What To Expect When You're Expecting - Positive Parenting Magazine

Child of the Universe Magazine

For some people, being pregnant may sound like a scary prospect – having the responsibility of creating a new human being and keeping them as healthy as possible. The truth is, being pregnant is not scary at all. It is a beautiful, natural process that every woman should treasure.

However, even though pregnancy is natural, you still need to look after yourself, and your unborn child, which is why we have compiled a list of healthy things to do during your pregnancy – one tip for every month you are preggers.

1. Eat healthy

Eating well during your pregnancy can help you to have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby. Try not to miss any meals throughout the day, especially breakfast, as this is probably the most important meal of the day. Try to avoid foods that are uncooked such as raw fish and meat and even soft cheeses and start increasing your daily intake of fruits and vegetables and other healthy snacks. You should also decrease how much caffeine you eat and drink per day so less coffee and chocolate and more water!

2. Carry on exercising

Don’t believe the old myths that exercising while you are pregnant can be harmful for your baby. Now we aren’t saying that you can do an intense weights session or cardio class, however exercising is one of the best ways to keep yourself healthy. There are so many classes that you can take that are specially for pregnant women such as preggibellies, preggy Pilates and preggy yoga. And if you don’t feel like partaking in one of these, a simple 15-20 minute walk, or even a quick swim when it’s hot, will do.

3. Read as much as possible and stay informed

If you are pregnant for the first time, our best advice to you is to read, read, read. Not only are there hundreds of books out there, but there are many pregnancy blogs that you can read online as well. The more information you have, the less scary things may seem. Don’t forget though that your pregnancy is important to others too so don’t be afraid to ask other mothers, including your own, as many questions as you need to.

4. Take your vitamins

Take a prenatal vitamin every day that contains iron and folic acid. Iron helps keep your blood healthy while folic acid helps prevent any birth defects. Speak to your doctor and pharmacist to find out which vitamin is best for you.

5. Stick to your doctor appointments

There is a reason that gynecologists want to see their pregnant patients at numerous stages during their pregnancies so make sure you don’t miss them. Each appointment checks the progress of the pregnancy, making sure that both mom and baby are healthy and well. By not sticking to your appointments, you may run the risk of missing something important. And above all, don’t you want to watch the progress of your new addition?

6. Relax

The best thing you can do for both yourself and your baby is to relax as much as possible. We know that it is not always easy, especially if you have a full time job and a family to look after, but did you know that stress releases toxins into your body, which may become harmful to your baby – you don’t want to risk going into early labour because you forgot to relax. Meditation and yoga can help to calm your mind and keep you stress-free.

7. Speak to your partner

Don’t forget that even though you are the one carrying a baby, there were two people involved in getting you pregnant. It is important for you to share with your partner what you are going through and how you are feeling because they are left in the dark. They don’t know what it feels like when you feel your baby kick for the first time or why you are so uncomfortable near the end of your pregnancy. Communication is key as during this time, you and your partner will start forming a new type of bond.

8. Cut out unhealthy habits

Smoking, drinking alcohol, using drugs and taking certain medication while pregnant is without a doubt one of the most harmful things you can do to your unborn child. Not only can the toxins found in alcohol, over-the-counter medications, drugs and tobacco can cause birth defects for your child, but if you take drugs or drink while pregnant, there is a likelihood that your child will be born with an addiction.

9. Create memories

Finally, one of the most special things you can do during your pregnancy is to create memories. Keep a journal and jot down all your feelings throughout the nine months – this is something that you can keep forever and maybe even one-day share with your child. You can also record your progress by taking monthly pictures of your growing belly, which you can stick into your journal.