If you are pregnant for the first time, this article about health tips for a pregnant woman is going to be the most useful information and for others, it will serve as a reminder if you tend to forget this information and tips.
Here are the 10 healthy tips for a pregnant woman:
1. Do stay hydrated
Dehydration can lead to many health complications even for a normal person. For pregnant women, it can lead to serious pregnancy complications like neural tube defects, inadequate breast milk production, and even premature labor.
To avoid all these pregnancy complications, Doctors and gynaecologists recommend drinking at least eight to twelve glasses of water daily. Fruits rich in water can also help as a substitute if you are not able to drink lots of water. If you want to know more about water-rich fruits, please go to 13 water-rich foods that can keep you hydrated and learn about the benefits of these fruits.
2. Don’t skip antenatal visits
For a duration of 38 to 42 weeks, antenatal visits for regular checkup comprises of series of visits after 19-20 weeks, after 28 weeks of the gestation period, and every after 4 weeks. For a first time pregnancy, a total of 10 antenatal visits are necessary and 7 visits if you have a baby before but it can depend on the seriousness of your medical conditions.
Antenatal screening is done regularly for detection and early diagnosis of complications like hypertension and pregnancy diabetes which affect the foetus. Your care can monitor and detect vulnerabilities so that they can give support and guidance for you and the foetus. The benefits of antenatal care include assessing the health status of both mother and child, prevent unwanted complications during pregnancy, prevents maternal and child mortality, and developing a good relationship between the mother and the child.
3. Take pregnancy safe medicines on time
Not all medicines are good during pregnancy. It can result in complications like premature births, birth defects or loss of infants. Among many medicines, lower than 10 per cent of medicines are considered safe for the pregnant woman by the Centre for Disease Control (CDC).
According to the medical professional’s recommendation, one or two tablets of 500mg paracetamol is safe during pregnancy but not with other medicines. Pregnancy safe medicine includes prenatal vitamins, herbal remedies and supplements, nasal spray, saline nasal drops, first aid ointments, rashes lotions and Colace for constipation.
4. Avoid direct sunlight for longer duration
If you ask a question can pregnant women sunbathe? The answer is absolutely yes because our body needs vitamin D which is important for the healthy development of the infant and strengthening the bones. But you need to consider the risk associated with it if you sunbathe for a longer duration. Sunburn caused due to regular sunbathing can increase the risk of getting skin cancer and it can raise your body temperature and lead to dehydration frequently.
Here are the tips for a pregnant women:
- Avoid going out during the mid-sunny day
- Use approved sunscreens
- Get advice from your medical care provider regarding vitamin D supplement
- Wear loose and light clothing to cover your skin
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5. Don’t drink alcohol and smoke
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is commonly caused due to exposure to smoking and alcohol according to the study conducted by William P. Fifer on the effects of alcohol and smoking during pregnancy.
It is acceptable that what you consume reaches the baby too and a glass of wine or a puff of cigarette smoke can alter the health of the child inside, so it’s recommended not to drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes or go on drugs during your pregnancy period. The health problems related to drinking alcohol and smoking cigarette during pregnancy include preterm birth, low birth weight, defects in mouth and lips, and SIDS.
6. Exercise regularly, change position often
Among different types of exercises like running, jogging and brisk walking, Health experts agree that exercises like brisk walking are safe for pregnant women. It provides a total body workout and it is easy on joints and muscles.
Carry out regular exercise outdoor but keep in mind that safety for you and your baby is the most important. Indoor exercises are also recommended but you should frequently change the position for equal distribution of workouts. The pregnancy-safe exercises include brisk walking, swimming and water workouts, yoga, and low impact aerobics.
7. Avoid wearing heels
Wearing high heels in this fashion world is a trend among youngsters and well as mothers. But it is not a good idea if you are in a pregnancy period. This is because during pregnancy, your weight increases drastically, your body shape changes and form and as a result of the centre of gravity also changes making you walk differently and less steadily.
If you wear high heels and walk outdoor during pregnancy, it can lead to injuries like damage to ankles, back, hips, thighs, knees, and severe injuries can lead to health complications for both mother and the child. Fashion designers are innovative and creative these days bringing varieties of products comforting every needs and situation. They recommend heels and shoes like life stride pascal pump, vionic walker, sketcher gowalk, and Dansko marty for pregnant women.
8. Sleep adequately
An adequate amount of quality sleep or rest time is essential for the human body. It can boost your immune system and improve brain functions. Quality sleep can also regulate the levels of the hormone in your body and generally, 7 to 9 hours of quality sleep each day is essential for pregnant women. Recent research suggests that pregnant women who didn’t get quality sleep or rest are likely to develop pregnancy complications like preeclampsia, high blood pressure and gestational diabetes.
On a normal day, if you sleep more and works less, it is considered as luxury time but during pregnancy, it is a necessity. Pregnant women should get a few more hours of sleep each night and it should be supplemented by day naps if they didn’t have quality nighttime sleep.
9. Eat right fruits and vegetables
Fruits and vegetables are powerhouses of nutrients and minerals but for pregnant women, not all fruits are good. We have articles written previously about these good fruits and if you haven’t read this, please go to 7 good fruits to eat while pregnant. In this article, we have listed 7 good fruits along with their health benefits.
Other super nutritious foods for pregnant women includes dairy products, legumes, sweet potatoes, salmon for omega-3 fatty acids, eggs, broccoli, other leafy green vegetables, lean meats and berries.
10. Delivery in hospitals
Finally, you should choose hospitals or medical care providers for the delivery of your baby instead of delivering at home. This is to avoid pregnancy-related issues and delivery complications because the life of pregnant women and unborn baby is more precious. Birthing centres and hospital maternity centres can provide you with the best services and successful delivery of your baby.
But before that, you should make sure you have all the items listed by your medical care providers like the medical card, birth plan or health book, adequate numbers of clothing for you and your upcoming baby, toiletries, and most importantly the money.
My sister would like to visit the gynecologist because she thinks that she’s pregnant. Anyhow, even though we don’t have a test result yet, I’ll make sure to tell her that she should take herbal remedies ad prenatal vitamins. It’s also a good thing that you shared here the importance of seeking advice regarding the vitamin D supplement.
Thanks for reading and spending your precious time with us.