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| Pregnancy
Primer: Tips for a Healthy Pregnancy |
| It's
never too early to start to take care of yourself and your future
child. Making healthy choices can help ensure a healthier pregnancy
and a healthier baby. Follow these tips: |
| SAFETY |
| • |
Continue
to wear a seat belt (under your belly) anytime you ride in a motor
vehicle throughout your pregnancy. |
| • |
Avoid
x-rays, hot tubs and saunas. Taking a bath or shower is safe as long
as the water temperature is comfortable for you. Remember, check it
before stepping in. |
| • |
Sex
during pregnancy is safe for most women right up until labor, unless
your health care professional has advised against it. |
| NUTRITION
AND EXERCISE |
| • |
Eat
a balanced diet and take a supplement that contains folic acid. |
| • |
Thoroughly
wash all raw fruits and vegetables before eating them. |
| • |
Eat
only well-cooked meats. Undercooked and raw meats can carry a parasite-borne
infection that can cause miscarriage or brain damage in the fetus.
This infection is also found in cat feces, so wear gloves when changing
the cat litter or have someone else change it for you. Also, wear
gloves when gardening outside, if cats frequent the garden. |
| • |
Drink
six to eight glasses of water daily. |
| • |
Exercise
regularly, with your health care professional's permission, to reduce
backaches, constipation, bloating and swelling. Exercise also will
give you more energy, improve your mood, increase your muscle strength
and endurance and help you sleep. |
| • |
Warm
up before exercising and cool down afterward. |
| • |
Avoid
activities that could cause abdominal trauma. |
| • |
Ask
for instructions for how to do Kegel exercises to help maintain or
regain bladder control weakened by pregnancy. Then, practice. Squeeze
your pelvic-floor muscles; hold for three seconds, then relax for
three seconds. Work up to 10 sets, three times daily. |
| WELLNESS |
| • |
Don't
miss your regular prenatal checkups or recommended tests. |
| • |
Avoid
cigarettes, alcohol and illegal drugs; seek help, if you need it. |
| • |
Don't
use any prescription drug, over-the-counter medicine, herbal supplement
or topical ointment unless your health care professional tells you
it's okay. |
| • |
Get
plenty of rest. |
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Limit
caffeine to one or two cups of coffee, tea or other caffeinated drinks
per day. |
| • |
Eat
smaller meals more often and more slowly and avoid spicy foods to
reduce heartburn. |
| • |
Wear
sunscreen and a hat in the sun. Sunlight can aggravate the development
of darkened skin patches on the face that some women experience during
pregnancy. |
| |
Sources:
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists; National Women's
Health Resource Center; March of Dimes; National Institute of Diabetes
and Digestive and Kidney Diseases; and the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical
Center |
| What You Need in Your Diet |
| While a balanced diet is a key to good health throughout your life, it is even more important during pregnancy. The chart below, from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, shows recommended food servings during pregnancy. |
| DAILY FOOD CHOICES DURING PREGNANCY |
| Food
Group |
Minimun
Daily Servings |
Example
of Single Serving |
| Bread,
Cereal, Rice, Pasta |
9 |
1
slice bread; 1 cup cold cereal; or 1/2 cup cooked cereal, rice
or pasta |
| Vegetables |
4 |
1
cup salad greens, 1/2 cup other cooked vegetables, 1 cup raw
vegetables, or 3/4 cup vegetable juice |
| Fruit |
3 |
1
medium apple, banana or orange, 1/4 cup dried fruit, or 3/4
cup 100% juice |
| Poultry,
Fish, Dry Beans, Meat, Eggs and Nuts |
3 |
2-3
ounces cooked lean poultry, fish or meat; 1/2 cup dry beans,
2 eggs or 2 tbsp peanut butter |
| Milk,
Yogurt and Cheese |
3 |
1
cup milk or yogurt, or 11/2 oz low-fat cheese |
|
| NUTRIENTS YOU ALSO MAY NEED |
| Extra
iron, vitamins B6 and B12 and calcium are especially
important during pregnancy. Folic acid (600 mcg/day) is also recommended
to help prevent spina bifida and other birth defects. Dark leafy greens,
vegetables, whole-grain breads, cereals, citrus fruits, juices, dried
peas and beans all contain folic acid. |
|
| Think You Might Be Pregnant? |
| For most women the first signs of pregnancy typically include: |
| • |
Skipped periods
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Fatigue
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Swollen or tender breasts
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Urinating
more frequently |
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Nausea
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| ABOUT HOME PREGNANCY TESTS
|
| Home pregnancy tests are easy to use and provide
accurate results in two to five minutes, as early as the first day of a missed period. These urine tests detect the presence of human chorionic
gonadotropin (hCG), a hormone produced only
during pregnancy. If the hormone is present, a colored stripe, dot or other symbol appears in the test window.
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| If you suspect you're pregnant or if pregnancy
symptoms persist despite a negative result, see your health care professional as soon as possible.
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Source:
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
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