10 Ways To Have A Healthy Pregnancy

A list of ways from the department of Human Development and Family Studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to have a healthy pregnancy and give your unborn baby optimal chance for development! (Written by Katie Erwin, HDFS 301)

1. Eat plenty of nutritious meals and snacks

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Your growing baby is completely dependent on you for nutrients. Therefore, it is important to maintain good eating habits throughout your pregnancy. It is very normal to eat more as you go further in your pregnancy, but eating nutritious snacks such as nuts, fruit, or vegetables, is going to benefit your baby much more than candy or ice cream. Of course, occasional indulgences are normal as long as your baby is getting the proper amount of nutrients that it needs (Berk and Meyer, 111).

2. Stay away from alcohol and drugs

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Alcohol, even in small quantities, can have varying negative effects on a developing fetus. Alcohol is a type of teratogen, or anything in the environment that can negatively affect development. Even just one drink per day can cause the baby to develop some form of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. Illicit drugs are also teratogens and should be avoided as well. Expectant mothers should be especially careful about prescription and over-the-counter drugs, since most of them are not good for a developing fetus. Consult your doctor about which medications are okay and will not harm your baby (Berk and Meyer, 104-107).

3. Maintain your current exercise patterns

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When carrying a child, it is important to stay healthy while also making sure your body is not working too hard. It is hard enough in many ways for your body to help a baby grow, so now is not the time to try to become the next Jillian Michaels. Going for walks and doing yoga are good forms of exercise that get your heart rate going and your muscles working without overdoing it. Many fitness centers even offer specific workout classes for pregnant women. This type of exercise can help your body stay strong during your pregnancy and possibly even alleviate some common discomforts (Berk and Meyer, 111).

4. Get plenty of sleep

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Rest and genuine sleep are crucial for your body and your baby during your pregnancy. Later in your pregnancy, your baby will become more active inside you, and while you're sleeping the baby a chance to rest as well. Similarly, since your body is working in overdrive, it is not uncommon to feel fatigued and need rest more frequently (Berk and Meyer, 100).

5. Keep good personal hygiene habits

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As humans, we get dirty. During the day, we encounter many germs that can act as teratogens to an unborn child. It is important to continue good personal hygiene habits to maintain your health and protect your unborn child from illness and other negative effects (Berk and Meyer, 110-111).

6. Go to the doctor!

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Proper prenatal care is one of the most crucial parts of maintaining a healthy pregnancy and giving your unborn child optimal opportunity for growth. Going to the doctor and getting check-ups and ultrasounds not only allows a trained professional to make sure your baby is developing normally, but also awards you the opportunity to hear your baby's heartbeat and find out its gender. As mentioned before, it is equally as important to take care of your own body and make sure you are getting the care you need from medical professionals (Berk and Meyer, 115).

7. Recognize and utilize your support system

Having the proper support system is a big part of maintaining mental health during pregnancy. It is no secret that there are many physical and hormonal changes happening to your body during pregnancy and having friends and family there to help you through it can make all the difference. Not to mention, cortisol, the hormone produced inside us when we are stressed, can have very negative effects on a developing fetus. Talking and spending time with members of your support system will help alleviate possible stress (Berk and Meyer, 113).

8. Refrain from high-risk behaviors

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Your pregnancy is not the time to decide you want to climb Mt. Everest in the middle of winter or go cage diving with great white sharks in South Africa. This type of activity can release a lot of adrenaline and cortisol that can increase the baby's heart rate. Similarly, the large amount of movement and jostling associated with some of these high risk activities could put the baby into distress. So for these 9 months, stick to watching Survivor from your couch and focusing on relaxation (Berk and Meyer, 111).

9. Listen to your body

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You know your body better than anyone else on the planet. Aside from the more typical pregnancy discomforts, you will know when something doesn't feel right or normal, and that is the time to do something about it. Better to be safe than sorry, and even something minor could be fixed and make a difference for you and your child (Berk and Meyer, 115).

10. Finally, care for your unborn child just as you would care for your born child

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Don't forget that everything you do during pregnancy could affect your child in the future. Therefore, don't take your pregnancy lightly and make sure that you are following proper prenatal practices to ensure optimal development for your baby. Remember, your baby loves and depends on you so much already! (Berk and Meyer, 103)

Additional sources for more information about health during pregnancy:

http://www.cdc.gov/pregnancy/during.html

http://kidshealth.org/en/parents/preg-health.html

https://www.ghc.org/healthAndWellness/?item=/common/healthAndWellness/pregnancy/pregnancy/overview.html