Tips for Staying Healthy While You Are Pregnant

Pregnancy can be unsettling if you have never been pregnant before. You may not know what you need to do to stay healthy during this time. Follow these tips to stay healthy and safe during your pregnancy.

Educate Yourself

Being pregnant does not have to be scary if you know what to expect. It is a good idea to read some books about pregnancy or take advantage of the pregnancy education classes offered by clinics or hospitals in your area. This will take a lot of the mystery out of your situation and help you to feel at ease.

Adopt a Healthy Diet

Eating healthy foods is one of the best things you can do for your baby and yourself. Concentrate on eating lots of colorful vegetables and fruits, dairy foods and whole grains. Try to have most of your diet be whole foods rather than highly processed foods. Don’t eat too many sweets or drink sugary drinks. Stay away from caffeine.

Drink Lots of Water

You need more water than usual when you are pregnant. The volume of your blood increases up to 50% when you are pregnant to supply your baby with nutrients and oxygen. Try to drink at least 8 cups of water every day. If you don’t like plain water, squeeze in a slice of lemon or lime or mix in a little fruit juice.

Don’t Forget To Exercise

Don’t stop exercising when you get pregnant. Moderate exercise will not hurt the baby, and it will help you to stay healthy and fit throughout your pregnancy. Exercise can reduce stress, improve your mood and help you to sleep better. Check with your doctor to make sure the activity you plan on doing will be safe, but in most cases, it will be fine.

Get Enough Sleep

Your body is doing extra work during pregnancy to grow your baby. You need plenty of sleep to keep your body at its optimum health. Try to get 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night. Adequate sleep will help you to be less stressed and better able to cope with life.

Take a Prenatal Vitamin

To make sure that both you and your baby get all the nutrients you both need, take a prenatal vitamin every day. Calcium, iron and folic acid are especially important.

Connect With Friends

Pregnancy can be an emotional time. It is important to have people you can talk to in order to stay on an even keel. If you are in a new area and don’t have a lot of friends nearby, join some prenatal classes to meet other pregnant women. You can support each other during your pregnancies and later when you become mothers, too.

Get Regular Prenatal Care

Find a health care provider and attend regular prenatal checkups. Your doctor or nurse practitioner will make sure that you are doing the right things to stay healthy and keep your baby healthy, too.

Follow these tips to stay healthy, and your pregnancy will be as easy as possible on your physical and mental health.