12 Healthy Habits Every Expecting Mother Should Do

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Being a mother is a beautiful yet tiresome time in one’s life. Motherhood doesn’t start once your baby is born but instead, once you confirm you are pregnant. What you eat and the activities you engage in during the nine months of pregnancy affect your baby immensely, and intentional care is required for both you and your baby.

According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), it is important to maintain healthy body weight, engage in physical activity and eat healthily throughout your pregnancy.

Here are 12 healthy habits every expectant mother should do:

#1: Keep Hydrated

Drink lots of water, aim for at least eight glasses daily. An occasional cup of loose leaf tea to rejuvenate you is encouraged. For the convenience of shopping from the comfort of your home, consider an online tea and coffee shop that will offer home delivery. You can as well purchase loose tea . Have tea bags readily available for when guests come visiting, sparing you the need to run to the store abruptly. Also, with pregnancy, you may wake up in the middle of the night with cravings. Remember, a pregnant body requires more water than usual.

#2: Eat Right

Eat foods that are rich in calcium and those low in saturated fats. Lots of whole grains, fruits and vegetables will give you the necessary vitamins and nutrients you and your baby require to maintain good health.

#3: Avoid Alcohol

Intake of alcohol during pregnancy has been linked to miscarriage, congenital disabilities and other birth and pregnancy complications. Substances as negligible as paint thinner and nail polish remover can also affect you so avoid them during your pregnancy. If you were an avid consumer of alcohol before pregnancy, stopping would be the best gift to give your unborn child.

#4: Do Not Smoke

Smoking has been known to increase birth complications. Not only does smoking decrease the flow of oxygen to your baby, but it has also been linked to pre-term births and other congenital disabilities. Your doctor should be able to guide you on how to stop smoking if you are having difficulties controlling yourself.

#5: Remain Physically Active

If you had a regular exercise regime before pregnancy, be sure to maintain it throughout your pregnancy, but listen to your body. Slow down when you need to and engage in exercises that are not too strenuous. Staying active boosts your mental, emotional, and physical health which in essence boosts your mood reduces stress, controls your weight and improves blood circulation. Find effective tools that work for you like yoga, swimming, walking etc. At least 30 minutes of daily exercise should be sufficient but ensure to check in with your doctor first on how pregnant women can stay fit.

#6: Take Vitamins

Babies inefficiently produce their own DHA, an Omega-3 fatty acid mainly found in fatty fish. DHA is responsible for the optimum nervous system, eye and infant brain development. DHA may also improve motor skills and eye-hand coordination, as well as support your emotional and mental health. As fatty fish may not be part of your daily diet, vitamin supplements are as effective. Plenty of calcium and folic acid is a necessary part of your daily food intake. Folic acid can be found in foods such as broccoli, kidney beans, oranges and spinach. Calcium is present in yoghurt, milk and spinach too. To ensure you get the required daily intake, your doctor can guide you on the right vitamins and quantities to take.

#7: Ensure You Get Prenatal Care

Prenatal check-ups monitor your progress and the baby’s growth rate. Suppose you are experiencing any uncomfortable pains or have questions. In that case, this is the time to get all your queries answered as you seek proper guidance. If you or your baby may have complications, they are identified during prenatal care.

#8: Reduce Stress

If you have unresolved matters weighing on your mind, you are encouraged to rid yourself of all sources of stress. If you need the help of loved ones to achieve this, do not hesitate to ask for it. Reducing all your stress triggers is crucial to the growth of your baby and your eventual delivery. Engage in healthy activities for pregnant women to keep your mind off anything that could stress you.

#9: Get Plenty of Sleep

You need sufficient rest, and as your body slows down with the progressing pregnancy, you ought to give it the rest it demands. Ensure you sleep for at least seven to nine hours daily. This also allows your baby to grow well. Research has shown that sleeping on your left side improves blood flow.

#10: Avoid Certain Foods

Raw animal products like sushi, unpasteurized milk, soft cheese and raw egg products like mayonnaise should be avoided as they can cause food poisoning.

#11: Keep Track of Your Dental Health

Pregnancy brings with it many unexpected changes. These hormonal changes may increase your risk of developing periodontitis (a gum disease that can increase your risk of pre-term labor) or gingivitis (gum inflammation). To avoid this, engage in healthy activities during pregnancy like regular flossing and brushing teeth, which is highly encouraged. During pregnancy, your mouth is more susceptible to bacteria and plaque due to the hormonal changes. No matter how lazy you feel, make a conscious effort to keep your dental health in check.

#12: Maintain a Healthy Weight

Gaining too much weight during pregnancy exposes you to gestational diabetes risk as well as high blood pressure. Suppose you are overweight when you get pregnant. In that case, this surges the chances of health problems and delivery complications, increasing your risk to a caesarean section delivery. Gaining a healthy amount of weight, as recommended by your doctor, eases your pregnancy and delivery process.

Healthline gives you detailed guidelines on nutrition and vitamins to take, as well as what not to eat to maintain a healthy pregnancy.

Courtney P.

I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!

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