Guest Article: Pregnancy Health for Mother and Baby

All expectant mothers want to experience a healthy pregnancy and give their baby the best start to life that she can with a healthy delivery. When armed with the right information, all expectant mothers can do their part to contribute to the health of themselves and their babies. Listed below are several ways to maintain health during pregnancy.

The first step is to visit her doctor, throughout pregnancy, on a regular basis. At the beginning of her term, a doctor can make health recommendations, in terms of exercise, diet and overall healthy, for a mother’s pregnancy. A doctor can also guide a mother when she begins planning for what type of delivery she would like to have. With the amount of choices for a woman to opt in or out of during and after delivery, like pain medicines and umbilical cord blood banking for example, a doctor is the best resource for asking questions about how each of the medical processes work.

For most women, remaining active throughout pregnancy is key to maintaining health. Except for those with high-risk pregnancies, regular, moderate workouts can provide amazing benefits. These benefits include a boost in mood and energy, better quality of sleep and reduced risk of gestational diabetes and high blood pressure. Studies have also shown that exercise during pregnancy can aid during labor and postpartum healing.

The best types of exercise for expectant moms are ones that aren't too strenuous or hard on the body. Exercises that involve heavy lifting, climbing and excess bouncing should be avoided, as should any dangerous or extreme sports where injury is possible. Walking is a great exercise option for expectant moms, and it can be done from the first trimester though the last. Swimming is another great choice, as it causes very little impact to joints and the rest of the body.

When it comes to pregnancy diets, a good rule of thumb is for moms to think about what they're eating, and ask themselves if they would feed that particular food to their babies. Foods high in fat and calories should be avoided whenever possible, as they can increase risk for diabetes and high blood pressure and decrease energy. Aside from the occasional indulgence, expectant mothers should stick to a balanced diet that is filled with lean protein, whole grains and fresh fruit and veggies.

Three meals a day is recommended, along with several healthy snacks between meals. Skipping meals is a major no-no during pregnancy, as it leads to fatigue and dangerously low blood sugar levels. Caffeine, artificial sweeteners and excess sugars should be eliminated from a pregnancy diet, as well as foods high in fat and cholesterol. In addition, fish that contains mercury, such as tuna and swordfish, should be avoided as well.

One surefire way for moms to get the vitamins and minerals needed during pregnancy is to take a daily prenatal supplement. These vitamins contain essential ingredients that will help ensure the health of both mother and baby. For example, prenatal supplements contain folic acid, or folate, which helps guard against birth defects, and calcium for healthy bone density. Prenatal vitamins are often associated with nausea and upset stomach, and should therefore be taken with meals.

With all of the resources and options available to a mother, working with her doctor to maintain her health to provide the best environment for a baby to develop in will be well worth the effort when she holds her newborn baby for the first time.

“Katie Moore has written and submitted this article. Katie is an active blogger who discusses the topics of, motherhood, children, fitness, health and all other things Mommy. She enjoys writing, blogging, and meeting new people! To connect with Katie contact her via her blog, Moore From Katie or her twitter, @moorekm26.”