10 steps to ensure a healthy pregnancy

The nine months pregnancy journey is no less than a roller coaster ride. From the backache, nausea to the joy of becoming a mother, the journey of pregnancy can be overwhelming. Here are 10 simple steps that can help you have a healthy pregnancy and thus a healthy baby.

Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables

Add a variety of stir fry vegetables to your everyday diet. Fruits and vegetables are a great way to provide your body with the nutrients required to make a healthy baby.

Keep up the iron

Eat plenty of iron-rich foods to keep up your iron levels and prevent anemia. Have vitamin C with iron to improve the absorption of iron in the body. For this, you can add some lime to your dals, fruits, and meat curries. You can also have a glass of orange juice and nimbu pani to increase the absorption of iron in the body.

Stay hydrated

Keep a bottle of water handy with you. Also, include water-rich vegetables and fruits like cucumber, tomato, bottle gourd, watermelon, and cantaloupe in your diet. You can also have shakes, smoothies, juices, and coconut water to increase your overall water intake.

Take folic acid supplements

Folate is a naturally occurring type of folic acid, which is present in green vegetables, lentils, and fortified breakfast cereals. But you will still need supplements to get enough to keep your baby healthy during the first three months of pregnancy.

Keep healthy snacks handy

Keep some pre-prepared healthy snacks like dried apricots, almonds, fresh fruits, protein bars, and cereal bars ready with you.

Get adequate sleep

Getting into bed and staying comfortable might be one of the biggest challenges during pregnancy. Try to lie down on your left side, use an extra pillow to make yourself more comfortable. Lying on the left side increases the blood flow in all the organs and puts less pressure on the belly.

Get active

While it might not be easy, exercising regularly can help you cope up with the physical and emotional demands of being pregnant. Staying active also helps with the smooth delivery, for which most of us are scared.

Do not eat

Blue-veined cheeses, undercooked or raw meat, eggs with a runny yolk, and papaya are a big no during pregnancy. You can have eggs but make sure they are hard-boiled.

Manage stress

Too much stress can wreak havoc on your mental and physical health. Try to do some yoga, deep-breathing exercises, stretching, or just taking a short walk to manage stress.

Do not have too much caffeine

Make sure not to have more than 200 mg of caffeine per day, which is one cup of brewed coffee, four cups of tea, or two cans of energy drinks. Choose herbal teas or decaffeinated drinks.

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