Pregnancy is a challenging time for the baby and the mother. In the US, stillborn is a major issue pertaining to childbirth. According to CDC (Center for Disease Control), approximately 21000 kids are stillborn yearly, which is quite alarming. Therefore, the unborn baby requires a healthy environment for proper growth and development.
It is true that taking care of your child before birth is more complicated when it is your first time. You don’t have any experience to guide you. Moreover, the stress of the first pregnancy can complicate everything even more.
Whether it is your first time or you already have a birthing experience, some notes of caution and tips can always help. Below are some tips for keeping your unborn child healthy and safe during pregnancy.
So, without further ado, let us get straight to the topic.
Table of Contents
1.Eat a healthy diet
Eating a healthy diet is essential for every pregnant woman. The baby in the womb gets all the nutrients through the mother. Therefore, not eating enough or eating unhealthy food directly affects your baby’s health.
A healthy diet for pregnant women includes fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, fibers, etc. Fruits and vegetables have vitamins and minerals essential for a baby’s development. At the same time, fiber prevents constipation, which can be discomforting for mother and child.
The delivery process is often very difficult, especially when it is a vaginal delivery. But it becomes more complicated when you are ignorant of your and your baby’s diet.
The baby needs to be robust to withstand the pressure of delivery. If your baby is not healthy, its chances of birth injury increase as it is not strong enough to endure labor and delivery.
Your child’s birth injury makes you eligible for legal help from organizations such as Birth Injury Justice Center. These organizations help you fight for your right but only when the birth injury happens due to medical negligence.
Suppose the birth injury happens due to your neglect, such as by ignoring your diet, which causes developmental deficiency in your child. In that case, you cannot receive any legal help or compensation.
2.Take your prenatal vitamins
A healthy diet is very important, but often it is not enough to fulfill your daily dose of vitamins. As a result, most obstetricians recommend their patients take prenatal vitamins and supplements to meet their vitamin needs.
A pregnant woman needs folic acid before and during pregnancy. It is a vitamin found in many supplements and foods. Taking folic acid in the right amount helps with your baby’s brain and spinal cord development.
It often takes a few weeks for a woman to know she is pregnant. But a child’s spinal cord starts developing even before a woman knows about her pregnancy. Therefore, every woman of childbearing age or those planning to conceive must take folic acid supplements. This way, they can strengthen the spinal cord development of their unborn child even before their pregnancy is confirmed.
3.Get awareness about child development
Awareness of pregnancy and the child development process can help prevent many issues and keep your child safe. Learn about child development stages and how healthy children behave in the womb. If your child is not following the same pattern or acting the same way, you can quickly approach your obstetrician.
Also noteworthy is that both parents should be involved in the process. So, talk to your partner about the child’s growth, and meet your doctor together as a family to know what to expect.
Read a few books or blogs on child development, the behaviors of a healthy child in the womb, and alarming signs that require immediate help. The more aware you are, the less you worry about others commenting on your child’s growth. Your knowledge makes you more confident and reduces your response time in an emergency.
4.Choosing food during pregnancy
Pregnant women must be careful about how and what she chooses to eat. For example, it is recommended to drink milk, but you should always drink pasteurized milk. The same rule applies to other dairy products such as yogurt, butter, and cheese. Buying other than pasteurized dairy products may contain bacteria harmful to you and your baby.
Also, avoid fish salads from salad bars; you never know what type of fish they might contain and what effects they will have on your unborn baby. Also, prolonged storage often leads to the growth of Listeria (a dangerous bacteria) in fish.
When buying juices, only buy pasteurized juices. You can find this information on the label. Canned and frozen juices undergo heat treatment; they are not unsafe for you during pregnancy. However, do consider the amount of sugar these packaged juices have.
5.Avoid high sugar consumption
Excessive sugar consumption is not for a gestational woman and the baby growing in her womb. Excessive sugar intake negatively impacts the brain development of your unborn child.
High sugar intake can cause excessive weight gain during pregnancy. Plus, it can contribute to the development of other pregnancy-related complications. Some serious issues resulting from high sugar consumption are preterm birth, Gestational diabetes mellitus, and preeclampsia.
In the US, seven in 100 gestational women report Gestational diabetes mellitus, according to the National Institutes of Health. This condition often goes away after delivery, but the issue is that it can increase your and your child’s risk of developing type-2 diabetes.
If you get a gestational diabetes diagnosis, immediately reduce your consumption of sweetened food, including fruits, and decrease the intake of starchy foods. This will help bring your blood sugar levels down.
Conclusion
A healthy pregnancy requires you to be careful about what you eat and how you select your food. Even a slight mistake can jeopardize the life of your unborn baby. Therefore, you must do everything you can to keep your unborn baby healthy.
Keeping yourself active, ensuring your prenatal vitamin intake, and visiting your doctor regularly are some ways to support the development of your unborn child.