Pregnancy Info

Pregnancy health is essential to having a healthy baby. Find healthy eating tips during pregnancy, what foods to avoid for a healthy pregnancy, and what exercises are appropriate for pregnant women. Keep reading for info on having a healthy pregnancy.

One of the best ways to ensure that you have a healthy baby is to be healthy yourself. Pregnancy health is important to both mom and baby. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be difficult to lead a healthy lifestyle. Some of the most important things to consider are your diet and your pregnancy exercise routine. When you eat healthy during pregnancy, you will find that your baby gets the nutrients he or she needs. You will also get the nutrition that you need. Exercise can prepare your body for giving birth, and put you in a good place for losing weight after the baby is born.

Pregnancy Health and Nutrition

What you eat is vital to your pregnancy health. For the most part, if you eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, as well as whole grains, you will be in good shape. It is important to be careful of the kinds and quantities of meat and fish you consume, though. Fish with high mercury content can be a problem, and it is vital to make sure that your meat is fully cooked before you eat it.

You may also need supplements. Talk to your health care professional about prenatal vitamins that can help you make sure that you have the important nutrients needed for fetal development, like the vital folic acid. You should also find out whether or not you might need iron supplements. Before starting any sort of supplement regimen, though, it is a good idea to consult with a professional who oversees your prenancy health.

Foods to avoid for pregnancy health

Also important is understanding which foods to stay away from. While an occasional treat is not a problem, there are some foods to avoid. These are foods that are not particularly good for you even when you aren’t pregnant, and they can be surprisingly detrimental to the development of your unborn child. Here are five foods to try avoiding as much as possible for optimal pregnancy health:

1. Alcohol: There are few things that can derail a healthy pregnancy and slow fetal development like alcohol. There is no known acceptable threshold for alcohol consumption during pregnancy, and so many health care professionals recommend that you avoid it completely while you are pregnant. If you drank unknowingly in the first few weeks of your pregnancy, you should be able to counteract most problems by quitting immediately and getting your folic acid.
2. Excessive caffeine: A little caffeine probably won’t harm your baby. However, you should be aware that the caffeine amounts in some beverages (especially energy drinks) and some medications can cause issues. The fact that caffeine acts as a diuretic and a stimulant can affect your health, and caffeine has been linked to miscarriage and low birth weight.
3. Seafood with mercury: Fish can be generally healthy for pregnancy. However, fish with high mercury content can be bad for you. Fish to avoid during pregnancy include tilefish, shark, King mackerel and swordfish. Also, try to stay away from albacore tuna.
4. Saccharin: Artificial sweeteners can cause serious problems during pregnancy. One of the biggest issues is that it can enter baby’s bloodstream, and the baby is less capable of clearing saccharin from the system. And this can build to dangerous, cancer-causing levels.
5. Unpasteurized dairy: Listeriosis is a type of food poisoning that can cause a number of complications during pregnancy. It is caused by unpasteurized food products. Avoid dairy, meat and fruit products that have not been pasteurized for better pregnancy health.

Exercise for pregnancy health

The other component of a healthy pregnancy is exercise. It is a good idea to exercise regularly during your pregnancy, unless you have been ordered to participate in bed rest. Consult with your health care provider to determine whether or not you need to change your pregnancy exercise regimen. Some of the exercises that are appropriate for pregnant women include:

• Low impact aerobics
• Walking
• Swimming
• Stationary bike

You can also participate in some yoga exercises, but be careful to use prenatal yoga. This is because some yoga (and pilates as well) positions can be damaging to the unborn child. You should avoid exercises that require you to hold your breath, activities that can result in falling, contact sports, lots of jumping or skipping, exercises that require you to bend at the waist, and waist twisting movements.

You should stay well hydrated while exercising when pregnant, and avoid exercising in the heat and humidity. You should also go at a pace that you are comfortable with, resting frequently if needed. Be careful and consult your health care provider if you notice spotting or bleeding.

If you observe these tenets of pregnancy health, you will increase the chances of a healthy and happy baby.