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Even though you are preparing for your baby’s arrival, pregnancy is still an important time for self-care. The more you nurture your health, the more nutrients the baby will receive, preventing issues such as low birth weight. Use these tips to get started as you develop a prenatal plan with your health care provider.

How to Stay Healthy During Pregnancy

1. Eat a Varied, Nutrient-Dense Diet & Hydrate

Reduce pregnancy symptoms such as fatigue, mood swings, morning sickness, and anemia by sticking to a well-rounded diet. Provide yourself and your growing baby with plenty of nutrients from fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein. Consume healthy fats from avocados, nuts, and seeds while getting calcium and iron from organic dairy products and legumes. Drink plenty of water to accommodate increased blood volume and amniotic fluid levels and to prevent dehydration. Aim for 10 eight-ounce glasses per day.

Avoid processed and fried foods to limit consumption of saturated and trans fats as well as sugar. Do not eat unpasteurized dairy products or drink unpasteurized juice to prevent spreading bacterial and parasitic infections to the fetus. Also, avoid fish that could be high in mercury; get your omega 3s from flaxseed instead.

2. Take Prenatal Vitamins

health careTake prenatal supplements containing essential vitamins, such as folic acid, calcium, and iron. Folic acid protects infants from neural tube defects, such as spina bifida, and contributes to healthy spinal cord and brain development, while calcium builds strong bones. Iron helps create hemoglobin, which carries oxygen in red blood cells. The body needs red blood cells to provide organs and tissues with oxygen so that they function at an optimal level during pregnancy.

3. Reduce Your Stress

Monitor your anxiety levels to avoid sending stress hormones to the fetus, and try activities such as meditation and massage therapy to help you relax. Get plenty of sleep to prevent irritation and fatigue and exercise often. Find workouts you enjoy to improve your circulation and mood, get more restful sleep, control your weight, and experience an easier labor. Speak with your health care provider about the best exercises for your pregnancy needs.

 

Discuss these and other health care tips with your physician at Covenant Hospital Levelland. This institution is a local, faith-based hospital founded in 1971. They serve residents throughout Hockley County, TX. Call these health care providers at (806) 894-4963 to make an appointment, find a doctor online, or download the Circle app today!  The Circle app is free, and the information is provided at no cost.  It is available as a Covenant Health version on both iPhone and Android devices.

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