How To Have A Healthy Pregnancy

One of the best moments in my lifetime is becoming a mother. It's a feeling that only other mothers can understand. From the time I conceived and throughout the next 9 months or so, all I wanted was a healthy baby. Sex, appearance, and color did not matter just a healthy child. A mothers health comes first and should be the primary concern of any expecting mother. I quickly understood that taking care of myself was and still is the most important focus of motherhood.

It is important to follow a certain healthy lifestyle and avoid a few things to insure a healthy baby. An expectant mother must stay healthy by eating nutritious foods. You are not just eating for yourself, but also for your baby. A balanced and nutritious diet must include fruits, vegetables, milk products, meat, and protein daily. A pregnant woman must also consume about a gallon of water a day, to keep herself hydrated and to keep the baby healthy.

Here Are Foods To Avoid

Unpasteurized Products :

• Raw Milk


• Soft cheeses : feta goat cheese, brie, camemberts


• Mexican-style cheeses : queso blanco and queso fresco


• Unpasteurized juice
  

Raw Eggs :

• Raw eggs


• Caesar dressing
  
• Egg nog (unpasteurized)


• Hollandaise sauce


• Cookie batter


• Homemade ice cream

Undercooked Meat:

• Deli meat


• Sushi


• Pates


• Raw seafood, especially shellfish


• Undercooked chicken or meat

Certain Fish:

Following is a link to a chart that shows which fish are safe during pregnancy and which ones to stay away from. www.pregnancy-info.net/foods_to_avoid.html

Other things that pregnant women must avoid that effect the development of the fetus:

• Alcohol or Drugs


• OTC or over the counter medicines


• Consumption of a lot of hot or spicy food items


• Limit caffeine


• Some vitamin supplements


• Jacuzzi’s, Sauna or sun bathing, as it has been found that women with over heated bodes tend to deliver baby’s with neural defects.
  

There several evidences that indicates exercise is very healthy for expectant women. A weekly exercise routine that incorporates both cardio and weights will help you feel better, assist the laboring process, and help shed the baby weight quicker. I exercised throughout my pregnancy, right up to 2 weeks before I had my daughter and returned to the gym when she was 2 months (check with your health advisor for their suggestions). As my pregnancy progressed I modified my workout. It is important to keep moving, listen to your body, and do what you can...every little bit counts!

All of this information is not only useful for expecting mothers, but also pre and post pregnancy. Nursing mothers need to be extra careful about food consumption because it can seep into the mother's breast milk (I will write about the effects of nursing another time). But of course check with your health advisor if you have any questions or concerns about your pregnancy. Stay healthy and enjoy your pregnancy!!!

Sources: www.pregnancy-info.net/ & www.articleclick.com/Article/Pregnant-Women-What-Should-You-Do-or-Avoid-For-a-Healthy-Baby./1185735