Five Ways To Manage Health Throughout Pregnancy

When a woman gets pregnant, she may start worrying about things that could go wrong during the coming nine months. From bleeding, miscarriages, ectopic pregnancy to contracting diseases, the list of issues that could occur during the gestation period is endless. Expectant mothers require energy, strength, and confidence in order to carry the pregnancy to term.

However, the most important responsibility of a pregnant woman is maintaining good health, which will dictate the fitness of her unborn baby. Once a woman conceives, she’s no longer eating for just herself. She will require consuming minerals, vitamins, and nutrients to support the development of the embryo in her womb. By maintaining good health, the woman will dramatically diminish the risks of a premature delivery, miscarriage and birth defects among other issues. Here are five ways through which a pregnant woman can manage her health during her nine months journey.

Receiving Prenatal Care

Ideally, a woman should begin receiving prenatal care even before she conceives. She should, for instance, consult with their physician regarding their overall health and discuss their suitability to get pregnant. Once she conceives, she should subsequently schedule further appointments with a health professional, whether her obstetrician or family doctor.

Prenatal visits entail more than just a chance to listen to the baby’s heartbeat or getting the ultrasound images. They afford the physicians a golden opportunity to foresee complications including the chances of premature delivery and hence advise the woman on what foods to take and what to avoid. The visits also help the family to make important decisions that enhance the probability of delivering a normal and healthy baby.

Consuming Supplements

During pregnancies, a lot of women are aware that they ought to be mindful of what they eat. However, some are not cognizant of the importance of consuming the two primary nutrients, which include iron and folic acid. Insufficient folic acid in the body increases the risk of birth defects, especially in the spine and brain.

Basically, a woman who’s contemplating getting pregnant should consume at least 400 mg of folic acid on a daily basis. She should, however, take more as the pregnancy continues developing. Iron is also equally important and should also be taken after the first prenatal visit. Ideally, the woman should consume a minimum of 20 mg and a maximum of 27 mg of iron every day. Iron essentially facilitates the delivery of oxygen to all parts of the body, including the placenta from which the baby receives nutrients.

Consume Healthy Foods

A mother is the sole source of livelihood for a developing fetus, which is achieved through the placenta. The food the mother consumes today comprises the baby’s arm or leg tomorrow. With that in mind, a pregnant woman should not consume a diet that is low on calorie. She should also drink lots of fresh juices to derive their many health benefits. And to make juicing easier during pregnancy, she should consider investing in the easy to use juicer, which is especially possible if she studies the various online reviews.

Natural juices boast tons of nutritional benefits for expectant women. For instance, beetroot juice goes a long way in preventing anemia and iron deficiency. Iron is a vital ingredient that facilitates the growth of the fetus. Similarly, carrot juice helps to fight the adverse effects of pregnancy on the skin such as scarring and dehydration. Besides, this juice is great for the teeth, nails and hair health.

Most pregnant women do a great job when it comes to ingesting nuts, meat, and eggs among other foods containing plenty of proteins. While this is healthy, she should strive to accomplish other vital nutritional goals. She should, for instance, consume multiple servings of vegetables, non-fat or low-fat dairy products, fruits, and cereals every day.

It’s also advisable to take a few precautions. For example, she should make sure that fish and meats are well cooked to avoid food poisoning. Expectant women are also advised against consumption of fish containing high amounts of mercury as it can harm the baby. Such fish include tilefish, shark, swordfish and king mackerel.

Avoid Alcoholic Drinks and Smoking

The developing baby in the womb can put up with neither alcohol nor smoke. When a pregnant woman smokes, the oxygen supply to the baby is significantly restricted. This raises the risks for stillbirth, low birth weight, and miscarriage to name a few complications. It is also advisable to avoid passive smoking.

Similarly, there is no safe alcohol during pregnancy. Binge or regular intake of alcohol while pregnant is potentially detrimental to a baby’s brain health. The damage may bring about a devastating birth defect known as fetal alcohol syndrome. Even the slightest drinking can cause behavioral problems and memory defects during childhood. Every habitual smoker or alcohol addicts who conceive should, therefore, consult with their doctor for assistance.

Take Medication Carefully

Falling sick while pregnant is often scary, but it is normal. Just because a woman is pregnant doesn’t mean that the medicine cabinet is off limit to her. In fact, if a woman has a chronic condition such as diabetes or high blood pressure, medicine might prove to be important for the pregnancy as well as her health.

Doctors may, however, alter the prescription to allow maximum benefit and mitigate the risk. The woman should also consult with their physician before consuming supplements or medicines including allergy medications or pain relievers. Consultation is important as most of the available treatment options might not be safe for a pregnant woman. For example, ibuprofen and aspirin increase the risk of miscarriage while acetaminophen, which serves the same purpose, is safe for most pregnancies.

Discussed above are five crucial steps that go a long way towards keeping both the unborn child and the expectant mother healthy and safe. However, women should not be limited to the above techniques; they should consult with their healthcare providers for further guidance. It’s probably impossible to stop worrying about an unborn child. However, a pregnant woman should feel a whole lot confident regarding giving birth to a healthy baby after eating well, exercising regularly, and getting regular prenatal care.