Tips For A Healthy Pregnancy

Giving birth will no doubt be one of the most magical moments of your life and to ensure that your child is strong and happy, it is important you do all you can to have a healthy pregnancy. To help you and your baby on your way, this article has compiled a number of tips that are guaranteed to make those nine pregnancy months the best they can be!

The first thing you must do when you find you are pregnant is to visit an obstetrician/gynecologist (OBGYN). They will give you an ultrasound to see how far along you are and whether your pregnancy appears to be normal. This stage is crucial and it is important not to leave this too late.

After this, you must begin to change your lifestyle. Remember, you are no longer eating and exercising for yourself but for two! Firstly, if you are a smoker or a drinker, you must quit. Cigarette smoke can lead to low birth weight in babies as well as miscarriages and tubal pregnancies so try to avoid second hand smoke as it is not conducive to a healthy pregnancy. The same can be said for alcohol and other toxic chemicals and substances such as paint fumes. These items are both damaging to the mother and to the pregnancy.

Another part of changing your lifestyle is your diet during pregnancy. Make sure to drink plenty of water – about 6 to 8 glasses a day. It is not healthy to be overweight or underweight during a pregnancy but do remember that you shouldn't diet during pregnancy. Pregnancy is not a time to be worrying about your weight! Don't skip meals as you and your baby need as much nutrition and calories as possible, although not the fattening kind so make sure you get a balance. Junk food is great to satisfy those crazy pregnancy cravings but try not to go overboard!

If you are worried about weight gain during pregnancy, a great alternative to dieting is light exercise. You may not have loved it before your pregnancy, but learn to love it now as it will definitely pay off in the long run by keeping your baby healthy and your body fit. Light exercises will not harm your pregnancy so try swimming, yoga and walking.

An additional healthy pregnancy tip that those with busy schedules tend to forget is the importance of sleep. Make sure to get plenty of rest so that you and your baby can recuperate and to ensure that your immune system is as strong as possible. It is advised that you rest on your side to reduce swelling and generate the best circulation to your baby.

To recap: avoid damaging substances such as nicotine and alcohol, don't diet during pregnancy, drink plenty of water, practice as much exercise as safely possible, and get plenty of sleep! Following these pregnancy tips will make certain that you have a healthy pregnancy and have a happy and fit child.

by: Sarah Mitchell

Skin Care Tips for Pregnancy

Pregnancy hormones can cause your skin to do crazy things. By adjusting your beauty routine to compensate, you can avoid many common skin complaints during your pregnancy.

Your skin can go a little crazy during pregnancy, thanks to the extra hormones rushing around in your body. Just because you are pregnant doesn´t mean you have to suffer through nine months of blotchy skin, though. In fact, this is the ideal time to get healthier skin in general.

Cleansing your skin during pregnancy is essential if you want to keep hormone-related outbreaks to a minimum. Since your skin may be more sensitive than normal, it may be beneficial to use a soap designed for sensitive skin. A glycerine based soap is perfect for this purpose. Avoid harsh astringents, even if you feel that your skin is very oily. Instead, try a gentle scrub of raw quick oats to remove excess grease. You should also not wash more than a couple times per day or your skin could end up very dry.

One of the best things you can do, both for your baby and your skin, is drink a lot of water. This helps flush the toxins out of your body and not only leaves your skin fresh and glowing, but can prevent hypertension during the final trimester, which can stretch your skin and damage it. So, up your water intake and keep that healthy shine.

Pregnancy can make you more susceptible to sun damage and you may find that you now tan unevenly or develop unsightly splotches. To prevent this from happening, try to stay out of the sun when it is at its strongest (usually 11 am to 3 pm) and use a good product with SPF of at least 15, if not higher. Also, to prevent discoloration problems, make sure you use a sunblock whether or not it is sunny out, since harmful rays can make it through clouds as well.

Should you experience a major breakout during pregnancy, be careful what you use to treat it. Certain acne treatments may be dangerous for your baby, especially during the first three months which is when most pregnant women find themselves battling pregnancy acne. Avoid using over the counter remedies until you have talked to your doctor about their safety. You can use a natural remedy such as witch hazel, though, without harmful effects.

If you use makeup, try to use a light layer to let your skin breathe. Most women will want to use a foundation or concealer to even out the natural variations in coloring that occur during pregnancy, but if you go this route, be sure to wash it off every night before going to bed. Leaving makeup on can block up pores and cause more outbreaks. Combined with the hormones of pregnancy, you could be in for some major trouble if you don´t clean off your makeup and cleanse your skin regularly.

Skin care during pregnancy doesn´t need to be overly complicated, but you will need to take a bit more care than usual. Try to use fairly natural skin care products, as some chemicals can affect your unborn child. If in doubt, talk to your doctor. Apart from that, you should be able to enjoy a healthy pregnancy, for both your skin and your body.

Exercise After Pregnancy

Generally most women can begin a formal exercise program within 6 weeks of giving birth, though this time frame might be slightly longer for some women, including those recovering from a C-section. Most women recovering from a C-section will be able to exercise after there incision has healed and their doctor has cleared them for exercise.

Just how soon you begin an exercise program will depend in part on how you feel. If you had an easy delivery with no tearing and few interventions and regularly exercised prior to birth, you may feel up to some light exercise within 2 weeks of giving birth.

If this is the case, your doctor will probably allow you to engage in some light activities, including walking. Strenuous activity should generally be avoided however until several weeks after birth.

For some women however, even light exercise in the weeks following delivery is not possible. If you had an episiotomy or tore severely while delivering for example, your body may not physically be ready for a formal exercise program for at least 4-6 weeks after birth (note… this is also how long most physicians recommend that women abstain from intercourse!).

How soon you begin exercising thus depends on your body and your unique situation. Be sure you consult with your physician before embarking on a new exercise program regardless of your activity level before and during pregnancy.

Let's say that one more time because it is important… YOU MUST CONSULT WITH YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IF YOU WANT TO EMBARK ON AN EXERCISE PROGRAM. Your body goes through a lot of physical trauma when you deliver a baby. Starting an exercise program too soon will delay your recovery and could potentially injure your body permanently. It may also take you longer than six weeks to heal fully if you start exercising too soon.

Now, if you feel better and capable of working out before you hit the six week mark, don't hesitate to contact your healthcare provider. Most will encourage light exercise including walking, and some may encourage other types of activity particularly if you were active before you got pregnant.

Each and every individual is unique and different, thus their ability to return to a regular exercise routine will vary after delivery. It is important that you listen to your body.