Neha Arti 
As your pregnancy progresses, there are various things that you should keep in mind for a safe and healthy pregnancy. Your doctor is the best person to guide you on various things to avoid and do to have a healthy and safe pregnancy without complications.
The most important thing to keep in mind is that you should out rightly avoid any activity which carries the risk of falling or injury to your abdomen. Below are some of the do’s and don’ts for a safe pregnancy.
Things to do for a safe and healthy pregnancy:
- Have regular medical check-ups
- Drink plenty of fluids
- Get your vitamins and folic acid as per the recommended daily allowance. For more information on this, you should consult your doctor.
- Eat plenty of proteins as it aids in the healthy development of the baby and the brain
- Have light exercise daily. Doing yoga during pregnancy has many benefits. However, you should consult the trainer before starting it.
- Doing kegel exercises daily not only helps in keeping pelvic muscles strong but also helps in reducing the pain during delivery and recovering from it later.
- Eat plenty of greens
- Take care during traveling abroad as there might be risks associated with local diseases to which one might be not exposed to.
- Share your family history with your doctor if you fear about any complication that might arise due to it.
Things to avoid for a safe and healthy pregnancy
- Consuming Alcohol. Alcohol leads to severe complications to the child’s health
- Smoking
- Taking illegal drugs
- Taking over the counter drugs without consulting your doctor
- Taking Caffeine
- Sports like bicycling, running, downhill skiing, contact sports like football, hockey, etc, gymnastics, amusement park rides, horse riding, surfing, tennis, etc as these carry a risk of falling and injury to the abdomen,
- Eating fish as there are high amount of methylmercury which have severe side effects to the baby development
- Junk food
- Contact with lizards, turtles, snakes as there is a risk of contracting salmonella virus from their feces.
- X-rays. Inform your physician about your pregnancy and proceed only if he/she recommends.
- Using electric blankets and water beds as the electromagnetic fields can cause complications.
- Avoid stress as it not only affects the mother’s health but is also known to cause complications in the pregnancy
- Avoid and limit exposure to fumes of paints, thinners, household cleaning products as they contain formaldehyde which is quite toxic.
- Having uncooked meat and cleaning cat litter boxes as they carry the risk of toxoplasmosis.
- Avoid herpes. If you have it, consult your doctor immediately.
We advise you to consult your doctor immediately if you see any of the following symptoms:
- Dizziness or feeling faint
- Headache
- Fluid leaking from the vagina
- Swelling in the legs along with pain
- Vaginal bleeding
- Chest pain
- Muscle weakness
- Preterm labor
- Decreased fetal movement
The key to a safe and healthy pregnancy is maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Regular exercise, checkups, early to bed and early to rise will go a long way in keeping you and your baby healthy.
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