Whenever you come to know that a little bundle of joy will arrive in your family, it becomes essential to be responsible for your own actions. This is because your actions help your little one to grow in a healthy and nurturing environment. And most importantly, it is necessary to take care of the baby even before he/she is born. You can do this easily by following a healthy lifestyle and being up to date with the doctor’s appointment. If you are looking for trusted midwives perth, click the given link.
Besides, when you are pregnant, you get surrounded by various questions like what can I eat, what exercise should I do, and many other things. So in this article, we will clear all your doubts and let you know the dos and don’ts to follow during your pregnancy. These things will help you understand what all things are essential for you and what you should not worry about. Experts also recommend that pregnant women like you must always visit eat lift mom to learn more tips about pregnancy.
Dos to follow during pregnancy
Do work out
Many women feel that they should take complete rest during pregnancy, but it is harmful to their health. Thus, every pregnant lady should indulge in some sort of exercise daily as it is good for both the mama and the baby. In fact, exercising may help you effectively face many challenges that occur during pregnancy, such as muscle pain, mood problems, insomnia, and excessive weight gain.
If you were exercising regularly before getting pregnant, then you can continue to exercise. But make sure to talk with your doctor about any adjustments that you should make to your routine, especially while moving into your second and third trimester. If you did not exercise regularly before getting pregnant, then you can ask the doctor to incorporate any fitness routine that is safe and comfortable for you and your baby.
Do gain weight in a smart manner
Most people will say that you need to ‘eat for two,’ but that doesn’t mean you should eat whatever you like. Instead, you should be strategic about your eating habits because gaining a lot of weight during pregnancy will do more harm to you and your baby than good. So remember that you need to have only about 100 extra calories a day during your first trimester as it will support your growing fetus. When you reach your third trimester, this additional calorie number can go closer to 300 to 500 per day.
Do get a lot of sleep
It will be difficult to catch good quality sleep during your pregnancy due to anticipation, changing hormone levels, back pain, and anxiety. This proves that pregnancy is demanding, especially in your final trimester. Thus, you can look for a quality mattress and the Best pregnancy pillow for back pain to make your sleeping position more comfortable. Also, make sure you take a quick snooze if you feel tired and schedule small naps whenever possible. Besides, set a bedtime and stick to it for getting a good amount of sleep. Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep every night. If you feel exhausted, then it is a sign that your body needs more rest, so make sure you get enough sleep.
Do carry your pregnancy notes everywhere you go
Your antenatal notes contain all your medical and pregnancy history, so make sure you carry them everywhere you go. Suppose you are visiting the maternity unit on short notice. In that case, too, you should carry these notes as they help the health professionals understand your medical history and what else has been happening during your pregnancy.
Do get a flu vaccine
You should get a flu vaccine during your pregnancy as long as you don’t have any contraindications from the manufacturer. If you don’t get the vaccine and contract influenza during pregnancy, then the risk of severe side effects is much higher than women of the same age that aren’t pregnant. Getting a flu vaccine will protect you and your developing fetus, so make sure you add it to your priority list.
Don’ts to follow during pregnancy
Don’t consume alcohol
Consuming alcohol during pregnancy may greatly affect your baby’s development. Thus, people who drink alcohol during pregnancy could give birth to a baby with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). The common symptoms of FAS include learning disabilities, low birth weight, lagging pattern in terms of growth and development level, and behavioral problems.
Even a small amount of alcohol can be problematic for your health. And there is no specific safe level for alcohol consumption during pregnancy. If you need any help to stop your drinking habit while you are pregnant, then you need to talk with your doctor.
Don’t eat raw meat
Undercooked or raw meat and eggs possibly carry the risk of foodborne diseases such as toxoplasmosis and listeriosis. Sometimes, there is also a possibility of food poisoning. All these situations can cause serious illnesses that can lead to severe birth problems and even miscarriage. So make sure all the meat and eggs that you consume during pregnancy are well-cooked.
Don’t smoke
Women who smoke during pregnancy are more likely to deliver babies with lower birth weight and are at a higher risk of learning disabilities compared to babies born to non-smoking women. Besides, children born to women that smoke are more likely to try smoking at an early age and become regular smokers. This happens ideally due to the physiologic addiction to nicotine. So make sure you don’t smoke during pregnancy as it can affect your child’s development.
Don’t consume too much caffeine
Consuming high amounts of caffeine during pregnancy can lead to low birth weight babies and increase their risk of health problems in the future. Additionally, too much caffeine can also lead to miscarriage, so it is better to limit its intake from any of the eatable products.
Don’t consume unpasteurized milk products
Calcium plays an important role in the growth of babies, but moms have to be careful about how they consume this calcium from dairy. For instance, raw milk isn’t suitable for pregnant women as it is unpasteurized. It means the milk hasn’t been heated to kill the bacteria, which likely makes you ill. Besides, the bacteria called Listeria is specifically present in raw milk. So you should avoid drinking unpasteurized milk products as they can lead to miscarriage, illness, or even life-threatening diseases.
Conclusion
It becomes important to take care of yourself from the first day in case of pregnancy. So make sure you follow these dos and don’ts as they ensure good health for you and the growing baby.