HAVING A HEALTHY PREGNANCY DIET

With most of the women today being concerned regarding their weight and shape during pregnancy, the importance of a healthy pregnancy diet has increased considerably. A proper diet is important at any point of life and pregnancy is no different time.  Both you and the baby growing inside you need proper nutrients to sustain themselves at this period of your life.

IMPORTANT POINTS TO REMEMBER

Apart from following the nutrition chart provided by your doctor, there are some key points that need to be remembered while selecting a healthy pregnancy diet.

·         Importance of Folic acid: An appropriate intake of folic acid is important as it helps in decreasing the risk of baby being born with neural tube defects. It also increases the maternal blood volume experienced during pregnancy. Apart from the proper diet, folic acid intake could be bumped up by drinking orange juice and eating citrus fruits.

·         Importance of iron: Iron is helpful in maintaining blood supply to the baby and the placenta. Its intake could be increased by consuming different iron rich foods such as fish, poultry, whole grain bread, and others. However, during pregnancy, fish should not be eaten more than twice a week.

·         Importance of Calcium and vitamin D: It is important that an expecting mother gets at least 1000-1300 mg of calcium and 200IU of vitamin D per day. This is needed by the unborn child to develop healthy bones and teeth. This can be obtained through milk, cheese, yoghurt, dried beans, and other dairy products.

 DIET RECOMMENDATIONS

At the time of pregnancy, food and drinks are the main source of nutrients for the unborn child. This increases the importance of your nutrition decisions. While deciding on the same, remember the following healthy pregnancy diet recommendations:

·         Eat 4-5 small meals throughout the day instead of eating heavy meals 3 times per day. This helps in preventing constipation, morning sickness, and heart burn. Smaller meals keep the digestive tract working apart from bringing more energy than the conventional large meals.

·         You should not overlook any type of vitamin as your child needs all nutrients from your foods.

·         There is a lot of importance placed on the intake of proteins as it is needed by the baby for appropriate cell growth and blood production.

·         Alcohol should be avoided at all costs along with caffeine as studies have shown that it increases the risk of miscarriage. 

·         A pregnant woman should avoid eating anything raw as they may carry some food born bacteria that may harm your baby.

·         In case of fruits, it is better to follow the rule that lesser the food is processed, the more nutritious it will be. Thus, raw apple slices acts as more beneficial to the expecting mother than a glass of juice or canned fruit.

·         Although a pregnant woman should avoid fried foods and other fatty products, there are some healthy fats that can be consumed by her. These include olives, a pat of butter, olive oil, and avocado. Consuming these will help you in reducing the stretch marks and also improve the skin tone.

·         It is a much better option if the expecting mother consumes as much green leafy vegetables as she can.  These include green beans, asparagus, spinach, broccoli, and various others. However, iceberg lettuce should be avoided at all costs as it may cause an adverse effect during pregnancy.

Thus, it is important to give your baby a healthy start by consuming a healthy pregnancy diet. Take time to learn about the facts that can affect the nutrition of the baby as it can have a huge impact on you and your baby’s life.

Summary

An expecting mother has to follow a healthy pregnancy diet to ensure the heath of both her own body as well as her unborn child.

EXERCISING DURING FIRST TRIMESTER OF PREGNANCY

It is highly important for an expecting mother to maintain a proper routine throughout the first trimester of pregnancy. This time of the pregnancy sees a number of changes occurring in your body. However, this hardly stops you from doing your regular exercises. If you reduce the pace of your exercise routine, you can continue as before.

SOME ADVISABLE EXERCISES

Aerobics: This is one of the most obvious forms of pregnancy exercises. This is because they help you in increasing your heart rate and breathing, simultaneously increasing your intake of oxygen. This helps in blood circulation of the fetus and eases labor pains to some extent while reducing the discomfort caused due to delivery.  This also addresses the problem of weight gain during your pregnancy.

·         Yoga: Yogic asanas are increasingly becoming popular with pregnant women. A few stretching and breathing exercises helps you in keeping yourself bright and energetic throughout the day. Some of the common asanas that can be tried by pregnant women during their first trimester of pregnancy include butterfly asana, poses, stretches, and various others.

