Congratulations on your pregnancy! This experience is an exciting time for many ladies, and it’s also filled with a lot of changes. Here are five steps you should take to ensure you have a healthy pregnancy.
In This Article
1. Visit Your Doctor Regularly
In the first few months of pregnancy, you see your doctor monthly. Your first appointment often involves a blood test to confirm the fetus’s viability and check your iron levels. The doctor also keeps tabs on your weight, blood pressure, and how well the baby develops throughout the pregnancy. These appointments are vital for first-time mothers because there is so much to learn about how to take care of yourself to keep your baby healthy. If you don’t have a doctor you see regularly, a free women’s clinic Cicero, IL may be available in your area.
2. Take a Daily Prenatal Vitamin
It is necessary to supplement your diet with folic acid, calcium, and iron from the very beginning of your pregnancy. The baby’s brain and spinal cord are some of the earliest organs that develop. As the fetus grows, nutrients are taken from your body to support this development. If your body is lacking, the baby doesn’t grow as well as it should. These vitamins help you feel better because you have more energy, especially if your iron is low. There are many different types of supplements available for pregnant women: tablets, gummies and liquid vitamins are the most common.
3. Get Exercise Every Day
Keeping your body moving is good for overall health and helps keep off extra weight, decreases stress, improves sleep and also lessens muscle soreness as the baby grows. Gentle exercises such as walking or swimming are great ways of getting a light cardio workout. If your regular routine includes rigorous exercise each day, confirm with your doctor that you can continue this during the early months of pregnancy.
4. Increase Water Intake
Drinking plenty of fluids throughout the day to stay hydrated and to provide proper blood flow to the fetus is another good habit to develop. Your body’s blood volume increases during pregnancy, and it’s vital to keep up with this by drinking 8-10 glasses of water a day minimum. Not only does staying hydrated help support the baby, but it also prevents hemorrhoids, constipation, urinary tract infections, headaches and other pregnancy-related discomforts.
5. Get Plenty of Rest
Your body works hard during pregnancy, so reward it by getting plenty of sleep. It’s necessary to get at least eight hours of rest during this time to ensure your body has enough energy to keep up with the demands of a growing fetus. It’s normal to feel very tired so give in to the urge to sleep as often as possible. Consider taking a nap during lunch breaks at work, resting on the weekends and sleeping earlier than usual.
When you find out you are expecting, there are many things you need to do to care for yourself. Follow these steps to get you started on the right path to a healthy pregnancy.
