How to Live Healthy During Pregnancy

Congratulations!
Whether you are newly pregnant or you are planning on becoming pregnant, welcome to one of the best times of your life! Here are some tips for you and your baby to help ensure healthy living for the next nine months and beyond.

Note: Be sure to get prenatal care as soon as you think you're pregnant. It is significant to both you and your baby.

Good nutrition is vitally important to you and your baby during this time. Your meals should include the five basic food groups. Each day you should get the following:

6 - 11 servings of grain products
3 - 5 servings of vegetables
2 - 4 servings of fruits
4 - 6 servings of milk or dairy products
3 - 4 servings of meat or protein foods

If you find that nausea and morning sickness are a problem for you, consider eating five or six smaller meals a day instead of three large meals. Remember that pregnancy is not a time for dieting. Don't stop eating or start skipping meals as your weight begins to increase. You and your baby need the calories and nutrition you will receive from a healthy diet.

Drink extra fluids throughout your pregnancy, especially water. This helps your body keep up with the increases in your blood volume. Drink at least 6 to 8 glasses of water, fruit juice, or milk each day. A good way to determine if you are drinking enough fluid is when your urine appears almost clear or is very light yellow.

Get plenty of rest!

Take 400 micrograms of folic acid a day. Do this before and during the first few months of pregnancy to reduce the risk of birth defects of the brain and spinal cord. All women who could possibly become pregnant should take a vitamin with folic acid daily. It is also important to eat a healthy diet with fortified foods such as: enriched grain products, including cereals, rice, breads, and pastas. Also, foods with natural sources of folate such as orange juice, green leafy vegetables, beans, peanuts, broccoli, asparagus, peas, and lentils.