Your health is vitally important before, during, and after your pregnancy. This isn’t as easy as you think. Stress helps you retain fat, as does sleep loss. You may be so busy you can’t think of cooking or working out. It’s a good idea to add healthy lifestyle changes before, during and after your pregnancy to stay healthy and keep your weight on an even keel. Fortunately, these changes will be of benefit to both you and the baby.
Try exercise classes that are designed for pregnant women. Staying active is very important during pregnancy but it is also important that you exercise safely. Going to a class that is specifically created for pregnancy means that you will gain all the benefits of the exercise without doing any damage to your growing baby.
Drinking plenty of water is always a healthy choice and is essential during pregnancy. Many women experience dehydration which results in constipation and other difficulties related to it during pregnancy. So, make it your aim to drink forty-eight to sixty-four ounces per day and ward off the bad effects of dehydration.
Pregnant women want to do everything they can to keep their newborn baby safe. Taking folic acid is very important for a baby’s development and should be taken especially during the first trimester. Folic acid ensures proper brain and spinal cord formation. The recommended dose for pregnant women is a thousand micrograms each day.
Quit caffeine as soon as you become pregnant or when you’re trying to become pregnant. Caffeine can trigger insomnia, which can keep you from getting enough sleep. If you get nauseous, snack on crackers. Your sleep patterns will improve if you eat a better diet.
If you’re pregnant and you acquire an illness by eating food that results in diarrhea, see to it that you consume plenty of fluids. Pregnant women are especially prone to dehydration caused by diarrhea, and it can even put them in the hospital.
Unusual amounts of vaginal discharge during your pregnancy should be reported to your doctor. This could be a sign of a vaginal infection, something common during pregnancy. If it is not treated, it could cause serious health problems for both you and your unborn baby.
Learn the signs of labor so that you will know when it is time to call the doctor and start heading to the hospital. We have all heard the stories of women giving birth in the car on the way. The earlier you can respond to labor starting, the more time you give yourself to get to where you need to go.
Make sure that you communicate with your partner (if you have one) about your feelings and your needs. You may know that you need to be touched or loved more often to feel supported, but they don’t. You have to tell them what you need before you can expect to receive it.
Eat fish throughout the course of your pregnancy! Studies have shown that the children of women who ate fish while they were pregnant are smarter, communicate better and have better motor skills than other children. It is important to talk to your doctor about which type of fish to eat; you want to avoid those with mercury, including Swordfish, Shark and King Mackerel.
After adjusting your lifestyle somewhat, you should be more successful with losing weight after your pregnancy. You might need some time to get accustomed to things, but your life has already changed in some major ways. Remember that you gained the weight over nine months, so don’t get discouraged if you cannot lose it in a week.