Health during pregnancy

What you should eat:
Pregnancy puts additional nutritional demands on your body. You require to eat judiciously to meet the demands of the body. Make sure that you eat a mixture of different foods each day in order to get all the various nutrients that you and your baby need.Your diet should have plenty of fruit and vegetables which provide vitamins, minerals and fibre. Eat them lightly cooked or raw. Let starchy foods like bread, potatoes, rice and breakfast cereals with vegetables form the main part of any meal.Eat some good sources of nutrients like fish, eggs, cheese, beans, and lentils every day. Dairy products like milk, cheese and yogurt are important as they contain calcium and other nutrients needed for your baby's development.Avoid sugar and sugary foods like sweets, biscuits and cakes and sugary drinks like cola. Cut down on fat and fatty foods as well.Food to Be Avoided During PregnancyNo amount of alcohol or smoking is advisable during pregnancy. The pregnant mother has to strictly keep away from them. Caffeine is also to be avoided as consumption of caffeine during pregnancy can cause miscarriages in the early stages.
Unpasteurized cheese and milk, apple cider and juices
Raw eggs and food containing raw eggs
Undercooked or raw meat, fish and processed meat
Fish that has mercury content in them like shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish are to be avoided.
The craving for non-food items during pregnancy is called pica. Some pregnant women are naturally prone to a craving for non-food items like clay. Such craving should not be entertained as consumption of non-food items can prove to be dangerous for the foetus. It is important to consult the doctor if the urge arises.Hence eat healthy, be healthy during and after pregnancy as your little infant thrives on your diet for a healthy living.

Mineral and vitamin supplements:
A large number of pregnant women suffer from varying degrees of anemia so additional iron supplementation is provided by pills. Also tablets of Folic acid (a vitamin necessary to prevent certain spinal disorders in the growing baby) along with Calcium are generally prescribed by the health care providers.
Pregnancy and weight:
Most women gain between 10 -12.5kgs (22 - 28lbs). Weight gain varies a great deal and depends on your weight before pregnancy. Weight gain significantly more or less than the average could be an indicator of a problem, so you must monitor your weight gain carefully. Also if you weigh more than 100kg or under 50kg your health care provider may have special advise for you.

Smoking during pregnancy:
Try to stop. When you smoke, carbon monoxide and nicotine passes into your lungs and blood stream. This means that: a) your baby gets less oxygen and cannot grow as well as it should, and b) the nicotine makes your baby's heart beat faster. Constantly breathing in other people's smoke may also have a harmful effect.Babies of mothers who smoke are, on average, 200g (about 8 oz) lighter than other babies. These babies may have problems during and after labour and are more prone to infection; it will be better for your baby later too if you stop smoking. Children whose parents smoke are more likely to suffer from illnesses such as asthma; and there is an increased risk of cot death.

Alcohol:
It has now been shown that even small amounts of alcohol can be harmful to your baby. Alcohol has adverse effects on the baby's development and can produce a lot of anomalies generally termed as 'Fetal Alcohol Syndrome'. So to be safe avoid alcohol totally during your pregnancy.

Pills medicines and other drugs:
You should be very careful while taking any kind of medication, specially in the earlier part of the pregnancy. Majority of drugs have some effects on the growing fetus and the first three months are crucial. You would be better off asking your doctor about any medications you want to take. Make sure your doctor or dentist knows you're pregnant before prescribing anything or giving you treatment. At the same time it is important to remember that if you on treatment for some chronic conditions like epilepsy or diabetes you consult your doctor and continue your medications because control of such conditions is vitally important for you as well as the pregnancy.

Regular check-ups:
The key to protecting the health of your baby is to get regular Prenatalcare. Getting Prenatal care as soon as you know you are pregnant (or, if possible, before you conceive) and seeing your health care provider regularly as your pregnancy progresses are vital to you and your baby's health.You should have your first examination during the first 6–8 weeks of your pregnancy, where your doctor will figure out how many weeks pregnant you are based on a physical examination and the date of your last period.If you are healthy and there are no complicating risk factors, you can expect to see your healthcare provider
Every 4 weeks until the 28th week of pregnancy.
Every 2 weeks until 36 weeks.

Once a week until delivery:
Throughout your pregnancy, your healthcare provider will check your weight and blood pressure while also checking the growth and development of your baby. During the span of your pregnancy, you will also have Prenatal tests, including blood, urine and cervical tests, and probably at least one Ultrasound.

Exercise regularly:
A good exercise program can give you the strength and endurance you will need to carry the weight you gain during pregnancy and to handle the physical stress of labor. It will also make it much easier to get back into shape after your baby is born. Exercise can boost your spirits and help ward off the pregnancy blues. If you are used to taking exercise in the form of a sport, you can continue with this as long as it feels comfortable for you, unless your particular sport carries a risk of falls or knocks.

Avoid self-medication:
Refrain from taking medication of any kind like antibiotics, anti-inflammatory, or steroids, without consulting the doctor, because they can harm the unborn baby.
Psychological care:
A pregnant lady should be emotionally stable in all circumstances. She should not react immediately to the minor household or health problems. Too much of anxiety regarding the arrival of the child should be avoided.At last one can say that a pregnancy which goes through the usual span of 280 days needs thorough observation and advise of the doctor. Physical as well as psychological care is required to avoid various discomforts and complications.
Free yourselves from stress:
Pregnancy is a stressful time for many women. You may be feeling happy, sad and scared — all at the same time. Very high levels of stress may contribute to preterm birth or Low-birth Weight babies. Hence, you should try to learn how to cope with it.You can reduce your stress by
Eating regularly and nutritiously and drinking lots of water.
Resting when you can—and when your body needs it.
Exercising (with your doctor’s consent).
Relaxing by meditating, listening to music or yoga.
Staying away from stressful situations, when possible.
Talking—to your partner, friends, relatives and health care professionals.
Going to all your Prenatal care appointments
Rest:
Most women find it hard to feel comfortable as their pregnancy progresses. It is alright to sleep in any comfortable position except on the belly.Try to rest as much as possible. You may often feel very tired, particularly in the first and third trimesters. Sense of wellbeing will be there between 3rd and 8th month. Even if you cannot sleep during the day, put your feet up whenever you can. Most important is positive outlook and involvement of spouse. Husband should be empathetic, supportive and proactive. After all you are the blessed one with pregnancy, which is elusive to 30% of couples
What should I be careful about?
Avoid activities that increase your risk of falls or injury, such as contact sports or vigorous sports.
After the first 3 months of pregnancy, it is best to avoid exercising while lying on your back, since the weight of the baby may interfere with blood circulation.
Also avoid long periods of standing
Food guide for pregnant women:
The biggest myth that surrounds the food habits of a pregnant woman is that she needs to eat for two! You don’t need to eat for two people. Just ensure that you, the mother have a good diet which provides good nutrition for two individuals. The growing baby gets all its nourishment from its mother through the umbilical cord. If the mother is lacking in any vitamins and nutrients her baby might lack them too.
Essential diet:
A well-balanced diet should contain all the food groups: dairy products, fruit, vegetables, fish, meat, eggs, fat and carbohydrates. A pregnant woman needs to eat something from all these food groups every day in order to get the proper amounts of energy.
Approximately 10 per cent of calories should come from protein. Protein is mainly found in meat, fish, eggs, dairy products and beans.
Approximately 35 per cent of calories should come from fat, which is mainly found in butter, oils, margarine, dairy products and nuts.
Approximately 55 per cent of calories should come from carbohydrates, which are found in bread, pasta, potatoes, rice, corn and other grain products.