·         Walking: One of the easiest and effective exercises that can be done even when you are approaching your delivery date is walking. However, proper walking shoes need to be worn to avoid any adverse effect on the baby. You should avoid going out on a hot or humid day as it will only result in exhausting you completely. Taking brisk walks for long stretches and resting whenever required provides a fresh and relaxed feel to the whole body.

·         Swimming: It is generally observed that a woman often loses her pre pregnancy figure after delivery of the baby. One of the best exercises that can be undertaken to keep this at the minimum is swimming. It helps you in stretching and straining all muscles during pregnancy while also relieving you of the various joint aches. Spending as much time swimming as possible, will help you in getting back your perfect body soon after the delivery.

PREGNANCY DIET

Apart from regularly exercising, you also have to follow a healthy and well balanced diet to ensure the health of the baby at birth.

·         Generally, one is required to consume according to the food pyramid, that is fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, and 3-4 cups of skimmed milk or milk products.

·         In case you are lactose intolerant, it is better to talk to a doctor to know about the various milk alternatives available.

·         Depending upon your medical history, if you are vulnerable to problems like eating disorders, overweight, underweight, or any other problem, you are advised to take more care about the type of foods you are consuming.

·         Instead of consuming conventional three meals a day, it is better if you start consuming 5-6 meals per day. This helps you in keeping energized for the whole day.

CONCLUSION
James F. Clapp III is one of the world’s most famous researchers in the area of pregnancy exercises who completed his research in early 1990’s. According to his study, exercising during pregnancy shortens the time spent in labor by almost thirty three percent. What is more noteworthy is that mothers who exercised throughout the pregnancy course delivered a healthier baby with a stronger fetal heart rate. Thus, regular exercising not only during the first trimester of pregnancy, but throughout the course ensures a healthier baby, an easier delivery, and in addition, helps you in losing the weight gained during the pregnancy much more quickly after the birth of the baby. For centuries, women have been active during their pregnancies, and you can do the same too…..

Summary

Regular exercising and a balanced diet during the first trimester of pregnancy keeps the various morning sickness symptoms at bay.

RECOGNIZING THE FIRST STAGES OF PREGNANCY

Finding out that you are pregnant is one of the most exciting times of a woman’s life. However, there are no two pregnancies of the world that are similar. Each differs widely from each other from woman to woman. When a woman starts expecting or is pregnant, there are different signs and symptoms that she will experience.  However, in case she does not know about her pregnancy, these are sometimes mistaken for other conditions or problems. Thus, one must be aware of the signs and symptoms to recognize the first stages of pregnancy.

SIGNS OF PREGNANCY

Though the pregnancy signs are different in each women depending upon her body, there are some common signs widely diagnosed among a majority of expecting mothers. These can be illustrated as follows:

Implantation Bleeding: Considered to be the earliest sign of pregnancy, this occurs generally after 6-12 days of conception. Many confuse it with their regular menstrual cycle as this is often accompanied by cramps too.

Missed/Delayed Menstruation: One of the most recognized symptom, missing one’s periods often indicates to a woman her pregnant status. 

Fainting: As the uterus expands, it can exert pressure on the arteries of your legs. This causes many women to faint. However, instead of taking this lightly, one should consult a doctor as it can also be a result of high blood pressure which causes serious repercussions in case of pregnancy.

Excessive Urination: Caused by the pressure exerted by the growing baby on the bladder, this symptom usually occurs after 6-8 weeks of conception.

Heartburn: As the uterus pushes into the other organs, the expecting mother may experience digestive distress during the course of pregnancy. To avoid this, it is better if you eat small meals during the day and avoid trigger foods as much as possible during the first stages of pregnancy.

Morning Sickness: Considered to be the most bothersome sign of pregnancy, morning sickness includes vomiting and nausea that can persist throughout the day rather than just confining themselves to just the “morning” period.

CARE DURING THE EARLY STAGES

The first stages of pregnancy are a crucial period for both the mother and the baby. It is important to take proper care during this period to ensure the health of both mother and the foetus. Intensive and regular checkups need to be done to ensure a regular monitoring of the pregnant woman’s health. Also, keeping to a nutritious diet and doing regular exercise goes a long way in ensuring the baby’s health. It is always advisable to consult the pharmacist while buying the over- the- counter products for common ailments such as colds, headaches, malaise, and various others, about the effect of the medicines on her pregnancy. Also, it is of common knowledge that a pregnant woman should not drink or smoke as it may cause many kinds of birth complications and defects to the unborn child. This may be particularly difficult for heavy drinkers and smokers, but the baby must always come first.

