Do's of Pregnancy
healthline.com
1. Taking multivitamin
Eating a balanced diet that is rich in vitamins and minerals is the best way to provide the body with all of the healthy nutrients it needs to support a growing baby. Prenatalvitamins contain high levels of certain nutrients that pregnant women require such as; folic acid, calcium and iron.
These vitamins assist with proper development of the fetus and help prevent birth defects. The doctor might also prescribe another good multivitamin.
A good multivitamin will usually include DHA, EPA, or both. These are omega-3 fats that are important for the baby’s brain development.
It is important to not take more than one dose of multivutamin.
2. Sleep Enough.
The changing of hormone levels, anticipatiob of the baby, and anxiety can make sleep one sleep less during nine months of pregnancy. It is very important to rest and sleep while pregnant.
It is important to aim at at-least 7-9 course of sleep each night while pregnant.
3. Work out
Gone are times of pregnant women avoid lifting a finger during pregnancies. It is known that exercise is good for mother and baby.
As a matter of fact, regular exercise may help combat many issues that arise during pregnancy, such as: insomnia, muscle pain, excessive weight gain, mood problems.
4.Avoid eating seafood
Seafood is loaded with vitamins and minerals, such as heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, zinc, and iron. These are all important for both mom and baby. But undercooked or raw seafood are not healthy and can cause some problems.
Seafood may carry harmful bacteria and viruses, which are eliminated when thoroughly cooked. Also, pregnant women should avoid raw fish and fish that may contain high levels of mercury.
Examples of fish containing high levels of mercury include: shark, swordfish, tilefish, king mackerel.
5. Sex is important
Sex during pregnancy is fine, as long as there is no complicating factor such as placenta previa or another type of high-risk pregnancy.
Sex is safe with ones partner right up until the water breaks. If discomfort comes up, it is important to try new positions. Talk with the doctor about any questions concerningthe safety of intercourse during pregnancy.
6. Practice yoga
Practicing yoga while pregnant is good. It is good to seek out prenatal or gentle yoga classes that are designed for mothers-to-be. Instructors will know which poses are best and which you should avoided for expecting mother's.
If expecting mother weren’t doing yoga before pregnancy, it is important to talk with the doctor before signing up for a class. While it’s possible one can start, it’s best to go over the risks and concerns with the doctor.
7. Do get a flu shot
Pregnant women can and should get a flu vaccine as long as one don’t have a contraindication as noted by the manufacturer of the vaccine.
The injection isn’t a live virus. One cannot get the flu from the flu vaccine. If one were to contract influenza during pregnancy, the risk of severe side effects is greater than in women of the same age that are not pregnant.
The vaccine will protect the expecting mother as well as the developing fetus.
8. Gain weight with caution.
“eat for two” advice to expecting mothers isn’t a free will to eat whatever one wants to. Instead, women need to be strategic about what is eaten and how much is eaten.
Gaining a lot of weight during pregnancy may do more harm to the baby than good. During the first trimester, one only need about 100 extra calories a day to support the growing fetus.
By the third trimester, the additional calorie number is closer to 300 to 500 per day.
9. Do visit the dentist
Visits to dentist’s office were avoided for decades for fear of an oral cleaning might cause bacteria to spread and lead to an infection.
In fact, American college of obstetricians and gynaecologists, recommends expectant mothers to have a routine oral health assessment while pregnant, along with regular dental cleanings. It is important to tell dentist one is pregnant.
Pregnancy Don’ts
healthline.com
10. Avoid smoke and smoking
Babies born to women who smoke during pregnancy are likely to have a lower birth weight and are at a greater risk for learning disabilities unlike children born to nonsmoking mothers.
Additionally, children born to women who smoke are more likely to try smoking at a younger age and become regular smokers earlier, due to physiologic nicotine addiction.
11. Avoid drinking alcohol
Alcohol may greatly impact on baby’s development. People who drink alcohol in pregnant could deliver a baby with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS).
Symptoms of FAS include; lowbirth weight, llearning disabilities, behavior problems, lagging patterns in terms of growth and development milestones
Even small amounts of alcohol can be a big problem. There is no safe level or amount of alcohol to be taken while pregnant.
If one need help stopping drinking in pregnancy, it is important to talk with doctor as soon as possible.
12. Avoid eating of raw meat
Raw and undercooked meat and eggs carry risk of foodborne illness, such as listeriosis and toxoplasmosis. Food poisoning is also a possibility.
These conditions can cause serious, life-threatening illnesses and could lead to severe birth defects and even miscarriage. Make sure all eggs and meat eaten while pregnant are well-cooked.
13. Avoid eating deli meat
Deli meats — including hot dogs, sausages, smoked salmon, and other cured meats — can cause foodborne illness, such as listeriosis and toxoplasmosis.
Meats which are sliced have more surface area for bacterial growth. Thoroughly cooking of processed proteins well reduces risk.
It’s also important to eat pasteurized (not raw) milk and cheese. Always wash produce to help eliminate harmful bacteria.
14. Avoid eating unpasteurized milk products
Calcium is very important for growing babies, but moms have to be careful how to get calcium from dairy food products.
Raw milk is absolutely not recommended for expecting mothers since it’s unpasteurized. This means it has not been heated to kill bacteria which could make one ill.
Specifically, raw milk may contain a bacteria called Listeria. It can lead to illness, miscarriage, or even life-threatening consequences.
15. Avoid sitting in a hot tub or sauna
Although hot tub and sauna are relaxing, high-heat environment of hot tubs, Jacuzzis, and saunas may be too dangerous for expecting mothers.
