substantially affect your mind, it tries to fight back, making it difficult for you to quit.
Due to your bad habits, your still born child might suffer. Although, the doctor’s medical negligence is one of the causes of birth injuries. But smoking and alcohol consumption during pregnancy also make your child prone to birth injuries such as cerebral palsy (CP) as its growth gets impacted.
In instances when medical negligence is the cause of CP in your child, a cerebral palsy attorney can provide you with legal help. But if your negligence caused your child’s suffering, you might have to live with a lifelong problem. Therefore, make sure to quit these vices before getting pregnant so that your body is free of all the toxic elements.
- Don’t ignore prenatal appointments
Once you k know you are pregnant, you must contact your healthcare provider. Your doctor will carry out further tests to confirm your pregnancy. Also, these tests will reveal how long you have been pregnant and estimate your delivery date based on that.
Prenatal appointments must be an important part of your pregnancy. This is the only way to stay connected with your doctor and inform them about your condition changes.
In the initial months, your doctor might ask you to visit them every month. With time, these appointments become more frequent.
- Eat healthy food
Remember, when pregnant, you have to eat for two (or more!). Your diet should reflect the change in your life and body. Recognize that it is not the right time to maintain the shape of your body or cut calories. Doing such things can cause nutritional deficiencies, severely harming your baby’s growth.
As for your calorie intake, make sure to add 300 more calories to your per-day diet, especially when you are at the later stage of your pregnancy. During this time, the baby grows quickly; therefore, it needs more nutrients.
However, calorie intake might be different for a woman who is obese or underweight. If you have any of these problems, talk to your healthcare provider and ask them to design a meal plan for you.
Make sure to eat plenty of vegetables and fruits. Your diet should include lean meat, low-fat dairy products, and whole-grain bread.
Some fish are rich in mercury; they can harm your baby’s development. To be safe, try avoiding fish as much as possible or stop eating it altogether.
- Add calcium and folic acid to your diet
The right intake of essential nutrients such as iron, calcium, and folic acid is indispensable in your daily life, but they become more important during pregnancy.
If you talk to your healthcare provider, they will prescribe some supplements to ensure the intake of these nutrients in the required quantities.
Calcium: During pregnancy, you have to make sure to take 1000 mg of calcium every day. If you don’t get enough calcium, your baby will fulfill its needs by extracting this nutrient from your bones, leaving you weak. Therefore, ensure calcium intake through food and non-food sources and prevent swift calcium loss from your bones. Eat tofu, low-fat dairy products, almonds, and dried beans, for calcium intake.
Folic acid: During pregnancy, you must take 400 micrograms of folic acid every day. Folic acid averts the risk of neural tube defects in your baby when taken one month before the pregnancy and during the first three months of the pregnancy.
Conclusion
Pregnancy is a challenging period. If someone describes it otherwise, don’t believe it. Because let’s accept it, you are growing a new life inside you; it cannot be anything other than demanding. However, healthy habits can make this period easier, especially when you are dedicated and steadfast about your routine.
2018 · 
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