Pregnancy Tips- what preventative health measures are recommended for an expecting mother

Motherhood is truly a remarkable gift and a privilege, you always hold it very close to your heart.

 Being a mother, you will be full of positivity, love, joy, responsibility, and selflessness for your child. it all start’s from that day when you start expecting a child in your life

There are certain preventive measures for mother and fetal health, that the expecting mother must take from the first day of pregnancy.

For you, I had listed out below all the preventive health measures for your fetal safety and healthy childbirth.

See the healthcare professional regularly

 If you are trying to have a baby or are just thinking about it, then you should see your doctor regularly.

Good advice or prescription from a doctor can  help you in

  • Clearing all doubts.
  • Preventing anxiety and stress.
  • Believing in yourself.

This will help you to do all your prenatal care and avoiding any pregnancy complicacy.

Take a vitamin with folic acid every day.

when you’re pregnant, or there’s a chance you might get pregnant.

It’s recommended that you should take:

1) 400 micrograms of folic acid every day – from before you’re pregnant until you’re 12 weeks pregnant. It avoids any risk of problems in the baby’s development in the early weeks of pregnancy.

2) Take a daily vitamin D supplement. Vitamin D regulates the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body. it is needed to keep bones, teeth, and muscles healthy.

3) Take Iron-rich food. It will keep you active and avoid blood deficiency problems.

4) Take vitamin C-rich food. It protects cells and helps keep them healthy.

5) Take calcium-rich food.it will help in the development of baby bones and teeth.

Eating a healthy, varied diet in pregnancy will help you get most of the vitamins and minerals you need.

But you should always consult your doctor first before starting any intake of vitamin or mineral supplements in pregnancy.

Note -Do not take cod liver oil or any supplements containing vitamin A (retinol) when you’re pregnant. Too much vitamin A could harm your baby.

Keep diabetes under control. 

High diabetes during pregnancy can increase the chances of birth defects and other problems for the pregnancy.

if you are diabetics then you must consult with the doctor to get diabetes in control so that complications can be avoided in pregnancy. 

  Learn more about diabetes and pregnancy

Maintain a healthy weight

Maintain a healthy weight can help you to boost your health and mood .it is always recommended that you must be active and healthy during pregnancy.

It is observed that Obesity can increases the risk of pregnant woman’s problems.

If you are obese and your body mass index [BMI] of 30 or higher then you may be at a higher risk of complications during

pregnancy.  You should talk with your doctor about ways to reach a healthy weight before getting pregnant.

Learn more about healthy weight.

Avoid   smoking,  drinking alcohol , exposure  of toxic chemicals ,fumes or  street drugs.

During pregnancy, you need to avoid taking harmful substances like alcohol, street drugs, smoking, exposure to toxic chemicals and fumes, etc.

One research shows All types of alcohol are harmful to fetal including beer and wine as well.

If you drink alcohol during pregnancy then through the umbilical cord alcohol will pass to the developing baby.

it may cause problems like miscarriage, stillbirth, and a range of lifelong physical, behavioral, and intellectual disabilities.

Similarly, smoking, exposure to toxic chemicals and fumes, or use of street drugs in pregnancy,  may cause problems like

preterm birth, low birth rate, cleft lip or cleft palate, and infant death as well.

if you are pregnant or trying to get pregnant, then the best suggestions would be to stop drinking alcohol, stop smoking, and

don’t intake any street drugs.

Test for infectious diseases and get necessary vaccinations.

In pregnancy, you must consult the doctor and get necessary vaccinations to save yourself from any infections like Influenza,

pneumococcus, meningococcus, and hepatitis. 

you must wash your hands often to avoid getting sick.

One study says that pregnant women should avoid changing/cleaning kitty litter boxes as kitty poop may have a parasitic

infection call toxoplasmosis.

During pregnancy you and your fetal immunity are too low, hence you and your fetal safety from infection are too important in this period.

Avoid x-rays and other radiation

Exposure to extremely high-dose radiation or X-rays in the first two weeks after conception might result in a miscarriage.  whereas exposure to a similar radiation level after two to eight weeks of conception might increase the risk of fetal growth or birth defects.

note –  diagnostic purpose X-ray radiation level is always too low below the harmful level. if the doctor suggests then you can go for limited X-ray radiation exposure.

Talk with your doctor

At last, you must talk with your doctor about any medications you are taking or thinking about taking including prescription and

over-the-counter medications, and dietary or herbal products. this will help you to get an idea about which all products were

good for fetal development.

Final Words

Pregnancy period is full of excitement and mood swings, sometimes stressful as well. But knowing do’s & don’t in pregnancy will definitely help you to get peace of mind.

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