Guidelines to a Healthy Pregnancy

February 1st, 2022 | Pregnancy

Follow these tips for a healthy pregnancy

Pregnancy is truly a marvel of nature. This period gives us the gift of life. It’s an incredible, life-turning event for any woman and her family. But, pregnancy is a complex time for any woman. Nurturing and carrying another human being inside your body is no small feat. You have to follow a lot of rules for a healthy pregnancy and a safe delivery. A lot of things like a good diet, exercise, and prevention help with pregnancy. You have to apply all of them for a safe pregnancy.

Ultrasound

Ultrasounds are important during pregnancy. This tool is used to periodically monitor the baby. Its development can be easily seen through an ultrasound.

An abdominal ultrasound is necessary for the first trimester. A gel is applied to the pregnant woman’s abdomen, and a transducer glides over it and slides smoothly due to the gel. It uses sound waves of very high frequency that result in an image on a computer. Professionals call this image a sonogram. This ultrasound may also use a probe in early pregnancy. You can easily get an early pregnancy scan very conveniently.

Ultrasounds find the gestation age of the fetus. It also helps you evaluate the risks related to your pregnancy. Most of these early ultrasounds don’t show a heartbeat for the fetus, but this is very common, as the heart doesn’t start developing until later. The most common use of abdominal ultrasound is to find when your last period was and the due date. You may need a full bladder for an ultrasound.

Ultrasounds are the first step for a healthy pregnancy. The more you know about it, the better you can handle it.

Healthy Diet

A healthy diet is key for a safe pregnancy. You aren’t only eating for yourself, but for your baby too. So, you have to keep that in mind while eating anything during this period. You can only eat food that keeps your fetus healthy. You also have to make sure the baby is getting all the major nutrients. So, eating in pregnancy is a tightrope. With our guidance, you can tread easily.

You need to eat a lot when you are pregnant. The food shouldn’t be of only one kind. You need to eat every type of food to make sure the fetus is getting every essential nutrient. A healthy diet based on all the following food groups is very important.

1. Fruits;
2. Vegetables;
3. Protein foods: meat products, fish, and poultry;
4. Grains (bread and wheat);
5. Dairy (milk and yogurt)

You should eat food from all these groups throughout your pregnancy. Just by eating different types of food, your fetus will get the key nutrients it needs from carbohydrates to proteins. So eat a lot and eat from these 5 groups. They have everything the fetus requires to fulfill its every nutritional need.

You also need to properly clean everything before eating. This prevents any kind of toxins from entering your body. Washing fruits and vegetables washes away any dirt. Uncooked food should be stored separately to prevent food poisoning. Utensils and every kind of kitchenware should be regularly washed.

Women also need to drink a lot of water during pregnancy. 8-12 glasses of water should be taken up daily. So, a healthy diet is indispensable in a safe pregnancy. You are nourishing another human inside of you. Hence, you need to eat a lot and eat healthily. If you follow our guidelines, that isn’t very difficult.

Exercise

You might think another human being inside of you is a good excuse to skip a workout, but it isn’t. Exercise is essential during pregnancy. Regular exercise keeps the body healthy and strong. It is also key in preparing your body for childbirth, so it has a lot of benefits. You need to know what exercises will have a positive effect on your body.

Some strengthening exercises are beneficial for the body. Exercises like yoga can relax you and can help with the pain. They also strengthen your body for childbirth. Pilates is also a great exercise you can do.

Cardio exercises are also recommended during pregnancy. Exercises like swimming and cycling are good for fitness. Your cardiorespiratory fitness will also improve a lot. These exercises prevent you from gaining extra weight, which is a huge problem when pregnant. Some stomach-strengthening exercises will also help you with back pain.

You should also avoid some exercises. Physical activities like contact sports and horse riding are dangerous, so there is no need to do these. If you feel pain in doing any exercise, stop doing it. There is no need to exercise excessively. Just some light exercise every day is enough. Too much can exhaust you, so 3-4 hours a week is good. Following these exercise guidelines is enough for a healthy pregnant body.

Things To Avoid

Prevention is a huge part of pregnancy. You need to avoid a lot of stuff for a healthy baby. A lot of foods aren’t good for the fetus. So, you need to avoid all of them.

Eating cheeses like brie and camembert can cause listeria. This infection can result in miscarriage and death for the fetus. Soft cheeses are a no for you, so avoid them all. You should also avoid any kind of junk food. They are low in nutrients and only result in weight gain.

Any raw or unprocessed meat product is off the table. If it isn’t properly cooked, you can’t touch it. You can eat animal meat, but in moderate quantities. They contain vitamins that can be bad in large quantities.

Smoking and alcohol are very obviously not something you should take when pregnant. You can drink caffeine during pregnancy. But, they need to be limited to 200 milligrams per day. A cup of instant coffee is 60 mg, so this amount will be enough for you. Energy drinks are also not recommended.

You can eat almost everything except undercooked stuff. Avoiding these foods will result in a healthy body. You can provide for yourself and your fetus without using any of the above-mentioned products. So, there is no need to consume any of these foods and beverages.