If you’re expecting a new little bundle of joy, there are a few changes you should make to your lifestyle to ensure a happy and safe pregnancy. Just as you would take extra care of a new car, you have to be mindful of what goes into your body and how it will affect your developing baby. So, cut out the unhealthy habits and focus on being active and eating nutrient-rich foods to give yourself the best chance for a healthy pregnancy.
You can take some key steps to help your body be in the best possible condition for conception. Here is some top pregnancy advice from fertility experts to follow as you start on this new path in your life…
Alcohol:
It’s always a good idea to relax when trying to conceive, and alcohol can help with this. However, it’s important not to let it interfere with your conception goals. If you’re trying to get pregnant, limit your alcohol consumption as it can impact fertility. Once you’re expecting, abstain from alcohol altogether as excessive drinking during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage and abnormalities in baby development.
Smoking:
Stub it out now. Smoking not only affects fertility, making it harder to conceive, but it can harm the health of your baby. Children born to maternal smokers are known to have weakened immune systems and be more susceptible to illness.
Diet:
A pregnancy diet is important for keeping your hormone levels balanced and providing your body with all the nutrients it needs. Eating healthy during pregnancy helps your baby develop and grow, and keeps you fit and well.
It’s crucial that you eat a variety of foods every day to maintain a healthy balance of nutrients. A nutritious breakfast is key, and you should try to avoid snacking on sugary or fatty foods throughout the day.
There are certain foods you should limit or avoid altogether when pregnant. These include mould-ripened soft cheeses like brie or camembert, raw or undercooked eggs, raw or undercooked meat, liver products, raw shellfish, shark, marlin and swordfish. You should also limit your intake of tuna and caffeine, which is not only found in coffee but tea, dark and milk chocolate, and regular and diet colas.
Exercise:
One of the best pieces of advice for pregnant women is to stay in shape. Eating a balanced diet and maintaining a healthy weight will help you during labor and delivery, and make it easier for you to get back in shape after the baby is born. Staying active during pregnancy will also help you cope with labor and delivery, and make it easier for you to recover after the baby is born.
As a general rule of thumb, if you’re pregnant and trying to maintain or start up a physical activity routine, you should be able to carry on a conversation while working out. This applies to all trimesters and whether you were active prior to pregnancy or not – if not, no need to try and go for strenuous runs or anything, just moderate workouts are perfectly fine.
Debra Aspinall is a journalist with a wealth of experience. She is the editor and leading writer for Emma’s Diary, one of the UK’s most prominent pregnancy and baby websites. Debra writes on pregnancy topics such as advice for expectant mothers, motherhood, pregnancy, conception advice, and more. Additionally, she covers women’s health and beauty issues and contributes travel articles to glossy magazines in London and the Home Counties.
