Significant Guidelines for Having Healthy Pregnancy

Pregnancy is a beautiful journey for every mother and can feel like a magic. But it’s natural to feel stressed at that time as pregnancy is the most crucial time for the mother and the developing fetus as well. Pregnancy is the most crucial time for the mother and the developing fetus as well. At this cause serious illnesses, lifelong disabilities such as hearing loss, learning problems, congenital disabilities, etc. Therefore, expectant moms must learn to relax and look after their emotional well-being during pregnancy. Also, mental well-being during pregnancy is as important as your physical fitness, so you need to take care of your mind and body for maintaining a healthy pregnancy.

The key to protecting your health and your baby is to get regular prenatal care. Visiting your doctor regularly and living a healthy lifestyle helps in healthy childbirth. Today, the Digibaby 3D/4D Ultrasound experts will guide you through some tips to follow during pregnancy to protect you and your baby from complications.

Basic Guidelines you must follow during pregnancy to protect you and your baby

1. Keep yourself clean and maintain hygiene 

Keeping yourself hygienic during pregnancy is the essential rule for all, but many women often forget this. A mother needs to keep herself clean during pregnancy to keep her baby healthy in the womb. You must wash and sanitize your hands frequently to protect yourself from infections such as Group B streptococcus, cytomegalovirus, chickenpox, etc. The disease caused to the mother might lead to congenital disabilities and other severe complications to the baby. Keeping your hands clean is the best way to remove germs, avoid getting sick. If soap and running water are not available, you can clean your hands with an excellent alcohol-based hand sanitizer. If you are pregnant, it’s better to let other people open doors and press buttons for you. Keep yourself clean after –

• Using washrooms 
• Touching raw meat, eggs, or unwashed vegetables
• Preparing and eating food
• Around infectious people 
• Touching or handling pets
• Changing diapers 

2. Protect yourself from Zika Virus 

Women who are pregnant or considering conceiving soon should protect themselves from the Zika Virus. This virus can be passed from a pregnant woman to her baby during pregnancy and can cause a severe congenital disability called Microcephaly. Microcephaly is when the baby is born with a smaller head because the brain does not develop properly during pregnancy. In Latin America, the Caribbean, and the Pacific Islands, the cases of babies having Microcephaly is high. Most people get infected due to the Zika virus and do not even know that they are carrying it. It is important for pregnant women to follow complete safety because there is no vaccine or treatment for Zika or Microcephaly. So, if you are pregnant, you need to make sure of the following – 

• Do not travel to areas where there are high chances of getting infected. 
• Take proper advice from your doctor before traveling to areas with Zika and strictly take precautions to prevent mosquito bites. 
• If your partner has traveled to areas with Zika, you must take precautions every time you are about to have intercourse (vaginal, anal, or oral). It helps in the spreading of the infection during pregnancy and protects your baby’s growth.

3. Consult your doctor time-to-time about your vaccinations 

You must take a few vaccines before you become pregnant, during pregnancy, or right after your delivery. It is crucial to get your vaccinations done at the right time as it helps in keeping you and your baby healthy. All the vaccinations done during pregnancy helps in keeping the baby healthy and from getting sick. For example – women who are pregnant should get their flu vaccine on time. 

4.  Avoid getting in contact with people who have the infection 

Infections like chickenpox or rubella cause pregnancy complications and severe congenital disabilities and can even put you at risk for miscarriage or stillbirth. So, staying away from people who have infections is recommended to all pregnant women especially if you didn’t have the vaccines before you conceived. Moreover, during the COVID 19 pandemic, pregnant women should take extra precautions and safety measures such as wearing masks, avoiding crowds, and practicing social distancing.

