Pregnancy is an exciting time and has so many memorable moments, both big and small, but it can be a complicated journey. You’ll be getting a lot of advice from just about everyone about certain dos and don’ts during pregnancy. You will have to decide what is important to you.
Staying healthy during this period should be a priority for you. Here are 4 tips that are focused on keeping you in good overall health.
1. Maintain Healthy Eating Habits
While it is important to eat healthy foods year-round, the stakes are that much higher during pregnancy. Your body needs all of the nutrients it can get to develop a healthy baby while sustaining yourself. That being said, try not to fall into the misleading notion of ‘eating for two’. You want to give your baby the best start in life, so make sure you focus on the quality of your diet and not the quantity.
It will be very tempting to give in to your food cravings, but pregnancy is no excuse to sideline your healthy eating habits. Try to eat foods that are rich in calcium, folate, and fiber, these include lentils, oranges, canned fish, and fortified cereals.
A balanced diet includes the following food groups:
- Lean meats
- Vegetables
- Fruits
- Low-fat dairy
- Whole grain bread
2. Stretching During Pregnancy
A daily stretching routine can help with muscle cramping and pain that are commonly experienced during pregnancy. Furthermore, stretching improves your posture and gives the baby more space to grow comfortably. But you have to be selective about the types of stretching techniques you can perform; our recommendation is to do some prenatal yoga.
Prenatal yoga is designed for pregnant women, so they are gentle and safe enough to perform through the different stages of your pregnancy. Check out this video to learn more.
3. Continue to Exercise
As long as your doctor hasn’t objected to you lifting weights during pregnancy, it is okay to continue to exercise. There are several benefits of exercise that you don’t want to miss out on. That being said, there are certain things that you should avoid, including:
High-intensity cardio: High-intensity cardio can take a toll on your body, especially if you’re dealing with morning sickness. It is better to switch to low-intensity cardio instead. This video here contains the complete prenatal cardio workout (without equipment).
Don’t Lift to Failure: Lifting to failure is commonly done to increase muscle mass and strength. However, you should not push too hard during pregnancy. Instead, select lighter weights and compensate by doing more reps.
4. Stay Hydrated
Water is essential when you’re pregnant. It plays a critical role in the proper development of your baby. Our advice is to find a water bottle you love and keep it full and close to you. Experts recommend drinking around 10 cups of total liquids every day during pregnancy.
Wrapping Up
It is important to take care of yourself and your developing baby throughout every stage of the pregnancy. This doesn’t mean you should completely change your daily routine. All you need are a few tweaks and you’re good to go.