Tips to Maintain Healthy Pregnancy

Taking care of yourself has never been so important before finding yourself pregnant. The moment you realize about your pregnancy, your mind starts running with the questions: What should I do now? Can I still eat my favorites? What sort of fruits is healthy for my baby? And lots more…

So, to ease out your worry, listed below are the tips to maintain a healthy pregnancy through nutrition, vitamins, lifestyle, and so on.

Nutrition

Balanced nutrition plays a major role during pregnancy. A healthy and nutritionally balanced diet helps in the brain development of a child who is growing inside the fetus. It further promotes a healthy weight and reduces the risk of any birth defects.

A balanced diet should include the following nutrition:

• Folic acid
• Iron-rich foods
• Dairy products
• Seasonal fruits and vegetables
• Carbohydrates, Protein, and Fats in the right amount.

Weight Gain

Gaining weight during pregnancy is completely natural and obvious. Ideally, a woman during her pregnancy should gain weight around 11kg to 16kg. And this healthy weight gain is possible if she eats varieties of fruits and vegetables. Do not forget to keep a proper check on your weight gain keeping your nutritional needs in mind.
Weight gain recommendation varies from woman to woman depending upon her BMI (Body Mass Index). So, if a woman, who is underweight before conceiving, may have different targets for weight gain in comparison to the woman who is obese or carrying twins.

What Not to Eat During Pregnancy?

It is important to stay safe from infection during pregnancy that may be caused due to bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites. Therefore, make sure that whatever food you eat should be fresh and thoroughly cleaned. Avoid eating junk foods as they give only empty calories without providing essential nutrients. Additionally, dairy foods like cheese, butter, milk should be pasteurized. Do not eat any food which is not freshly and properly cooked. Avoid eating too many spices and oil in your food.

Prenatal Vitamins

Most nutrients are received from fresh fruits and vegetables, but if there is any gap between the actual requirement and the real consumption, prenatal vitamins help to fill those gaps. Folic Acid is a Vitamin B type, which is highly essential for a pregnant woman. Ideally, this supplement is taken from the preconception period and continued through pregnancy along with other multivitamins. Folic acid intake helps in the neurological development of a baby.
Likewise, certain other types of Vitamins are taken as supplements as and when prescribed by the doctors.

Exercise

By the term exercise, it means that a pregnant woman should stay active and fit throughout her pregnancy. Do not indulge in any such activities that may hurt you as well as your growing fetus. Talk to your doctor about those exercises and activities that are safe and can be done without much worry.

A regular fitness activity can benefit a pregnant woman in several ways. It increases the energy levels of an expecting mother, improves sleep, gives strength to her muscles, and reduces backache.

Adopting Healthy Lifestyle

A good and healthy lifestyle is not only beneficial to an expecting mother but also to a baby who is growing inside her womb. Choose a healthy lifestyle routine and quit all those activities which can cause harm to both of you such as alcohol consumption, smoking, etc. A healthy lifestyle can prevent several pregnancy complications including premature birth.

Prenatal Care

Prenatal care includes regularly scheduled healthcare appointments throughout each stage of your pregnancy. During these visits, your doctor will check your as well as your baby’s health. Prenatal care also includes monitoring of blood pressure and taking routine tests, sonography and vaccination as advised by your doctor.

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