It’s such a beautiful thing to be able to bring life into the world. You have the opportunity to extend your family, and have a small person that resembles both you and your partner. It can also be scary as your body needs to change and accommodate but it’s nothing to be afraid of. It’s the most natural thing in the world and given that you take care of your health, liaise with your doctor and midwives, it should be a smooth and easy pregnancy. If you’re trying to get pregnant or are in the early stages of pregnancy, we have some tips to help.
Start with Folic Acid
Folic acid is the natural form of the vitamin B9 and is urged for pregnant women to take. In the early stages of pregnancy, it helps form the neural tube which is a part of their nervous system. Taking the supplement both before and during pregnancy is proven to be effective at minimising the risk of abnormalities such as anencephaly (defect of the brain) and spina bifida which is a defect of the spine.
Foods that are rich in the vitamin are:
- Dark green leafy vegetables (spinach, asparagus, and brussels sprouts)
- Beans
- Whole grains
- Peanuts
- Sunflower seeds
- Fruit
- Liver
- Fish
- Eggs
Minimise Stress
It’s hard not to stress when you have so much to plan before your baby arrives. As much as you can, try to keep stress to a minimum as it can affect your unborn child. According to research, stress can increase the risk of premature labour (birth before 37 weeks) or the chance of your baby being born with a low-birthweight(less than 5lb, 8 ounces).
To reduce stress, you may want to take up yoga and aside from stress relief, there are many more benefits that it offers. For example, it increases the strength and flexibility of the muscles needed for childbirth.
You may also find mindfulness useful. The techniques help you to centre your focus and move away from your worries. This is done by thinking about the present and the world around you. Techniques involve mindful breathing, body scanning and walks.
Eat Right
When you’re pregnant you’re eating for two. All of the nutrients that you intake get passed on to your baby via the placenta. Even before getting a positive result, you should make sure to eat right as you are creating the environment for your baby to grow. You should try to consume more fruit, vegetables, lentils, and beans while reducing your intake of unhealthy, saturated fats.
Give Up Smoking
Smoking is one of the leading causes of cancer, heart disease, stroke, lung diseases. As well as being awful for your own health, the toxins can affect your unborn baby too. It can damage brain and lung tissue, result in the formation of a cleft lip and even result in miscarriage. By cutting down, you can also give your child a better quality of life once they are born as you won’t be exposing them to second-hand smoke and you will be in better health.
Drinking
If you’re trying to get pregnant, we advise that you cut down on drinking as it will make it easier for you once you’re pregnant. Failing to do so can increase the risk of miscarriage, your baby being born prematurely and the chance of being underweight.
Vaccines
You shouldn’t chance your health, especially when pregnant. Simple infections like the flu can make you very ill and compromise the health of you and your baby which is why we advise that you consider taking vaccines as necessary.
We hope that you found this article helpful. For more on family and parenting, check out our blog.
Heavensa also known as Heaven’s A Dreamy Life is the digital home of Gee, a UK-based content creator and entrepreneur.