Pregnancy is a pleasant experience that motivates a woman to make positive changes in her diet, exercise, and lifestyle. The sooner you make adjustments, the better you’ll be able to adopt healthier routines. 

Ultimately, your child will benefit from those healthy lifestyle choices, and you could set a good example for your family this way.

• Pregnant women produce 50% more blood to support the growing baby and placenta.
• Exercising during pregnancy can lead to shorter labor and faster recovery postpartum.
• Pregnant women’s sense of smell often becomes heightened, possibly as a protective mechanism.
• The baby can hear and respond to sounds from around the 18th week of pregnancy.
• Consuming nuts during pregnancy may lower the baby’s risk of developing allergies.
• The position of the baby in the womb can affect the mother’s cravings and digestion.

When you get pregnant, the first thing you should do is see an obstetrician or gynecologist. You’ll have an ultrasound to check the pregnancy’s progress and ensure everything goes smoothly. 

This is a very crucial step, so you should not delay visiting your gynecologist to get pregnancy advice.

After getting confirmation about the pregnancy, try to change your lifestyle. First, motivate yourself by ensuring that you are not only eating and exercising for yourself only but you are eating for two people now. 

Taking healthy food during pregnancy is essential for the health of the mother and the fetus. Then move towards adopting positive changes in your lifestyle. If you are a smoker, skip it now because both active and passive smoking can be dangerous at this stage.  

If you smoke actively during pregnancy, it increases the chances of miscarriage. Similarly, smoking passively increases the chances of a low birth weight baby and sudden infant death. So, both types should be avoided for safety concerns. Besides this, you should also try to stay away from toxic chemicals like paint fumes and alcohol. 

Exposure to all these chemicals can damage your health and negatively affect the health of your child. 

Altering your nutrition is another aspect of adopting a healthier lifestyle during pregnancy. Just don’t restrict your diet during this stage because if you are too heavy or too thin, you can negatively affect the baby’s development both ways. 

It’s not the time to get obsessed about your weight when expecting a baby. So, do not skip meals; try to ensure your child’s excellent nutrition status through healthy eating. Do not try to get more calories from junk foods. Instead, prefer healthy choices. 

Intake of folate-rich foods mainly appears effective during pregnancy. Take folate-rich foods like fortified cereals, asparagus, lentils, and orange juice in every meal of the day. 

Folic acid is essential for the proper development of a baby’s neural tube and the production of red blood cells. 

Weight gain is an obvious outcome of the pregnancy and the best alternative to avoid this heavyweight is light exercise. You might not be doing any exercise before it, but when you get confirmation about the pregnancy, start it immediately. 

Light exercise appears helpful in delivering a healthy baby and keeps you fit as well. So, take a start with mild activities which do not pose any threat to your health. 

I prefer doing light workouts, such as swimming, yoga, and walking, as these are the safe choices.

Have at least 8 hours of sleep at night and if you are suffering from sleep disturbances, then try to nap during the daytime as well. And visit your physician if the situation does not improve. 

Your sleep position matters a lot during pregnancy. If you lie on your side with the knee bents, it appears the most comfortable position as your pregnancy progresses. It makes heart functioning easier. 

Lying on your side reduces the chances of leg hemorrhoids and swelling. For more comfort, place pillows underneath your belly and behind your back.

Intake of prenatal vitamins is essential. It is often advised to take these vitamins as soon as you learn about your pregnancy and even when you are trying to conceive. 

The reason is that the neural tube of the baby, which later develops into the brain and spinal cord, starts forming in the first month of pregnancy. So it’s advised to take these nutrients like folic acid, calcium, and iron from the start. 

These prenatal vitamins are easy to access and are available online and in pharmacies. Avoid their intake before getting a prescription from your physician. If you feel queasy after taking any vitamin, try taking it at night or with a snack. 

You can also feel better if you take chewing gum or candy after it.

During pregnancy, your skin becomes more sensitive to sunlight. You become more prone to develop sunburn and chloasma, which is a combination of dark blotchy spots that appear on the face. 

So, apply sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher, and wear sunglasses and a hat to avoid sunburn.

During pregnancy, the major supply of oxygen and nutrients to the baby is carried through blood. Removal of waste and carbon dioxide is also done this way. As a result, blood volume increases up to 50% to support this activity. So, drink more to keep that gain. 

Appropriate water intake prevents constipation, hemorrhoids, headache, fatigue, swelling, and uterine tract infections. 

Try to have at least 8 to 10 glasses of water every day, and if not that, try adding a squeeze of lime or fruit juice to enjoy different tastes.

If you are expecting your first baby, you can take help from childbirth classes that often prepare you for smooth delivery. Some caretakers will provide you with the best care and knowledge about childbirth and infant care. 

You can get the answers to your queries from those health care providers. In short, these classes make you aware of every minor aspect of a healthy pregnancy.

A report shared by the journal ‘March of Dimes’ states that around 10 to 20% of ladies face the symptoms of depression during pregnancy. This consistent stress increases the chances of preterm birth. Being sad, angry, guilty, or having zero interest in any activity are some significant symptoms of depression. 

So, whenever you feel any of it, inform your physician immediately. Antidepressants or counseling therapies will work for you while preventing these symptoms.

It’s always important to eat healthy foods, and it becomes more critical when you are pregnant. Many pregnant women do not ensure efficient intake of essential nutrients like calcium, iron, vitamin D, folate, and protein. So eat meals containing these specific nutrients. You can consult a dietitian and get a monthly or weekly pregnancy meal plan. Providing the finest possible health care is one of the greatest gifts you can give him. 

So, try to eat well and establish healthy habits for your child’s health.