1. Eat nutritious food
Health conditions during pregnancy are very dependent on the healthy lifestyle adopted by pregnant women. fill your dinner plate with a variety of healthy foods that are highly nutritious to support the health of yourself and the fetus in the womb.
For mothers, eating nutritious food can help increase stamina, the risk of pregnancy complications to avoid, control weight during pregnancy and stay healthy. By adopting a healthy diet, the health of pregnant women will be much better.
In addition, pregnant women who adopt a healthy diet also tend to avoid depression during pregnancy. The reason for this is, nutritious food helps stabilize the mother’s mood throughout pregnancy. Eating nutritious food from a young pregnancy also helps to optimally prepare the health of pregnant women before delivery.
A varied but balanced nutritional intake also supports the smooth process of the baby’s growth and development and the health of pregnant women. Don’t forget, nutritious food intake can help maintain a healthy fetal weight and prevent the risk of the baby experiencing birth defects.
Nutritious foods that must be consumed in order to maintain the health of pregnant women are:
- Protein Foods, such as hard-boiled eggs, chicken breasts and whole grains (wheat bread and brown rice).
- Foods that contain vitamin C, such as citrus fruits, guava and strawberries.
- Foods and drinks that contain calcium, such as pasteurized milk and green vegetables.
- Iron-rich foods, such as broccoli and beans.
- Foods that contain healthy fats, such as salmon (cooked) and avocados.
- Foods containing folic acid, such as egg yolks and spinach.
Meanwhile, to maintain the health of pregnant women, avoid eating undercooked meat, animal waste and fast food that is high in trans fat as long as pregnant women lead a healthy lifestyle. Also, avoid eating fish that contain high levels of mercury during pregnancy, such as tuna, mackerel and swordfish, so that the health of pregnant women is maintained.
2. Take prenatal vitamins
Taking prenatal vitamins is recommended to maintain the health of pregnant women as an effort to lead a healthy lifestyle. Nutritional intake for pregnant women is actually very fulfilled from daily food. However, vitamins can help fulfill and provide additional nutrients that the fetus needs in the womb.
Pregnancy vitamins generally contain folic acid from the B vitamins. Folic acid plays an important role in the development of the baby’s brain and spinal cord. Folic acid is also useful in preventing the risk of birth defects and maintaining the health of pregnant women.
It is good to drink these vitamins before you get pregnant. Talk to your doctor about which prenatal vitamins you really need. If taking prenatal vitamins makes you nauseous, try taking them at night or chewing gum when you start to feel nauseous.
3. Exercise regularly
Pregnancy is not an excuse not to exercise. Exercise is still an important part of a healthy lifestyle for pregnant women to maintain health during pregnancy.
Exercise helps improve blood circulation and oxygen in the body, strengthens muscles and reduces stress during pregnancy. Sports also support the baby’s intelligence from the womb.
Try to take 30 minutes every day to exercise for the health of pregnant women. There are many sports options which are safe for pregnant women. However, you don’t need to do strenuous exercise. Light physical activities such as walking, swimming or even yoga are generally safe to do during pregnancy.
4. Quit smoking and drinking alcohol
To maintain the health of pregnant women and their uterus for the next 9 months, avoid smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages. Smoking and/or drinking alcohol during pregnancy can increase the risk of miscarriage. These two bad habits can also increase the risk of premature birth, stillbirth, birth defects or low birth weight.But be sure to live a healthy lifestyle for pregnant women that is free from smoking and alcohol.
5. Maintain an ideal body weight
Every woman who is pregnant is recommended to eat nutritious food for the health of the mother during pregnancy. In addition to maintaining health, regular eating also aims to increase the weight of pregnant women so that it is ideal.
Mothers who were of normal weight before pregnancy are advised to gain up to 11.5-16 kg during pregnancy. Meanwhile, if you are very thin since pre-pregnancy, you should gain 13-18 kg of weight during pregnancy. Weight gain greatly affects the health of pregnant women and babies. According to the Indonesian Ministry of Health, weight gain shows the good power supply status of pregnant women and the development of the fetus in the womb. Ideally, you are advised to add 300 calories per day to gain weight and maintain the health of pregnant women.
