8 Ways to Have a Healthy Pregnancy
One thing you will find no dearth of before and during pregnancy is the amount of advice you get. You can never be sure, what is accurate and what isn’t. It is therefore important to consult a gynecologist over the precautions you must take. Here are some pointers though that can help you have a healthy pregnancy.
1. Antenatal care during pregnancy
You need to consult a good doctor from time to time. It is therefore important to pick someone you can rely on and who has a good reputation. Family members can help you with recommendations. As the pregnancy stage proceeds, you will have to talk more with your doctor and go for regular checkups, which means that you will have to build a good rapport very early. It will help if the clinic is in the proximity of your neighborhood.
2. Take care of your diet
You must be very careful about what you eat. A healthy balanced diet is recommended during pregnancy. Five portions of vegetables and fruits are mandatory every day. You must also include wholegrain carbohydrates in the form of bread, rice and pasta; protein servings in the form of fish, lean meat, eggs and pulses; minerals and Omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids are critical for the nervous system development of the baby, while fish provide proteins and Vitamin-D. Be careful that fish and seafood is adequately cleaned and cooked properly.
3. Folic acid supplements
Folic acid is beneficial for the baby’s spine and neural tubes. It is important that you keep up your folic acid intake through foods like eggs, legumes, liver and spinach. Folate is found in spinach, lettuce, beans, capsicum, okra, peas and fortified cereals. Calcium rich foods are also required for the body. In some cases, doctors can prescribe supplements if there is a chance that your diet doesn’t contain all the natural nutrients that it is supposed to contain.
4. Regular exercise
You need a good exercise regime for strength and endurance. Exercise is good for your mood and can help to boost serotonin levels. Labor involves lot of physical stress and exercise is a very good way of dealing with it. You can go for walks wearing suitable walking shoes. Breathing exercises can also help. There are pelvic floor exercises you can follow such as pelvic tilts which can help with back pain during pregnancy. Swimming will help relieve aches and pains and stretching will help with any cramps.
