Staying Healthy

Pregnancy is a good time to be as healthy as possible. This means getting plenty of rest, exercising, eating nutritious foods, and avoiding things that could be harmful to you and your baby. If you feel nauseous or have “morning sickness,” you may have to change your schedule. Or you may want to change your schedule just to have time to rest and relax.

Exercise can help you deal with the tensions of pregnancy; it will also help you stay fit and help prepare you for the birth, but you should not begin a new regimen when you are pregnant without advice from your caregiver. One type of exercise you can safely add is the gentle pelvic and abdominal exercises often taught in prenatal classes.

You and your partner may also want to change your lifestyle in other ways to help you have a healthy baby. Avoiding alcohol and cigarette smoke during pregnancy and being cautious about medications and caffeine intake are examples of lifestyle changes that can protect your baby.

Drinking milk and eating calcium-rich foods is an important part of staying healthy during pregnancy.

Healthy eating is one of the most important elements of a healthy lifestyle – one that can affect your child's health. Although you may be concerned about gaining weight during pregnancy, balancing this concern with your nutritional needs is an important part of pregnancy nutrition.

If, at some point during your pregnancy, you ever have a concern or a 'gut feeling' that something is wrong, that is a good enough reason to call your caregivers. Here are some other things that should prompt you to seek help.

• Exercise

• Lifestyle changes

• Healthy eating

• When to call your caregiver

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