Every expectant mother wants to have a healthy pregnancy for herself and her baby. Whether you’re newly pregnant or trying to conceive, you should know having a healthy pregnancy requires a lot of good habits and vigilance. Here are a few approaches that will help you to make a healthy plan for pregnancy.
Take Prenatal Vitamins
First, you’ll want to take prenatal vitamins. It is a smart idea to take prenatal vitamins while you’re trying to conceive, or even before then, just to be safe. Once you are pregnant, prenatal vitamins are an absolute must-have during and after those 9 months of pregnancy.
Prenatal vitamins contain nutrients that are essential for the healthy growth and development of your baby. Prenatal vitamins contain calcium, folate or folic acid, iron, DHA, zinc, Vitamin A, and more vitamins. Folate will help to prevent defects such as neural tube issues and brain abnormalities. While you can get many of these nutrients from the food you eat, you often won’t receive sufficient amounts of them, which is why prenatal vitamins are so important.
Eat Well
Next, make sure that you’re eating well before, during, and after your pregnancy. Eating a balanced diet with plenty of nutrients and protein will promote a healthy pregnancy for you and your baby. Make sure that your meals contain a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, proteins, and low-fat dairy products.
This will keep you feeling energized and fuel your baby’s growth. Eating foods that are rich in fiber can even relieve a common pregnancy symptom, constipation. Eating too much sugar will make you feel sluggish and raise your blood sugar. This could cause you to develop gestational diabetes and have further complications in your pregnancy. Cutting down on sugar can reduce this risk and also decrease feelings of heartburn.
Exercise
Finally, make sure that you have a sustainable exercise routine during your pregnancy. Your exercise routine will likely change from trimester to trimester, but being consistent with some kind of exercise will keep you and your baby healthy. During the first trimester, taking a walk might be about as much as you can handle. During the second trimester, try to add yoga, pilates, and resistance bands to your exercise for more variety. Having any form of exercise during pregnancy will reduce symptoms of anxiety, back pain, constipation, bloating, swelling, and more. It can also help you sleep better and decrease your risk of gestational diabetes. That being said, your exercise routine can, in some circumstances, affect your fertility. So make sure that you’re exercising and staying healthy, but don’t exercise extremely as this could alter your menstrual cycle.
So, if you’re pregnant or planning to become pregnant soon, remember these tips for creating a health plan for your pregnancy. Make sure that you take prenatal vitamins, eat well, and exercise, among other helpful health habits. This can help to keep you and your baby healthy and strong during pregnancy.
Did you enjoy reading this article? Here’s more to read: Tips to Help You Through Your First Pregnancy
