Whatever your worries about being pregnant, there is always lots of information available to help you overcome your fears. It may seem that you don't know where to begin looking, especially if you do not know anything about pregnancy. Here are several practical tips for you in the article below.
Start taking pregnancy belly pictures early. Many women like to have early pictures to compare against as the months pass. If you turn out not to want them, you don't have to keep them, but you can't decide later that you want to keep photographs that you never had taken.
Create a birth plan. Having a written document that expresses your wishes for your delivery will help the medical professionals involved understand what you want your experience to be like. Include things like who should be present at the birth and what procedures you want to stay away from during the delivery.
Have someone else fill up the gas tank in your car. These fumes can be harmful. It is always better to ask for help than to risk the health of yourself or your baby.
Pass off the cat litter cleaning duties to someone else once you have found out you are pregnant. Changing cat litter while pregnant can cause you to develop toxoplasmosis. While toxoplasmosis is generally mild to the mother, it can cause serious complications in the fetus. Be safe and just avoid it entirely.
Add 300-500 calories a day to your diet while you are pregnant. Don't forget you are eating for two so you definitely need to increase your caloric intake. Make sure however that you are adding healthy calories into your diet. Adding 500 calories of junk food isn't going to do anything to help you and the baby.
Eat healthy during pregnancy. Both the mother-to-be and her unborn fetus need a balanced diet. Because you are carrying a life within your body, you must take in more calories, about 300 more each day. Remember to eat healthy food products like vegetables and fruit and drink lots of water.
Sleeping will become harder for you during your pregnancy. During the third trimester, sleep on your left side, this will provide you with the best blood flow to your fetus, uterus and kidneys. Remember, not to lay on your back.
Avoid pesticides by eating locally grown organic foods. We don't know how much effect these pesticides can have on a fetus but it is better to be safe than sorry. If not buying organic, stick with items with heavy peels like oranges as they are likely to be less contaminated.
Allow yourself to indulge in some of your cravings. You want to try and maintain a healthy diet during pregnancy, but it is okay to eat some unhealthy foods in moderation. Make sure to stay away from brie and feta cheese, herbal teas and raw sprouts, which could all negatively affect your baby's health.
Talk to your baby. Studies have shown that babies do react to touch from ten weeks in the pregnancy. At later stages they can react to light, your voice as well as other sounds. This will bond you and your baby for life, and while they won't remember any of this, it will definitely help.
Find out what blood type you and your partner have. If you have incompatible blood types, there is a possibility that you could also be incompatible with your baby's blood type. This can lead to a condition called anemia, which causes complications during the pregnancy and birth of your child.
You may find it difficult to sleep during the third trimester. For a more restful slumber try sleeping on your left side with a pillow between your knees. This position alleviates pressure on a the IVC (a large blood vessel in your back,) and increases the blood flow to the fetus.
Reduce or remove the amount of caffeine and sugar in your diet to improve your sleep and overall health. Eating or drinking large amounts of caffeine and sugar are not good for your health or your baby's, plus they can significantly impact the amount and quality of sleep you get.
Make sure to be watching your weight when pregnant. Your doctor should tell you what you should be gaining (usually around 30 pounds), and you want to stick to that. Being severely overweight or underweight can cause health problems (diabetes) and birth defects (cleft palate) for your child. Being overweight can also cause a lot of health problems for you when pregnant.
It is important to take an appropriate amount of B vitamins while you are pregnant. They provide energy and mental clarity. They also have the ability to improve the health of women who are suffering from gestational diabetes. Finally, B vitamins help prevent the onset of depression during each stage of pregnancy.
Figure out what you want your birthing plan to be. Know that it does not have to be written out or formal if that is not your style. It is just so that you know what it is that you will want once you go into labor and can express it to the medical staff. Make sure your partner knows what your wishes are so he can speak for you in case you can not.
There is the risk of experiencing heartburn during pregnancy. There are many foods to avoid if you suffer from heartburn, such as spicy foods, fatty foods, fried foods, citrus fruits, and carbonated drinks.
It is obvious that you should not smoke or drink when you are pregnant, but it is also beneficial to quit or cut back while you are trying to conceive. Exposure to secondhand smoke and excessive drinking can cause fertility problems, in both you and your partner. It is also easier on your body to cut back on alcohol gradually, so it isn't a shock to your system.
It is true that there is a lot to know about pregnancy and knowing where to begin is probably one of the best ways to get started now. The simple and easy to use tips in the above article are the best beginning you can have to make sure you have the information you need.