A woman’s pregnancy affects more than just her body. Her emotions, feelings, and behaviors will likely change over the entire nine months in ways that she may or may not totally expect. Fortunately, this handpicked selection of pregnancy tips and advice represents the best and brightest of pregnancy blogs, healthcare publications, and advice from other mothers.
Speak with your doctor if you are planning to become pregnant in the future. Your doctor can advise you of healthy lifestyle changes you can make now to ensure you have a good pregnancy. Learning all you can to prepare yourself for pregnancy will make the experience safer and healthier.
To give your baby a healthy start in life, make sure you change to a healthy diet while pregnant. If fast food was a staple in your diet, you’ll have to change that as it’s not healthy for you or the baby. Eat more fruit, veggies and lean meat.
Change your eating habits if you tend to stay away from healthy foods. You want to be eating foods that have a lot of vitamins and that offer a lot of nutrition. All the food you eat your baby will be eating as well. This can effect the growth of the child.
Make sure the water you’re drinking during your pregnancy is safe. Tap water may contain fluoride, percholate, and lead, while bottled water may contain the same impurities as well as other chemicals such as BPA. Instead, invest in a tap water filter, and use a stainless steel or glass water bottle when out of the house.
For many women, it might take a year, and sometimes longer, to conceive. If you are trying for that amount of time and are not pregnant, see a physician. They can let you know if you have medical reasons for concern.
You will want to have the physical memories of the day you give birth for the rest of your life. Make sure your video camera is charged and ready, along with your digital camera. Remember to have enough media storage to capture as many photos as you could ever need.
If you plan on breastfeeding your baby, do not let the state of your breasts during pregnancy concern you. The amount of growth or leakage you experience–if any–has no bearing on your ultimate ability to breastfeed. There is no reason to pump prior to delivery, either, as the hormones that enable your body to produce milk do not kick in until the postpartum period.
Grab some rubber bands if you want to keep wearing your favorite jeans through your pregnancy. A neat trick is to take a heavy rubber band and put it through the buttonhole in your jeans. Attach both ends of the rubber band to the button and voila, extra space. Wear longer shirts over the jeans to hide the rubber band.
Visit the dentist before you get pregnant. Studies have shown that periodontal disease can lead to inflammation; this inflammation has the potential to affect whether or not you develop preeclampsia. Preeclampsia can have serious consequences for the health of both you and your child, so it is important to do everything you can to improve your teeth prior to conception.
Find out if your dental insurance covers extra cleanings and checkups during pregnancy, and pay close attention to your oral health in general. You are at a higher risk for gingivitis while pregnant, and many insurers will pay for more frequent visits to the dentist during this time. Brush and floss carefully and thoroughly to keep your teeth healthy.
You may find that pregnancy is accompanied by overwhelming developments and drastic changes. Some of these may be completely expected, but others may take you by surprise. Prepare yourself for all aspects of pregnancy by recalling the information that you just read. You never know when you will need to use it.