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CONCLUSION

Thus, at this special time of your life, be sure to take lots of rest and take extra care about the health of your body and unborn child. So, if you are suspecting that you are expecting, be sure to confirm it depending upon the symptoms and take extra precaution during the first stages of pregnancy. Do not be surprised if you experience some strange signs and symptoms. Just consult an experienced physician for confirmation. In addition, take care of yourself and just enjoy your life with your baby. Soon, you will be having him or her in your arms and will help you in forgetting all the difficulties you faced while carrying him or her.

Summary

By recognizing the first stages of pregnancy, an expecting mother is better equipped to take care of her unborn child as well as her own self.

KNOW MORE ABOUT DOING EXERCISE DURING PREGNANCY

KNOW MORE ABOUT DOING EXERCISE DURING PREGNANCY

Though pregnancy is considered to be one of the most beautiful periods of a woman’s life, it is also naturally assumed to be a period of confinement. However, the reality is actually quite different. According to most physicians, a sedentary lifestyle often creates a lot of problems at all times, that is, during pregnancy, during labor, and even post delivery of the baby. Thus, to prevent these complications, a woman should keep on doing exercises during pregnancy, albeit lighter in intensity.

ADVANTAGES OF EXERCISES

Some of the major advantages of doing regular exercises during pregnancy can be illustrated as follows:

·         It helps in avoiding any weight gain of the expecting mother

·         One more advantage of exercising regularly while expecting a baby is that it avoids serious illnesses such as gestational diabetes, and other pregnancy related problems.

·         Exercising helps in keeping the morning sickness symptoms at bay such as vomiting, nausea, bloating, constipation and other related problems.

·         Regular exercising maintains a proper posture of the body which helps in improving the overall muscle strength and endurance of the expecting mother.

·         It also helps in easing the time of labor and makes the delivery time more bearable and easier.

PRECAUTIONS TO BE TAKEN

Although exercising is highly beneficial for pregnant women, there are a variety of changes taking place in the body of an expecting mother that need to be taken care of. Some of the things that actually necessitate these changes are as follows:

The heart beat of a pregnant woman increases by around 15 beats per minute.

Her blood volume increases by almost 40%

The body of the pregnant woman is dealing with the baby fat too, so care has to be taken while doing the exercises.

TOP SIX SAFE EXERCISES 

Some of the safe exercises that can be undertaken by pregnant women without endangering the life of their unborn child can be listed as follows:

1.       Walking: This exercise is one of the most convenient and safest exercises that can be done by all without any special equipment.

2.       Swimming: This exercise provides an excellent way of straining the muscles while keeping your unborn baby safe.

3.       Aerobics: Depending upon the condition of the expecting mother, these aerobic exercises can be tried in varying intensity. However, remember not to do any jumping or anything else that makes you dizzy and feel any kind of pains.

4.       Water Aerobics: these exercises are very highly advised to every pregnant lady in a moderate intensity.

5.       Elliptical Machine: This exercise is highly beneficial for an expecting mother as there is hardly any impact on the unborn child since all the motions involved are body-friendly and smooth.

6.       Stationary bike: This is one of the good non- weight bearing exercises in the market that is quite safe and easy on your body.

Although exercising during pregnancy is highly beneficial for the health of both the mother and the child she is carrying, she should immediately stop in case she experiences any kind of negative signals from her body. These include vaginal bleeding, muscle weakness, dizziness, chest pain, shortness of breath, swelling of calf, headache uterine contraction, or any other untoward symptoms. Also, avoid exercises that can cause any kind of potential harm on the unborn baby such as skiing, horseback riding, rock climbing, and others. Before deciding on any kind of exercise schedule, the expecting mother should consult a physician on their pros and cons.  Listen to your baby while exercising, and if it starts giving any signs for you to slow down, then better slow down.

Summary

Regular exercise during pregnancy helps in keeping both the expecting mother and the unborn child hale and hearty while keeping the different morning sickness symptoms at bay.