Healthy pregnancy for you and the baby

Pregnancy is a life-changing process for both body and mind. Therefore, it is very crucial to take proper care of your physical and mental health. Here are some key aspects to keep in mind.


Eating: For a healthy pregnancy

During pregnancy, women are recommended to include a variety of foods in their daily diet to fulfill all their nutrient needs. Daily serving should include 2-4 servings of fruits, four or more servings of vegetables, 2 1/2 servings of dairy products, 6 -11 servings of slices of bread, cereals, and grains, and 3 servings of protein including lean meats, nuts, and legumes. 

Significant nutrients can include-

1. Calcium for bones and teeth and its sources can be milk, cheese, yogurt, etc.
2. Iron helps red blood cells to supply oxygen to the baby and the sources include lean red meat, beans, peas, fish, etc.
3. Protein for proper growth and development of the foetus, which sources include lean meat, cooked eggs, beans, nuts, etc.

The food to avoid during pregnancy is –

1. Huge amounts of high mercury fish such as king mackerel, marlin, etc, due to its toxicity.
2. Undercooked or raw fish, meat, and eggs to avoid infections such as norovirus, salmonella, etc.
3. Caffeine in high amounts to avoid restricting the baby’s growth.
4. Alcohol to reduce risks of miscarriage and stillbirth and smoking to reduce birth defects, preterm birth, and sudden infant death syndrome. (SIDS)
   

Exercises in pregnancy: To stay fit and in shape

It is important for pregnant women to include exercise in their routine to improve heart health, and posture and reduce backache, swelling, and fatigue.

The perfect exercise choices can be –

1. Walking to relieve back pain, for strong back and muscle, maintain a healthy weight.
2. Aerobic exercise and activities such as riding a stationary bike, running, and jogging to improve muscle strength and physical fitness.
3. Water-based exercises like aqua aerobics to relieve the sour muscles and for relaxation.
4. Strength and flexibility exercises like yoga and Pilates to reduce stress, and anxiety and strengthen pelvic muscles.

Mental health during the pregnancy

Pregnancy can bring many different feelings and emotions in a woman- Happiness, joy, excitement, fear, uncertainty, and nervousness. It is important to manage the negative emotions in a proper manner for a healthy pregnancy. To achieve this, they can share with their partners their dreams and hopes, talk about relationship changes and can take birth classes, and read books together to prepare for the new arrival. Women can also focus on their diet, do some exercises, do yoga, and focus on their hobbies to relieve stress and anxiety. This will lead to improvement in mental health and healthy all-round growth of the baby in the newborn in the womb.