After taking a home pregnancy test and getting a positive result, you may want to confirm the result with a health care provider. You can do this by making an appointment with an OB-GYN and undergoing a series of tests. The doctor will likely confirm that you are pregnant and give you more information about what to expect going forward.
Pregnancy can certainly bring a lot of joy to a family. However, it can also pose many health risks to the mother and child. Pregnancy is often one of the most anticipated events in a woman’s life, especially if she has had difficulty conceiving. This means that when a woman is pregnant, taking some precautions for health maintenance is absolutely essential.
Expecting mothers can do a lot to ensure a healthy pregnancy and baby by following these tips:
Eat well, conceive well.
It’s a myth that you need to eat for two when you’re pregnant. Eating more than the amount of food that is enough for one person will only cause bloating. According to research, a pregnant woman will only need an extra 200 to 300 calories per day. Eating healthy food will do the mother and the baby inside her just fine. Of course, those extra calories shouldn’t come from junk food.
Enhance your well-being.
A pregnant woman should take a vitamin supplement that contains folic acid, even before conception and during early pregnancy. Folic acid is important because it can help reduce the risk of having a baby born with neural tube defects. Women should aim to take 400 mcg of folic acid every day before and during early pregnancy.
Away with your vices.
It can be really hard for you to give up smoking and drinking alcohol frequently. Now might be a good time to rethink your actions. The nicotine from cigarettes and alcohol from alcoholic drinks can harm your growing baby. Babies of smoking mothers have lower birth weight, are more likely to be born prematurely, and may die from sudden infant death syndrome compared to babies of non-smoking mothers.
Precautions.
Prenatal care is important for a healthy pregnancy. It’s important to be sure you are immune to certain diseases that can affect your pregnancy, such as rubella or German measles. Knowing your blood type can also help you prepare for any medical condition that you might encounter during pregnancy.
Train correctly for you and your baby.
Exercising is a great way to help keep a pregnant woman fit, as well as her baby. However, there are certain conditions that OB-GYN’s have to approve before a pregnant woman can do any exercise. One of the main types of exercise that can be done during pregnancy includes those that help increase the muscles’ endurance. Stretching can help a lot, too. But all of these activities should be done with enough precaution.
If a woman wants to have a healthy pregnancy, she should live a healthy lifestyle. This means eating healthy foods, getting regular exercise, and getting enough rest.
