Tips for a Healthy Pregnancy

Being pregnant is one of the most anticipated events in a woman’s life. During this stage, the woman should start to think not only of herself but of the baby she is carrying in her womb as well. It is also during this time that the woman’s body becomes very delicate. If you are expecting a baby, you should understand that there are things you used to do that you cannot do anymore now that you are pregnant. There are many cases that women miscarry or give birth to sickly babies simply because they failed to do the things every woman should do during the nine months of her pregnancy. One of these things is living a healthy lifestyle. If you desire to have a healthy pregnancy, then you should give up unhealthy habits such as smoking and drinking.

One of the first things you should be doing once you find out that you are pregnant is to have a medical checkup. Set an appointment with a good OB gynecologist and make sure not to miss your monthly visits. A good doctor should check you and your baby’s health condition, and provide you with tips of what and what not to do while you are pregnant. Most of the time, you will be given a list of vitamins that you are to take the whole nine months of your pregnancy to ensure your health and health of your baby. Take note of these vitamins and make sure you take them on a regular basis because they are essential not only for your health but for your baby’s development. According to experts, a pregnant woman should have a varied diet that includes foods rich in protein, vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, and fat. To ensure your baby’s health, make sure your multivitamins include folic acid/folate, iron, vitamin A, vitamin B1 or thiamine, vitamin C, D, and E.

Aside from a having healthy diet, pregnant women should also take vaccines especially those that help prepare her for giving birth. Such vaccines include the ones for Tetanus, Hepatitis B, and Influenza. These vaccines are considered safe and should have no harmful effect to the baby at all. However, pregnant women are advised to avoid vaccines for Hepatitis A, Varicella, Measles, Pneumococcal Mumps, Rubella (MMR), Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) and Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV) because they can be potentially transmitted to the baby and may result to birth defects or miscarriage.

Regular physical activity is also advised to women who are pregnant. Not only does exercise help boost the immune system but it also helps ease swellings in body parts such as the lower back and the legs which are commonly affected by your weight during your pregnancy. Since pregnancy is not the right time for weight loss exercise, focus instead on light to moderate exercises such as walking, stretching, and even swimming. These are considered safe exercises and should help improve your cardiovascular health and eliminate stress as well. Meanwhile, avoid high-risk physical activities that involve running and jumping as these forms of exercises can increase the risk for miscarriage.

During your pregnancy stages, it’s normal to experience mood swings as a result of fluctuating hormones. However, you should understand that negative emotions such as depression can affect your baby’s mental development. Too much feelings of stress also carry the same effect to your unborn child. Therefore, see to it that you maintain not just your physical health but your emotional and mental health as well. How do you do that? Surround yourself with people who will understand you and support you during the nine months of your pregnancy. In addition, get as much needed sleep, rest, and exercise to combat stress.

While it can be very exciting, being pregnant can also be risky, that’s why you need all the information you can get to have a healthy pregnancy. However, you should also be careful as from whom you get your information. As much as possible, listen only to experienced professionals, because while there are sincere people who would want to help you, only your personal OB gynecologist should have the final say.

Bed Rest during Pregnancy

Every pregnancy is unique, just as each woman and each baby is unique. Some women breeze through their pregnancy without feeling a thing while others are forced to take a leave off work for some time during pregnancy. If you have just learned you are pregnant, you might be worrying if you would wind up like the former, who can continue with just about any task that any non-pregnant colleague can do, including heavy tasks, or if you would have to stay out of commission for several months. This might be a very difficult thing to imagine for someone who has led an active lifestyle, although of course, no price is too high to pay for keeping the baby safe. 

Before you jump to conclusions, though, what are the factors that result in a lady’s being required to undergo bed rest during any trimester of pregnancy? 

1. The trimester of pregnancy that a lady is in has a lot to do with the possibility of being required bed rest. Doctors will tell you that the most crucial time is the first trimester, when miscarriage is most possible. The second trimester is considered the most stable, and this is the time that most women who may even have undergone bed rest during the first three months, are allowed to get up on their feet again. Meanwhile, the last trimester, should there be any high risk detected by doctors, are watched carefully in order to prevent the possibility of premature birth.

2. Some women have symptoms so severe that they feel confined to bed even without the doctor’s orders. For example, extreme nausea might keep a lady in bed for most of the day. This typically occurs during the first trimester, but is usually no cause for alarm. As each lady is unique, her reaction to hormones will be entirely different from her friend. If you happen to experience severe nausea or dizziness and are worried if anything is wrong, feel free to consult your obstetrician. Typically, though, as long as there is no spotting or bleeding, it should be fine.

3. Meanwhile, bleeding is the most visible symptom that calls doctors to require bed rest. This may manifest in spotting that ranges from light to heavy. Light spotting typically does not require strict bed rest, although the obstetrician would likely prescribe medication. Some ladies experience spotting that resembles their period, but if the pregnancy test says they are pregnant, they need to have themselves checked by the doctor immediately. If the spotting continues or increases, she will likely prescribe bed rest. An ultrasound may reveal the location of the bleeding, too, and the closer it is to the implanted fetus, the higher the risk involved, and the greater the chances that the doctor will require bed rest.

4. Lifestyle may be part of what determines whether the doctor will implement bed rest. For example, if the lady mainly stays at home and does not necessarily undergo heavy activities during the day, the doctor might not be too worried as to specify bed rest. But if the woman happens to be physically active in terms of her job or overall lifestyle, the doctor might feel it necessary to require strict bed rest.
Overall, being required to undergo bed rest during pregnancy might feel like a bad thing, but in reality, it may be viewed positively. For example, instead of worrying about the risk of losing the baby that required the bed rest, perhaps you can view it as a time when you can take a rest from your busy life and reflect on things. It might also be a good time to catch up on things you might never have had the chance to do, such as reading a good book or watching a favourite movie. For some, it is also a good time to bond with the unborn baby, as the mommy-to-be gets to talk to him or her as they are left at home all alone.