10 steps to a healthy pregnancy (1)


Babycentre.co.ukPregnancy is an ideal time to start taking really good care of yourself both physically and emotionally. You give yourself the best chance of having a problem-free pregnancy and a healthy baby if you follow a few simple guidelines: 

1. Organise your antenatal care early 
Good antenatal care is essential to your baby's health. Choosing your carer early means you'll have months to build a good relationship in preparation for the birth. Even if you are not offered a choice of carer, you may be able to develop a rapport with one particular midwife or obstetrician you have met during the course of your pregnancy care. 

2. Eat well 
There's no need to eat for two when you're pregnant, nor to drink full-fat milk. In fact your energy needs don't change for the first six months of pregnancy, and only increase slightly in the last three months (by around 200 calories a day) . 

However, it is important to eat a well-balanced and healthy diet. Many women go off certain foods, but it's always possible to substitute those with others that provide similar nutritional value. 

Make sure that your diet includes plenty of fruit and vegetables (at least five portions a day), and base your meals around carbohydrates such as bread, pasta and rice (preferably wholegrain so you get plenty of fibre). Include protein such as fish, meat, eggs, nuts or pulses, and some milk and dairy foods, every day. It's important, too, to eat breakfast and to keep an eye on meal portion sizes and snacks between meals . 
3. Be careful about food hygiene 
It is better to avoid certain foods in pregnancy because they carry a health risk for your baby. 

Listeria, which can cause miscarriage or severe illness in newborns, can be caused by mould-ripened soft cheeses, such as Brie and Camembert, and blue-veined cheeses, such as Stilton. Hard cheeses, such as Cheddar, and soft-processed cheeses, such as cottage cheese, Philadelphia and Boursin, are safe to eat. 

To avoid toxoplasmosis, which is rare, but can seriously affect an unborn baby, it is important to wear gloves when handling cat litter and garden soil, avoid eating undercooked or raw meat, and wash vegetables and salads thoroughly to remove any soil or dirt. 

Salmonella infections may be caused by eating undercooked poultry, and raw or soft-cooked eggs. (Read more about food hygiene in pregnancy). 
4. Take folic acid supplements and eat fish 
The only supplement that is considered truly vital is folic acid (also called folate), which can help prevent spina bifida and other neural tube defects in babies. 

Spina bifida is a serious congenital condition. It occurs when the tube housing the central nervous system fails to close completely and may give rise to severe disabilities. All women planning a pregnancy are advised to take a daily supplement of 400mcg of folic acid starting around the time of conception through the first three months of pregnancy. 

You can also increase your intake of natural folate through your diet. Folate is found in many different foods, particularly vegetables and fortified breakfast cereals. Other nutrients that are important to your health and your baby's are iron and calcium, which can generally be provided by your diet. 

Some studies have shown that fish oils, which contain omega-3 fatty acids, may have a beneficial effect on pre-eclampsia, a baby's birth weight and on the development of a baby's brain and nerves in late pregnancy. 

Oily fish contain proteins, minerals, vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids, which your baby needs as he grows and develops, but it also contains mercury and other pollutants. The current recommendation is to eat oily fish such as herring, mackerel, salmon, or sardines no more than twice a week, but you can still eat other types of fish as much as you like. 

If you don't like fish, fish oil supplements are available (chose a brand free of the retinol form of Vitamin A, which is not recommended in pregnancy). 

5. Exercise regularly 
A good exercise programme can give you the strength and endurance you'll need to carry the weight you gain during pregnancy and to handle the physical stress of labour. It will also make it much easier to get back into shape after your baby is born. 

Exercise can boost your spirits and help ward off depression in pregnancy. Experts aren't sure exactly how, but there is growing evidence that it has a positive effect on brain chemicals, such as serotonin and dopamine, which help regulate your emotions and mood. 

If you are used to taking exercise in the form of a sport, you can continue with this as long as it feels comfortable for you, unless your particular sport carries a risk of falls or knocks. More gentle exercise such as walking, swimming, aqua-aerobics, andyoga are also very beneficial.