However, this does not mean that pregnant women can eat as much as possible. The frequency of meal times, portions and types of food must be carefully observed so that you do not become overweight and interfere with the health of pregnant women.
Being overweight during pregnancy can disrupt the healthy lifestyle you have implemented. So, you should consult an obstetrician to get recommendations on how to maintain ideal body weight during pregnancy. Your doctor can help you develop a healthy eating plan that is right for you and can prevent complications such as gestational diabetes.
6. Drink net water
To maintain the health of pregnant women, it is recommended to drink enough water every day. Adequate fluid intake helps smooth blood flow from the heart throughout the body, including in the womb for the fetus to receive. In addition, maintaining a healthy lifestyle for pregnant women by diligently drinking water can also improve the health of the immune system.
Not only this, this habit also helps prevent various types of health problems in pregnant women. There are several problems that can be prevented, namely dehydration, fatigue, anemia, constipation, hemorrhoids and urinary tract infections.
Try to drink 8 to 10 glasses of water a day. So that you don’t get bored of drinking water that tastes bland, try adding slices of lemon, strawberries or lime to add freshness.
7. Diligent hand washing
Washing hands with soap is a habit that pregnant women should incorporate when adopting a healthy lifestyle to maintain a healthy body. Always wash your hands after going to the toilet, before and after eating, before and after cooking, and after handling public goods or facilities.
Diligent hand washing can help kill germs and bacteria that cause illnesses that tend to strike during pregnancy. Various bacteria ranging from invasive, namely Group B streptococci, cytomegalovirus, to toxoplasmosis.
Certain serious infections experienced by mothers during pregnancy can increase the risk of complications as well as the risk of birth defects. Of course, this can interfere with the health of not only pregnant women, but also the fetus. If there is no source of clean water, you can easily use hand washing gel (hand sanitizer) that contains ethyl alcohol so that the health of pregnant women is maintained.
8. Get enough sleep
One important part of a healthy lifestyle for pregnant women that is often forgotten is getting enough sleep. Unfortunately, during pregnancy you will find it easier to get sleepy during the day and have trouble sleeping at night due to hormonal changes.change.
This problem then causes you to sleep less due to an erratic sleep schedule. Even worse,sleep deprivation during pregnancy is associated with complications such as preeclampsia and the risk of cesarean section. The solution: go to sleep as soon as you feel tired or sleepy. Sleep regularly to get enough sleep.
Pregnant women are actually encouraged to sleep longer than usual during the first trimester of pregnancy. Sufficient sleep is also recommended to the childbirth process to run more smoothly and to maintain pregnant women’s health well. According to the American Pregnancy Association, there are several things that can be done so that pregnant women get enough sleep to maintain their body’s health:
- Try a new sleeping position.
- Before going to bed, try taking a warm bath and ask your partner to massage your aching body.
- Set the room temperature and light into the room as comfortably as possible
- Try relaxation techniques, as you might in thestall class learned
- If you still have trouble sleeping, try reading books, eating small snacks such as fruit or drinking warm milk
- Exercising regularly during the day can also facilitate sleep at night
- Take short naps of about 15 minutes a day. Too much sleep can actually make it difficult for pregnant women to sleep at night.
9. Avoid excess stress
The reason sleep is so important to maintaining the health of pregnant women is because one of its important benefits is stress relief. Severe stress that disturbs the mind and heart of pregnant women can affect the development of the baby in the womb.
For that, try to find out what is causing your stress.cur Dra your worries to the closest person or partner so that all the burdens on your mind can be reduced. After that, you can try deep breathing techniques or meditation to relieve stress. Yoga during pregnancy is just as good to kill fatigue in the soul, you know!
Read also: Recognize the Characteristics and Dangers of Leaking Amniotic Fluid
Take time to do things you enjoy and are good for your health so you don’t get stressed out during pregnancy. Watching TV, listening to music, going for a walk with your partner or friends, knitting can be a choice of activities to deal with annoying stress.
If your stress is unbearable, get a therapist or psychologist to help you get to the root of the problem and work on it. If you find it difficult to implement the healthy lifestyle mentioned, ask for support from your partner so that everything feels lighter to live with.
Read also: Various complaints of pregnant women and practical ways to overcome them
