Pregnancy and Pregnancy Health
A woman's body can go through a lot of changes and challenges from puberty to motherhood. Some women can suffer painful periods every month, which is often accompanied by mood swings and cravings, but these difficulties are only minimal when compared to all the challenges of pregnancy and delivery.
Pregnancy is a delicate human process that requires mothers to be completely safe in her environment, food intake, and medical and chemical exposure. Conceiving a child may be challenging for many, but the journey itself for most pregnant women can be difficult as well as for nine months, mothers need to have optimum nutrition and health to ensure that the baby comes out well.
During pregnancy, a woman's nutritional needs increase significantly as her body will need to sustain fetal development, especially during the first and second trimester which is the most critical stage of development. Obstetricians commonly recommend prenatal vitamins and supplements that consist of folic acid, iron, B vitamins, vitamin D, and prenatal milk, which should all be taken regularly as soon as pregnancy is confirmed. Pregnant women should also be careful when using hair dyes, nail polish, and other beauty products that may have harmful chemicals that can cross the placental barrier and harm the developing fetus.
Even with regular intake of supplements, pregnant women should still maintain a consistent eating pattern as they need more calories depending on their weight prior to pregnancy. These extra calories should be taken from health food choices such as vegetables, fruits, fish, and lean meat. However, foods with too much sugar, fats, and salt should be avoided to prevent pregnancy related disorders such as gestational diabetes and hypertension, which may both cause difficulties or premature labor.
A prenatal checkup such as at Piedmont Womens Center is also an important routine that should be done monthly to ensure that the mother and baby is always in good health and not distressed. An obstetrician is a woman's best friend during pregnancy. These specialty doctors can also recommend fetal anomaly scans and other diagnostic exams to detect early signs of abnormalities and other problems while the child is still in the womb. There are also women's center in most locations that has midwives and other health specialists that can attend to a pregnant woman's needs from conception to delivery. Tests ike ultrasounds http://piedmontwomenscenter.org/ultrasounds/ are imminent.
Maintaining optimum health during pregnancy is not only beneficial for the child's development. It will also help ensure that the mother's health is not compromised and is well enough to face the challenges of labor and delivery. Please visit http://www.huffingtonpost.com/allison-alter/6-strategies-for-surviving-gestational-diabetes_b_9541446.html if you like to know more.
