Good health for you and your baby
During pregnancy, it is important to stay healthy for yourself and the baby. While your doctor is certainly the first source of information to answer any questions, here are some tips for living a healthy life while pregnant.
First and foremost, it is important to eat right. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists suggests that every day pregnant woman should eat three to four servings of fruits and vegetables; nine servings of whole-grain or enriched bread, cereal, rice or pasta for energy; three servings of milk, yogurt or cheese for calcium; and three servings of meat, poultry, fish, eggs, nuts, dried beans or peas for protein. A healthy diet is the best way to make sure you are getting the necessary nutrients.
In addition to a healthy diet, women who are pregnant or who are considering getting pregnant should take a daily multivitamin with folic acid, which helps prevent neurological birth defects, such as spina bifida. Folic acid helps a baby’s neural tube — which becomes the brain and spinal cord — develop properly. Also, while pregnant it is important to consult your doctor before taking any over-the-counter medicines or supplements, including herbal remedies. Such drugs may be beneficial to you, but can prove harmful to your baby.
Although weight gain is inevitable during pregnancy, there are guidelines for how much is healthy to gain. If you are at a healthy weight before pregnancy, you should gain between 25 and 35 pounds. If you are underweight, you should gain 28 to 40 pounds. If overweight, 15 to 25 pounds should be gained. This extra weight helps feed the baby and is important for a healthy pregnancy. If you are concerned that you aren’t gaining enough weight, or that you’re gaining too much, ask your doctor what is healthy for you.
While gaining weight is essential for the health of the baby, there are some foods you should avoid. Among them are raw meat, deli meat, fish containing high levels of mercury, such as swordfish, smoked seafood, fish exposed to industrial pollutants, raw shellfish, raw eggs, soft cheeses, unpasteurized milk, paté, caffeine, alcohol, and unwashed vegetables. All pose various health risks to you and your baby.
You absolutely should not drink alcohol during pregnancy. Alcohol passes through the placenta and on to the baby, which means that your baby is drinking as well. Alcohol can severely harm the development of your baby. The same goes for smoking cigarettes as well as taking illegal street drugs, such as marijuana, cocaine and heroin.
Along with eating a healthy diet and abstaining from harmful substances, it is also important to exercise while pregnant. Sticking to a doctor-approved exercise plan can have many benefits — improved circulation, increased energy, better preparation for labor and keeping off unnecessary weight. Popular exercises for pregnant women include swimming, walking, bicycling, yoga and aerobics. It is, however, very important that you talk to your doctor before starting an exercise routine. Exercising too strenuously can have negative effects on the development of your baby. Your doctor will be able to define better the parameters within which you should exercise.
While pregnant, your greatest ally in assuring a healthy pregnancy and birth is your doctor. During the first six months of your pregnancy, it is often common and advisable to visit your doctor once a month. During the seventh and eighth months, you should visit your doctor every two weeks. After that, once a week until the baby is born is the safest course of action, barring more specific directions from your doctor. These guidelines should never replace a doctor’s advice to the contrary.
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