Research suggests using either hot tub or sauna during the first trimester may double risk of miscarriage. Soaking in hot water can raise body temperature and such causes problems for baby which includes increase in risk of birth defects.
16. Avoid taking too much caffeine
Caffeine can travel through the placenta and increase baby’s heart rate. Caffeine is not a good choice for consumption for babies. Even after birth caffeine is not good for baby and breastfeeding mother. When a breastfeeding mother takes caffeine, baby can always take it from breast milk. It is better to take preventive measures and avoid taking caffeine as a breastfeeding mother or pregnant woman.
THINGS TO DO AFTER DELIVERY
healthline.com
1. Do not put anything into the vagina
Depending on the birth experience, the changes in vagina after delivery includes much bleeding. On the other hand, it is easy to feel back to one's old self quickly and wonder when one can resume certain activities, including sex and using of tampons.
No matter what, one should wait until the doctor clears to not put anything the vagina. This usually occurs around 6-week postpartum checkup.
Why? Well, the first reason is because of the risk of infection. The uterus is still physically recovering from birth — and if there's any vaginal repair, those areas will be healing, too. With the use of internal period products, like menstrual cups or tampons, bacteria can form and cause infection in these wounds.
The bleeding after birth lasts between two and six weeks so it is safe to use pads during this time or until the doctor says it is safe to do otherwise. It is important to change the pads and wash the hands frequently to avoid infection.
As for when to start having sex, there's really no rule concerning that, but many doctors may recommend waiting between four and six weeks after delivery. The reasoning is similar as with tampons, but infection risk does lower after two weeks postpartum.
The other risk is with stitches from episiotomis and tears healing correctly. If delivery was a vaginal delivery, the cervix dilated to allow the baby through and will take some time to go back to its normal size. So, again, the doctor will have to be consulted.
2. Put yourself in mind
However, carving out time to rest and take care of oneself is critically important.
While recovering, the bleeding might increase if too much is done by the mother. It’s important to pay attention to ones body and listen to cues that one needs to slow down. Overdoing it after birth can lead to injury, muscle strain, and feelings of overwhelm or anxiety.
Gentle walks are generally okay in the early days but it is important to contact the doctor and get cleared before delving into more high-intensity workouts. One should also stop exercising if experience any pain.
3.
Pay attention to pain and act fast.
Most mother'a will have some level of pain after delivery, but the type and duration of pain will vary.
For instance, the pain could be different depending on if this was the first baby, how the baby is delivered (vaginally or via c-section), or if there was any complications during or after delivery. Pain may last days to weeks and can vary from person to person and even pregnancy to pregnancy.
It is important to speak with the doctor about pain management, and even prescription of pain medication, if necessary. The doctor can also determine if the pain may be a sign of a bigger issue.
4. Don’t hide any struggles
The baby blues hit about 80 percenr of women after giving birth and can cause one to feel intense feelings of sadness, anxiety, or stress in the first 10 to 14 days postpartum.
Beyond the first 2 weeks, however, if the newmom is still not feeling like herself, it is important to get evaluated for postpartum depression.
Symptoms of postpartum depression are:
crying
feeling angry
feeling withdrawn from thw family or friends
not enjoying things that normally brings joy
doubting oneself when it comes to the basic care of the baby
feeling disconnected from the baby
feeling excessive worry of being capable of hurting the baby.
5. Do not forget about birth control
The hard truth is, one can get pregnant again as soon as six to eight weeks after giving birth. If that’s not in the plan, speak with the doctor about birth control options.
There are some birth control methods, like condoms, that one can start as soon as one resume having sex. If the preferred choice is hormonal birth control, one may need to wait a few weeks to start, depending on if breastfeeding or if theres other health issues.
Birth control options include:
intrauterine device (IUD)
birth control implant
birth control injection
combined hormonal birth control
progestin-only birth control
sterilization
6. Don’t underestimate the need for social support.
It have been discovered that social support in the postpartum period may help lower the rate of postpartum depression.
With all the demands of newborn life, one may feel isolated and overwhelmed. If one have a partner, who is not playing an equal role in taking care of the baby, it is important to reachout to family and friends or consider joining a local parent group.
It is not necessary to wait until the baby is born to mobilize a support network.
Consider lining up help or thinking about where one can find support in the months before the due date. That way, there’s one fewer thing to worry about when one gets home from the hospital.
7. Do no not neglect nutrition
Although keeping the baby nourished is the main focus after giving birth, nourishing ones own body is also very important.
If the baby is being breastfeed, ones body also needs between 450 and 500 extra calories a day to support milk production. Depending on ones weight, this may mean one need to aim to consume 2,500 calories each day.
Some ways to support ones nutrition during the postpartum period include:
eating whole foods, like fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein
minimizing snack foods high in saturated fats and added sugars
continuing to take ones prenatal vitamin (or switching to a postnatal ones)
staying hydrated
It is very important to stay hydrated. Experts suggest drinking 16 glasses of fluids daily.
8. Do not smoke or misuse drugs
It is important to quit smoking if such exists. Smoking puts ones own health at risk, but secondhand smoke is also a a major trusted risk factor for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Exposure to secondhand smoke may also trigger asthma or other respiratory issues in babies and children.
Misuse of drugs such as methamphetamine, opioids, cocaine, and cannabis are most commonly involved in putting mother and infant life at risk also.
9. Don’t go it alone if you need help
If in need of critical supplies, like diapers and formula, there are programs that can help one get the things needed.
Source - healthline.com
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