Many women are delaying pregnancy until their 30s and even 40s. This is no more hazardous than being in your 20s as long as you are fit and healthy. Whatever your age, you are likely to have a normal pregnancy and birth, although problems such as infertility and chromosomal defects do become more frequent with the increasing age of both parents.
Should you stop smoking and alcohol?
Smoking is one of the greatest threats to the health of your unborn baby and the major cause of avoidable health problems. The associated risks include miscarriage and stillbirth, damage to the placenta, a low birth weight baby who fails to thrive and an increased chance of fetal abnormalities. Smoking can cause a low sperm count, and a man who continues to smoke while his partner is pregnant risks damaging the health of his unborn baby via passive smoking.
Alcohol is a poison that can damage the sperm and ovum before conception as well as harm the developing embryo. The main risks to the unborn baby are mental retardation, retarded growth and damage to the brain and nervous system -well documented as fetal alcohol syndrome. Alcohol can also cause stillbirth. Research suggests that the effect of alcohol is variable – the only certainty is that there will be no effect if alcohol is avoided.
What should be the diet during pregnancy?
To provide for your baby’s needs as well as your own, note the following tips about diet.
• Complex carbohydrates such as pasta, potatoes or pulses are needed for energy.
• Protein is needed for your baby’s growth. Eat fish and poultry, dairy products, wholegrain cereals, seeds and pulses.
• Don’t cut out fats altogether, but don’t eat too much of them. You will get enough from dairy products and normal cooking methods.
• Get vitamin C daily from raw fresh fruit and vegetables, and the B complex from wholegrain, nuts and pulses, green vegetables, dairy products, eggs, oily fish and meat.
• Iron maintains red blood cells; it is found in red meat, fish, egg yolks, apricot and cereals.
Is it safe to exercise during pregnancy?
Both you and your baby benefit from exercise. Your blood starts circulating freely, there is a blast of oxygen to your baby’s brain, exercise hormones such as endorphin give you both a wonderful high and your baby loves the swaying motion. Exercise increases your strength, suppleness and stamina, which will make pregnancy easier and equip you for the rigors of labor.
But exercise in pregnancy is not just about fitness, it helps you to understand your body, to believe in its power, and it gives you the key to relaxation so that you can cope with fatigue and prepare yourself for the birth.
Whole body exercise
Try to incorporate some exercise into your day, beginning gradually, at a pace that is comfortable. Always stop if you get out of breath or feel pain. Whole body exercise is best as it tones up your heart and lungs, so walking and swimming are excellent. Dancing is good, too, as long as it’s not too energetic. Yoga is ideal because it stretches tight muscles and joints and also relieves tension. Yoga methods can also help with labor and pain relief.
Exercises to avoid
Pregnancy is not a time to learn an energetic contact sport. However, you can continue sporting activities for a while if you are already fit and play often. Don’t engage in sports like skiing, cycling or horse riding after 20 weeks because balance may become a problem from that time. Take it easy with very energetic sports like tennis or squash, and don’t do heavy workouts at the gym, especially tough abdominal exercises.
What about morning sickness?
Though called morning sickness, nausea can occur at any time of the day. Here are some snack foods that you can prepare at home or have at your workplace to damp down the rising nausea during your working day.
• Raw vegetables such as carrots, celery, tender young beans, peas from the pod, tomatoes.
• Slices of whole meal bread dried in the oven.
• Sandwiches made with whole meal bread and hard cheese.
• Nuts, raisins and dried apricots.
• Green crisp apples.
• Fresh fruit juices.
• Unflavored natural yogurt with honey.
• Herbal teas.
• Milkshakes made with skimmed milk.
• Juicy fruits such as peaches, plums and pears.
0 comments: