So, you are pregnant and expecting to give birth to your baby soon? Heartiest congratulations on your pregnancy! In order to know your pregnancy is really going well, you need to see your health care provider and have a series of prenatal visits. During this period, the first visit should be before week 12. Then, you need to fix your appointments that will be scheduled during the weeks 16, 24 to 28, 32, 36, 38, and then weekly. Your health care provider will suggest different schedule depending on your exact requirements.
You should think of pregnancy in 3 different stages which are known as trimesters:
- First trimester: From your date of conception to week 12
- Second trimester: Weeks that is from 13 to 28
- Third trimester: Weeks from 29 to your child birth
Some changes in your body during pregnancy
Each part of a woman’s body will change at the time of pregnancy. Some changes include frequent urination and sudden gain in weight which occur due to growing baby in the womb. Other changes might occur due to changes in the hormonal levels, changes in your sexual desires and emotional feelings.
Getting sufficient love, care and emotional support from your partner are extremely important throughout the pregnancy period. You should talk to your friends and family and seek for necessary help even when it is only means holding their hands during the regular check up.
Unless it is suggested by your provider, you can continue to enjoy sexual intercourse with your partner. Make sure you discuss how you feel during sex with your partner and some women might experience more interest in sex while others will have less interest.
How you can enjoy safe and healthy pregnancy
For woman, having a healthy body means enjoying the pregnancy days and giving birth to a healthy baby. You can take a prenatal or one-a-day vitamin together with folate for a day. So, Folate or folic acid is actually B vitamin that can prevent any problems with birth defects such as anencephaly and spina bifida. You can take 0.4 to 0.8 milligrams a day before in pregnancy so that you can stay away from over half of these defects.
Below are 12 tips to increase the chances of having a healthy pregnancy and giving birth to a healthy baby.
- Eat nutritious and healthy foods – Pregnant women should eat healthy foods as the baby needs proper nutrients to grow properly inside the womb. You can take lots of colorful vegetables and fruits, high calcium foods, whole grains and foods that are low in saturated fat.
- Take a daily prenatal vitamin – When you are pregnant, it is necessary to take prenatal multivitamin daily and ensure you get proper nutrients for yourself and your baby. Some of these include – calcium, iron and folic acid.
- Try to remain hydrated – the body of a pregnant woman needs more water than it did before she had conceived. She should take eight or more cups of water on a daily basis.
- Go for prenatal care checkups – Women need to get regular prenatal care from their health care provider. Moms who do not perform prenatal care on a regular basis will probably have a baby with low birth weight or other possible complications.
- Avoid eating certain foods – Women should not eat certain foods when she is pregnant. It is advised that you do not eat:
- Raw eggs, liver or sushi
- Rare meats
- Unpasteurized milk
- Soft cheese such as brie or feta
When you eat raw and unpasteurized animal products, these may be the reason for food poisoning. Some fish when cooked may become harmful for the baby as they have high amount of mercury.
- Avoid consuming alcohol – Women should not consume alcohol both before and during the pregnancy period as well as at the time of breastfeeding. This is because drinking alcohol might enhance the risks of conceiving a baby through fetal alcohol spectrum disorder or FASD. Thus, FASD may lead to unusual facial features, behavioral issues and learning disabilities. Also, alcohol can affect the health of a baby during the early stages of pregnancy when a woman is still to know that she has already conceived.
- Say no to smoking – Smoking is harmful for you as well your child’s health. If you smoke, then you are actually increasing the risks of your unborn child such as miscarriage, premature birth, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and other poor results.
- Move easily – It is important for pregnant women to remain active or do regular exercises for staying fit during this period. It is advised to consult with the doctor and know the amount of physical activities you can perform.
- Get the flu shot – Having flu can make pregnant woman extremely sick and enhance the risks of complications for the baby. The flu shot may protect you from serious diseases and your baby after birth. You may ask your doctor for getting a flu shot.
- Sleep for sufficient hours – Pregnant women is advised to sleep for at least 7 to 9 hours which is helpful for your baby too. They should try to sleep on the left side for improving the flow of blood.
- Lessen the stress level – Lessening the stress is vital to improve birth results. Pregnant women are advised to avoid stressful situations as much as possible.
- Plan the right time for getting pregnant – When you decide to conceive at the time you are healthy, this enables to increase the chances of having a healthy pregnancy as well as give birth to a healthy baby.
It is suggested that you need to talk to your private Gynaecologist in London at Gynae-Clinic.co.uk about your concerns related to pregnancy. Your personal beliefs and experiences will probably affect what pregnancy, delivery and labor will probably be for you.
