
Expecting a baby can bring tremendous happiness and joy. It is an exciting and unique occasion for parents and can be a beautiful journey from pregnancy to birth. Although the feeling of an upcoming baby might be overwhelming for some parents, it is crucial to ensure that parents are mindful of the factors that can impact their baby’s health.
Perhaps the most evident sign of pregnancy is the happiness and smiles it brings to a family. However, many people fail to understand that pregnancy is an exhilarating yet bumpy ride. Pregnancies can have lasting impacts on parents’ mental and physical health and can ultimately affect the baby before birth. This article extensively covers important tips for expecting parents to assist them in this long journey.
Stay Hydrated
During pregnancy, ensuring your body stays hydrated throughout the day is vital. Hence, water must be a fundamental part of your everyday diet to support your body’s increasing needs. Pregnant women routinely produce extra blood, build new tissues and transport nutrients to the fetus. These vital functions can not be executed without sufficient water intake.
Hence, having the right amounts of water can be crucial for an expecting mother and her baby’s growth. On average, the recommended intake of water is eight to twelve glasses. Moreover, consuming the right amounts will also prove helpful against common UTI infections, constipation, and tiredness.
Engage in Physical Activity
Pregnancy can lead to a feeling of exhaustion and fatigue among mothers. Hence, engaging in physical activity that improves your mental and physical well-being is critical. However, ensure that such physical activities are safe because the child’s safety comes first! Extreme exercises such as running always pose a risk of serious injuries. You want to ensure that there is no risk of brain damage at birth.
Choosing the right exercises for you is imperative to kill fatigue. Opting for activities such as Pilates and Yoga are always helpful in engaging your body and helping fight mood swings. However, a casual walk around the park is also a frequent and effective option to practice during the day. However, ensure that you have your doctor’s approval for these exercises, and the impact will be noticeable from day one.
Avoid Alcohol
Although this might feel needless to mention, some parents end up making this mistake. Consuming toxins can have extreme effects on a pregnant mother and her baby. Heavy alcohol consumption is known to hinder brain development and can have lasting impacts on the baby. Even minute amounts of alcohol can be sufficient to have adverse effects. Therefore, it is vital to eliminate the consumption of alcohol.
Avoid Smoking
The impacts of smoking during pregnancy can be harsh for both the mother and the fetus. Parents are strictly advised not to smoke throughout the duration of pregnancy. However, smoking during the fifth to tenth week after the last menstrual cycle is the most dangerous period for the development of a fetus. The devastating impacts that smoking can have on the baby include tissue damage, low birth weight, and in worse cases, death during infancy. If you are addicted to smoking, we recommend either quitting smoking before you get pregnant or consulting with a doctor at your earliest.
Munch on Fruits
While there are limited options to munch on during pregnancy, snacking on fruits is always a great choice. During pregnancy, fruits can be your lifesaver to maintain a healthy diet. The natural sugars in most fruits can uplift your energy levels. Moreover, fruits carry vital nutrients and vitamins which are fundamental for the development of a baby during pregnancy. Hence, don’t forget to ensure that fruits are a part of your daily diet during pregnancy.
Stay Hygienic
The importance of hygiene while carrying a baby cannot be understated. The need for maintaining a hygienic lifestyle increases during pregnancy since pregnant women tend to sweat more. Hence, staying clean is imperative to avoid picking common infections that can have significant effects on your body. A common yet effective way to ensure cleanliness is to routinely wash hands, use sanitizers, and take frequent showers. These techniques will help you avoid infection and make you feel fresh and energetic.
Travel
If you have been a fan of traveling, pregnancy should not come as a hurdle for you. Having a change in your surroundings is always recommended. While most women experience tiredness and mood swings, traveling can help eliminate them. So, book that ticket, and travel to your favorite city.
While traveling, however, it is imperative to ensure that you take relevant safety precautions. Ensuring the safety of your baby and you should be a priority while you explore new surroundings. Traveling to places where you are comfortable with temperatures might be a decisive factor. Further, staying hydrated and ensuring that you do not exhaust yourself on a trip are vital tips to be mindful of!
Pregnancy Cravings
If you’re expecting a baby soon, know that pregnancy cravings are real. Yes, pregnancy cravings are common and are routinely experienced by an expecting mother. They are natural — caused by hormonal changes in the mother’s body. It is vital to understand that most of the time, giving in to such desires is recommended. As long as the cravings do not call for the consumption of restricted items such as alcohol, there’s no risk.
Stay In Touch with Your Doctor
Pregnancy can be a confusing time for expecting parents. If it is your first child, understanding which painful sensations and symptoms are common and which symptoms are warning signs can be tricky to comprehend. Hence, it becomes imperative to stay in constant contact with your doctor and keep them informed regarding your symptoms. A trained professional will know if the symptoms you experience are abnormal or routine.
Conclusion
The feeling of becoming future parents is unmatched. Expecting a baby can bring excitement, joy, and life into the house of any family! However, the period before the child’s birth is sensitive. Expecting parents should realize the importance of certain decisions and factors and how they can impact their parenthood and their baby’s growth.