Pregnancy Care
Prenatal care is an important step in ensuring excellent health of a mother and her baby. Simple precautions and regular check-ups can make your pregnancy easier.
Diet
The most important thing is to eat a balanced and nutritious diet. Do not eat uncooked or under cooked products like fish, meat, and eggs. Certain types of fish have a high level of mercury and can cause harm to the baby. Eat freshly washed fruits, vegetables, and dairy products. It is not safe to consume unpasteurized milk products during pregnancy. Limit your caffeine intake to not more than two cups a day.
Supplements
Folic acid is an essential supplement that supports the development of your baby. Folic acid helps prevent problems like Spina Bifida. Ideally, folic acid should be started before you become pregnant. Vitamins and medicines like pain killers and over-the-counter medicines should be consumed under doctor's supervision since some of these may cause birth defects.
Work
Women who continue to carry on with their jobs during pregnancy should avoid lifting heavy objects and standing for long periods of time. Exposure to harmful radiation and heavy metals such as copper lead and mercury could be harmful to the baby.
Exercise
Regular exercise can make labor and childbirth easier. Walking and swimming are good exercises. If you feel any kind of discomfort while exercising or you experience symptoms such as dizziness, blurred vision, and pain in your chest or abdomen, call your doctor for advice.
Reducing General Discomforts During Pregnancy
Morning sickness: Many women go through bouts of vomiting and nausea in their first trimester of pregnancy. To reduce these symptoms, eat frequent and small meals and avoid greasy foods.
Tiredness: Feeling tired during pregnancy can be due to anemia. Get sufficient rest and include iron rich products like green leafy vegetables in your diet.
Constipation: To avoid constipation, it is advisable to drink plenty of water and eat fiber rich foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
Frequent Urination: As the baby grows in the mother's womb, it puts pressure on the mother's bladder and she may have to urinate frequently. This condition is often unavoidable.
Varicose veins: You can prevent varicose veins by avoiding clothing that is tight around the legs or waist. Rest your feet and move around if you stand for long periods.
Moodiness: Mood swings affect a substantial number of pregnant women all over the world. This is due to a surge in the hormonal levels. Learn to take it easy.
Fluid retention: Cut down on tea and coffee because these are diuretics. Rest with your legs up.
Warnings
• Smoking (active or passive) and Drug abuse raise the risk for miscarriage, premature birth, and low birth weight.
• Alcohol consumption during pregnancy is the major cause of preventable birth defects, such as fetal alcohol syndrome.
• Toxoplasmosis is a disease that causes birth defects. It can happen if you consume raw or undercooked meat products or if you clean your cat's litter box.