Healthy Pregnancy Wellness Guide
As part of Women’s Health Week, we explore our CG Zest Wellness Pregnancy resources and useful wellness tips that you can utilize firsthand or share with someone close to you in your life that is embarking on this journey.
You are preparing to bring a new bundle of joy into the world. During this time, you have probably spent so much time worrying, planning, and purchasing all of the things that the baby will need, but have you taken the time to consider what you may need? How have you been taking care of yourself during this pregnancy?
While many family members and friends are primarily concerned with the upcoming arrival of the baby, we want to remind you that is also important to take care of yourself.
Here are 7 Wellness tips to help you increase your chances of having a healthy pregnancy and healthy baby.
1. Eat healthy foods
Be sure to incorporate a healthy balance of foods as you are now providing nutrients for yourself and your baby. Eat lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, calcium-rich foods, and foods low in saturated fat. Avoid food such as deli meats, raw or rare meats, liver, sushi, raw eggs, soft cheeses (feta, brie), and unpasteurized milk. Avoiding these foods will help prevent you from consuming bacteria that can harm your baby.
2. Take a daily prenatal vitamin and attend your prenatal visits
Taking a daily prenatal vitamin ensures you get the appropriate amount of key nutrients such as folic acid, iron, calcium, and DHA, which you and your baby will need throughout pregnancy. These vitamins play an important role in bone, vision, and brain development. You should also attend regular prenatal care visits with an OBGYN. It is important to keep track of your and your baby’s progress and be advised early on if any complications may arise.
3. Stay Hydrated
You should aim to drink 8 to 12 cups (64-96 oz) of water every day. Drinking water can prevent constipation, hemorrhoids, UTIs, fatigue, headaches, swelling, and other uncomfortable pregnancy symptoms. During pregnancy, your blood is also supplying oxygen and essential nutrients to your baby through the placenta and carries waste and carbon dioxide away. This means your blood volume increases up to 50% to handle all this extra activity. Therefore, you need to drink more water to support the blood volume increase.
4. Abstain from drinking alcoholic beverages and smoking
This one goes without saying but shouldn’t be left off our list. Refrain from drinking alcohol during your pregnancy. Consuming alcohol during pregnancy can increase the risk of having a baby with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder which can cause abnormal facial features, severe learning disabilities, and behavioral issues. Smoking is also very unhealthy and dangerous for you and your baby. Smoking while pregnant can lead to sudden infant death syndrome, premature birth, miscarriage, and other poor outcomes.
5. Get ample rest
It is very difficult to maintain the same lifestyle before pregnancy during pregnancy, especially if you are exhausted and uncomfortable most of the time. Be sure to give yourself grace and rest when it is needed. Ample sleep (7-9 hours) is important for you and your baby. Try to sleep on your left side as this position helps to facilitate blood flow to the heart, kidneys, and uterus, and improves the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the fetus.
6. Get moving
Maintaining daily exercise and activity is very beneficial to you and your baby. Daily exercise can help to reduce stress, improve circulation, and boost your mood. It can also encourage better sleep. However, based on certain pregnancy risks, exercise may not be recommended for you. Be sure to check with your healthcare provider to determine how much physical activity is right for you.
7. Take time out for yourself
Due to the many physical changes your body will endure and the hormone changes, your mood can be altered very easily. Be sure to do something that you enjoy every day. It is important to remember to put time aside to take care of yourself. This can be as simple as listening to music or taking a warm bath. Partaking in such activities can assist you in reducing stress which is crucial for improving birth outcomes.
Are you a CG Zest Wellness Ultimate member and looking to incorporate more into this journey? From the first trimester to bringing your baby home, we provide you with over three months of daily content to have a healthy start, stay motivated, and finish strong with a healthy baby and happy parent with our Pregnancy Journeys on the CG Zest Wellness platform, powered by Virgin Pulse.
References
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/nutrition-during-pregnancy
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/exercise-during-pregnancy
https://www.parents.com/pregnancy/my-body/pregnancy-health/healthy-pregnancy-tips/
