Pregnancy Care

Prenatal care is very important to make sure you and your baby is healthy. Your obstetrician may advise you to practice various measures to ensure better health and safe pregnancy. Listed below are some of the common measures and therefore the list is not complete.

Maintain a healthy balanced diet by eating nutritious food which contributes your baby’s growth and development. Your doctor may also suggest you nutritional supplements or preparations containing calcium, iron, and folic acid. Folic acid prevents problems in your child’s brain and spinal cord. Folic acid is considered best if use before you become pregnant.
Avoid taking any medicines including over the counter medicines if not suggested by your obstetrician as they may cause birth defects.
Regular exercises may be beneficial during pregnancy as they may relieve the discomfort during pregnancy. Walking and swimming are most preferred and recommended. You must ensure that these exercises are not overdone. You should drink plenty of water to prevent dehydration.
Avoid smoking, taking drugs such as heroin, cocaine, and alcohol as they may cause miscarriage, premature birth, and low birth weight of the infant.
Avoid sitting in a sauna bath or hot tub as heat increases risk of miscarriages and birth defects.
Sleep on your left side as it prevents baby’s weight from applying pressure to the large blood vessels that carry blood to heart, feet and legs.
Avoid tight clothing to prevent varicose vein, swelling, and haemorrhoids in your legs. It also optimizes blood flow to the baby and to your placenta.
Avoid intake of caffeine containing products such as coffee or other drinks as it increases risk of miscarriage. Avoid eating sharks, swordfish, tuna steak, and tile fish as it contains high levels of mercury which can damage the foetus brain.
Avoid cleaning cat’s litter box and eating raw or undercooked meat as it may causes toxoplasmosis, an infection that leads to chances of fetal eye and brain damage, poor growth, and premature birth.