What are the 10 best Tips for a Healthy Pregnancy?

10 Tips for a Healthy Pregnancy

• Eat a balanced diet:  A pregnancy diet isn’t about losing weight. In fact, cutting calories while pregnant can harm your fetus. Instead, it’s about incorporating the right kinds of foods into your regular diet and knowing which ones to avoid.

  There’s no specific meal plan you need to follow exactly. A healthy pregnancy diet is all about balance. Aim to get the right amounts of protein, carbohydrates, minerals, and vitamins from these four main food groups:

  • Fruit and Vegetables
  • Starchy Foods
  • Protein-Rich Foods
  • Dairy or Dairy Alternatives
  • Include a variety of foods such as breads, cereals, rice, fruits, vegetables, dairy products, meat, fish, eggs, and pulses.

• Avoid Certain Foods:  Knowing which foods to avoid during pregnancy is just as crucial as getting the right balance of nutrients. Some foods can increase the risk of food poisoning, while others contain toxins that should be avoided. Food poisoning can be harmful to both you and your baby. Therefore, it’s essential to be mindful of your diet, take extra care with food preparation, and avoid foods that carry a risk of listeriosis, a type of food poisoning.

  Avoid foods like soft cheeses, pâté, soft-boiled eggs, liver and liver-based foods, and undercooked meat.

• Take Folic Acid:  Folic acid is crucial when planning a pregnancy and during pregnancy because it supports the development of your baby’s nervous system. Folic acid is the synthetic form of folate, a B vitamin found in certain foods. It can also be taken as a supplement. Folic acid aids in the growth of your baby’s neural tube, which is the foundation of the brain and spine. Proper growth of the neural tube is essential to prevent conditions like spina bifida and other neural tube defects.

  When to Start Taking Folic Acid

  • Before Pregnancy: Begin taking a folic acid supplement at least 3 months before you plan to conceive. This allows folic acid levels to build up and provide full protection.
  • During Pregnancy: If you are already pregnant, start taking folic acid as soon as possible and continue until the 12th week of pregnancy. By this time, the neural tube has fully developed, so taking folic acid beyond this point won’t aid in its development. However, continuing with a pregnancy multivitamin that includes folic acid is not harmful.

  If You Missed Taking Folic Acid

  If you are past 12 weeks and didn’t know to take folic acid, try not to worry. The risk of your baby having a neural tube defect is still very small.

  Also, consume folic acid-rich foods like broccoli, spinach, avocado, Brussels sprouts, granary bread, and marmite.

• Stop Smoking: Protecting your baby from tobacco smoke is one of the best things you can do to give your child a healthy start in life. It can be difficult to stop smoking, but it's never too late to quit.Every cigarette you smoke contains over 4,000 chemicals, many of which are dangerous, so smoking when you are pregnant harms your unborn baby. Cigarettes can restrict the essential oxygen supply to your baby. As a result, their heart must beat harder every time you smoke. Stopping smoking will help both you and your baby immediately. Harmful gases, such as carbon monoxide, and other damaging chemicals will clear from your body. When you stop smoking you will reduce the risk of complications in pregnancy and birth.

  You are more likely to have a healthier pregnancy and a healthier baby.

  You will reduce the risk of stillbirth. Your baby is less likely to be born too early and have to face the breathing, feeding and health problems that often go with being premature.

  Your baby is less likely to be born with a low birth weight. Babies of smokers are, on average, lighter than other babies, which can cause problems during and after labour. For example, they are more likely to have problems keeping warm and are more likely to get infections

  You will reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), also known as "cot death"

  Stopping smoking now will also help your baby later in life. Children whose parents smoke are more likely to suffer from asthma and other serious illnesses that may need hospital treatment.

  The sooner you stop smoking, the better. But even if you stop in the last few weeks of your pregnancy this will benefit you and your baby. 

• Avoid Alcohol: If you’re pregnant or planning to become pregnant, it’s best to avoid alcohol to minimize any risk to your baby. Drinking during pregnancy can cause long-term harm, with greater risks the more you drink.

  Alcohol passes from your blood through the placenta to your baby, affecting its development. Since your baby’s liver isn’t fully developed, it can’t process alcohol.

  Drinking during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage, premature birth, and low birth weight. It can also lead to fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), which can cause:

  • Learning and behavior issues
  • Problems with joints, bones, muscles, and some organs
  • Difficulty managing emotions and developing social skills
  • Hyperactivity and impulse control issues
  • Communication problems, such as speech difficulties

  The more you drink, the higher the risk. 

• Avoid Over-the-Counter Medicines: Consult your midwife or doctor before taking any medications. 