5.  Stay active every day

It would be best if you do regular exercises during pregnancy as it helps reduce stress, control weight, improve blood circulation, boost mood, and promote better sleep. Exercise is also important for releasing endorphins that lift your mood daily, and it is suitable for your unborn baby, too. Going to the gym or aerobics classes isn’t necessary for staying active during this time. You can stay active by doing regular exercises. Exercises such as walking, swimming, yoga promotes a healthy lifestyle and eases the discomfort caused during pregnancy. Regular exercising while you are pregnant also makes your labor and delivery easier. Drink plenty of water while exercising to prevent dehydration or overheating, especially in your second trimester. Avoid activities or sports which might make you fall, such as skiing, rock climbing, soccer, or basketball.

Consult your doctor to find out how much physical activity is suitable for your health condition. 

6. Take your proper prenatal vitamins  

Even if you are considering conceiving a baby, it is advisable to start taking prenatal vitamins. The baby’s neural cord (which becomes the brain and spinal cord) starts developing during the first month of your pregnancy. Thus, it is advised to take proper essential nutrients such as folic acid, calcium, and iron from the starting of the pregnancy. Prenatal vitamins are readily available in drug stores. You can even take your prescribed vitamin supplements from your doctor. Take proper recommendations from a gynecologist if you feel queasy or sick. 

7. Avoid drinking and smoking during pregnancy

Drinking alcohol and smoking is unhealthy for you and your unborn child. Consuming tobacco, alcohol, illicit drugs, etc., leads to congenital disabilities, miscarriages, and other complications during pregnancy. Smoking cigarettes decreases the oxygen flow to your baby in the womb and may lead to preterm birth, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), miscarriage, and other poor outcomes. It is advisable to not drink alcohol before, during, and while breastfeeding because it increases the chances of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) among babies. FASD causes abnormal facial features, behavioral issues, and learning disabilities in babies. 

8. Consume ‘well cooked’ meat only

Undercooked meat and processed meat may contain harmful bacteria known as Listeria monocytogenes and put you at risk for food poisoning. Raw or undercooked meat also increases the risk of toxoplasmosis. Toxoplasmosis is an infection caused due to the Toxoplasma gondii parasite that can cause damage to the organs of the developing baby, miscarriages, or stillbirth.

Don’t consume more than 2 to 3 servings of fish per week. Avoid the intake of sharks, swordfish, king mackerel, or tilefish as they contain high levels of mercury which causes harm to the baby inside the womb. Make sure to cook meat properly until there is no residual blood or pinkness left. Moreover, you must make sure that all your cooking utensils and the cooking surface is clean beforehand.

9. Take complete care of your prenatal health

To protect and keep the track of your baby’s growth during pregnancy, it is essential to get regular prenatal care. If you think you are pregnant, book your first prenatal appointment as soon as possible. At first visit, doctor generally do a pregnancy test to examine the weeks of your pregnancy and predict your delivery date. Your doctor will check several factors throughout pregnancy, such as your weight, blood pressure, growth and development of your baby, etc. During your pregnancy, you might also have prenatal tests that include blood, urine, and cervical tests, ultrasounds, etc. Depending upon your pregnancy condition, your doctor might call you for several visits. During healthy pregnancy with no complications, your healthcare provider might want you to see in –

• Every 4 weeks until the 28th week of pregnancy,
• Then every two weeks until 36th weeks
• Then one a week until the final delivery

Path to improved health during pregnancy with Digibaby 3D/4D Ultrasound

As mentioned above, it is essential to take complete care of yourself from the first week of pregnancy to the fortieth so that your baby is healthy. Schedule your first appointment at our ultrasound studio to find whether you are pregnant or not. We will review all your medical history to examine your health condition and pregnancy complications (if any).

At Digibaby, we have various ultrasound packages for the parents who are expecting their babies. We will help you listen to your baby’s heartbeat through our special heartbeat bears at just $30-$40. Digibaby is specialized in doing 3D/4D/HD Live Ultrasounds at a genuine cost. We also have a gender reveal package for the parents who want to know whether they are having a baby boy or a girl. Get in touch with Digibaby’s trusted team to experience the magic of seeing your little one on the computer screens.