Your Pregnancy: Taking Care Of Yourself
Pregnancy Nutrition
You have heard it more than once. You are eating for two. But that really is a myth. The truth is that you need to eat a healthy balanced diet. What is that? Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein.
Weight Gain During Pregnancy
Gaining too much or too little weight during pregnancy can be harmful to you and the baby. Women who gain too much weight or gain weight rapidly are at risk for a miscarriage, a pre-term delivery or a very large baby.
Dealing With Stretch Marks
Stretch marks are shiny streaks in the skin that usually appear on the abdomen, breasts, thighs, hips or buttocks. It is caused by the stretching and weakening of elastic tissues and is a common result of pregnancy.
Pregnancy and Exercise
So many people believe that you should be sedentary during pregnancy but quite the contrary. Exercise will help you stay in shape and most importantly prepare you for labor and delivery. Exercise has been known to ease or prevent common pregnancy discomforts such as back pain and fatigue. It certainly will assist in preventing too much weight gain. Exercise also has been known to decrease the risk of postpartum depression.
Prenatal Care
The sooner one begins prenatal care, the healthier they and the baby will be. Even if you have been pregnant before and had a healthy baby, skipping prenatal care can truly be dangerous to both a woman and her baby. So even if you haven’t started prenatal care, it is not too late to begin.