  If you’re pregnant or trying to get pregnant:

  • Don’t take OTC medicines without talking to your doctor first. This includes medicines to treat cough, cold, diarrhea, constipation, or nausea.
  • Avoid taking OTC medicines during your first trimester (first 12 to 13 weeks of pregnancy). This is when the risk to your baby is highest.
  • In general, avoid taking aspirin unless your doctor tells you to take it.
  • Avoid taking NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), especially during the third trimester. They can cause heart defects in your baby. Examples of NSAIDs are ibuprofen (brand names: Advil, Motrin) and naproxen (brand name: Aleve).
  • Acetaminophen (brand name: Tylenol) is safe for short-term pain relief during pregnancy.
  • Avoid combination medicines that treat several symptoms at once. You don’t want to expose your baby to too many medicines. If your doctor says it’s safe, use 1 medicine to treat 1 symptom. For example, you might use acetaminophen for a headache. But don’t use acetaminophen combined with other active ingredients, such as decongestants or antihistamines.

• Take Time to Relax: Rest whenever possible, especially in the later months of pregnancy. While pregnancy is a time filled with joy, love, and wonder, it can also bring discomfort, worry, and stress for many moms-to-be. Balancing everyday life with pregnancy and concerns about your unborn baby’s health can feel overwhelming. When stress levels are high, it can be hard to remember how to relax. That’s why you’re here, looking for ways to unwind during pregnancy. Relaxation is crucial for your emotional well-being and your baby’s health. Studies have linked chronic stress to low birth weight, preterm labor, and behavior disorders later in life. 

• Exercise Regularly: Staying active and fit during pregnancy helps you adapt to your changing body and weight gain, and it can also make labor easier. Continue your usual daily physical activities or exercises, such as sports, running, yoga, dancing, or even walking to the shops, as long as you feel comfortable. Exercise is safe for your baby, and active women are less likely to experience problems later in pregnancy and labor.

  Exercise Tips for Pregnancy

  • Don’t Exhaust Yourself: You may need to slow down as your pregnancy progresses or if advised by your maternity team. If in doubt, consult them.
  • Talk Test: You should be able to hold a conversation while exercising. If you become breathless, you’re probably overdoing it.
  • Start Slowly: If you weren’t active before pregnancy, don’t suddenly take up strenuous exercise. Inform your instructor if you start an aerobic exercise program.
  • Moderation is Key: Exercise doesn’t have to be strenuous to be beneficial.

  Practical Exercise Tips

  • Warm Up and Cool Down: Always warm up before exercising and cool down afterward.
  • Stay Active Daily: Aim for 30 minutes of walking each day. If that’s not possible, any amount of activity is better than none.
  • Avoid Strenuous Exercise in Hot Weather
  • Stay Hydrated: Drink plenty of water and other fluids.
  • Qualified Instructors: Ensure your exercise class instructor is qualified and knows you’re pregnant and how many weeks along you are.
  • Swimming: Swimming is great because the water supports your increased weight. Look for aqua-natal classes at local pools.
  • Risky Activities: Be cautious with activities that have a risk of falling, such as horse riding, downhill skiing, ice hockey, gymnastics, and cycling, as falls can harm your baby.

   

• Attend Antenatal Appointments and Classes: Antenatal care is the care you get from health professionals during your pregnancy. It's sometimes called pregnancy care or maternity care. You'll be offered appointments with a midwife, or sometimes a doctor who specialises in pregnancy and birth (an obstetrician).

  You should start your antenatal care as soon as possible once you know you're pregnant. You can do this by contacting a midwife or GP, or referring yourself directly to maternity services near you. This is usually done by filling in an online form on your local hospital or NHS trust website.

  What is antenatal care?

  This is the care you receive while you're pregnant to make sure you and your baby are as well as possible. The midwife or doctor providing your antenatal care will:

  • Check the health of you and your baby
  • Give you useful information to help you have a healthy pregnancy, including advice about healthy eating and exercise
  • Discuss your options and choices for your care during pregnancy, labour and birth
  • Answer any questions you may have

  If you’re pregnant in England you will be offered:

  • 2 pregnancy ultrasounds scan at 11 to 14 weeks and 18 to 21 weeks
  • Antenatal screening tests to find out the chance of your baby having certain conditions, such as Down's syndrome
  • Blood tests to check for syphilis, HIV and hepatitis B
  • Screening for sickle cell and thalassaemia

  As soon as you find out you’re pregnant, you can book an appointment with your GP or directly with a midwife. You might also be advised to refer yourself to your local maternity service for your first appointment.