7 Tips for a Healthy Pregnancy
The ultimate goal of any conception is to enjoy a full-term pregnancy that results in a healthy baby. In order to do that, your health is actually the priority. The bottom line is that babies will take everything they need straight from your body to nourish theirs. So, your job is to make sure you're nurturing yourself well enough to grow a healthy baby - while sustaining a healthy body.
And, because the body is an integrated system, I think it’s just as important to nourish your mind and spirit. Honoring these 7 tips are a good place to start...
1. Prepare your pre-pregnancy body
Your health and well-being should always be a priority, but it’s especially important when you’re trying to have a baby. The reality is that most women don’t find out they’re pregnant until the five- to six-week point; women with irregular periods may not even realize it for eight- to 12-weeks.
That is an important time in a baby’s development because the brain and nervous system are being “built.” While you don’t need to eat 300 to 400 extra calories per day until you find out you’re pregnant, it’s a good idea to follow some version of this post, Eating Well in the First Trimester, from whattoexpect.com
I also recommend honoring some of the following tenets before getting pregnant, because they prime your body for fertility, and make a healthy, pregnancy-centric lifestyle flow more naturally.
2. Make diet a priority (and don’t stress about morning sickness)
Continuing on the lines of eating well, diet really should be a priority when you’re pregnant. As I referenced above, your baby will take what it needs -for example, leaching calcium from your bones- in order to produce his/her own if your diet is calcium deficient. Your pregnant body needs extra protein, higher levels of fiber, specific amounts of various vitamins and minerals, and healthy fats.
If morning sickness is an issue for you during those first 12 to 15 weeks, don’t panic. Your body will be able to make up for it later, but I do recommend:
Eating smaller snacks (even crackers and water, or sips of soup or smoothies) to prevent an empty stomach that exacerbates nausea
Experimenting with ginger pops, sour hard candies, and essential oil smells to see if any of them help to minimize nausea
Making sure you’re resting whenever possible since as overexertion increases morning sickness.
Drink water, water with lemon, decaf teas, bubbly water - whichever is most palatable to you but also keeps you hydrated.
A nourishing diet is also important after the baby is born, so now is a good time to connect with a local nutritionist who can work with you to find simple recipes (or prepare healthy foods and snacks for you), giving you access to quick, easy, delicious and healthy foods when you need them.
3. Avoid smoking, drinking alcohol, and do your homework before using marijuana or ingestible forms of CBD
All-of-the above have been linked to higher-risk pregnancy/health outcomes when they’re used while you’re pregnant. Your baby’s (and your own) safety should always be the priority.
While most people are well aware that smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol are linked with a myriad of health risks for the baby, recent surveys show that CBD use is on the rise for pregnant mothers, namely due to the fact that marijuana is legal in many states, and because dispensaries recommend it as a safe alternative to prescription medications used to treat morning sickness.
Unfortunately, using marijuana via vaping, smoking, or ingestible means has been linked to a higher risk of pre-term labor, and children whose mothers used marijuana during pregnancy are more likely to have learning disabilities, behavioral disorders, and other social-emotional challenges. The US Surgeon General put out a public advisory this past month, and you can read more about it here.
Make sure to speak with a preferred healthcare provider before taking any CBD products or consuming cannabis while pregnant so you can weigh the risks and benefits to make an informed choice.
4. Exercise (moderately) at least five times a week
Exercise has multiple benefits for mothers-to-be, including increased circulation and oxygenation, decreasing swelling in the extremities, minimizing common pregnancy discomforts, and building strength and stamina for your upcoming labor and delivery.
Read my post, Safe Exercises for Expecting Mothers, to learn more about how to get the exercise you need while respecting your expanding body and the baby tucked inside.
5. Treat yourself to a massage and other forms of Tender Loving Care (TLC)
Everybody knows that life after baby is never the same, but you don’t really experience that at the core until - life after baby. Treating yourself to some TLC now is good for your mental and emotional well-being as you prepare for big life changes, but you don’t have to feel guilty about it all since we all know that a healthy heart and mind are integral to a healthy body!
Some ideas include:
Starting each morning with some quiet time and your cup of raspberry tea
Getting a mani/pedi (and paying a little extra for an expanded foot massage)
Taking baths (but not too hot :-) ) with your favorite bath salts and/or essential oils for extra relaxation or heading to the pool for a relaxing float
Investing in a body pillow for more comfortable, sustainable sleep as your belly expands
6. Consider hiring a midwife or doula
Many people associate midwives or doulas with home births and don’t consider them for hospitals or birth centers. However, both can assist you through the entirety of your pregnancy, as well as in the birth room - wherever that may be. Also, both are there for you, on-call, 24/7. This is a tremendous support and gives you access to expert advice, information, and feedback from the day you find out you're pregnant, until the moment you hold your baby for the first time.
In addition to facilitating a healthier pregnancy, a midwife or doula provides peace of mind, and their services continue for up to six weeks or more after your baby is born.
7. Create a birth plan
Your pregnancy doesn’t stop until your baby is born, and so facilitating a healthy labor and delivery is part of the healthy pregnancy plan. Going through this process establishes a more connected relationship with your healthcare provider, helps to get you and your partner on the same page, and allows you to weigh pros-and-cons of various interventions, or what to do when the unexpected occurs.
Visit, How to Plan for the Perfect Birth, for tips on how to create a birth plan that honors your wishes and values.
My name is Marcela Limon and my passion revolves around pregnant mothers and the babies they deliver. I’m a professional maternity and newborn photographer and I’d love to be part of telling your healthy pregnancy story on images from beginning to end. Contact me to schedule your sessions. (510) 747-9019.
