Early Prenatal Care Tips Every Mother Should Know

Motherhood is the most special feeling for every lady. Whether you are about to become a mother for the first time or you have had kids earlier, every pregnancy is unique and special in its own way. There are so many prenatal care tips and advice that you will get from every person you meet – known or unknown! But, it is imperative to remember that mother care is as important as taking care of the unborn child.

Early Prenatal Care Tips Every Mother Should Know

Here, we provide a guide to some of the critical aspects of prenatal care which when taken care of will help you enjoy this cherished time of your life even more.

How Should You Take Care During Pregnancy

While you may be inundated by well-meaning advice from family to the neighbors, it is important to remember that not every advice will be useful or relevant for you. Below is a list of some common but useful information that will help you take care of yourself and your little one during this critical phase of your life. Check out the most important prenatal care tips:

1. Importance Of Regular Exercises – While your doctor may advise you to avoid any form of strenuous physical activity, it is important to keep exercising right through your pregnancy.

You can always contact Mother Care experts, who will tell you light and easy exercises that will help your body prepare for the pregnancy and giving birth. Being active during your pregnancy helps at the time of childbirth as well.

2. When To See Doctor – It is normal to feel a number of emotions as well as physical strains during your pregnancy. You need not visit your gynecologist for every twitch that you feel. But, if you feel any discomfort or any of the following, you must consult your doctor as soon as possible.

If you experience cramps, any kind of pain, dizziness or nausea, strong palpitations, vaginal bleeding or loss of fluids or contractions at 20-minute intervals, reach out to your doctor.

3. Healthy Foods To Eat – As you are aware, gaining anywhere between 10 to 12 kilograms is normal during pregnancy. But, this in no way means that you should eat indiscriminately as the excess weight gain will cause you discomfort and will be difficult to lose later.

Instead, focus on eating healthy foods like lean meat, fresh fruits, sprouts and salads which will help you to satiate the hunger pangs in a healthy manner.

4. Water Consumption During Pregnancy – Drinking water is anyway essential but becomes even more critical during pregnancy. As your blood performs the critical task of providing nutrition and oxygen to your baby in its development stage, you need to consume more water to help support the extra activity of your blood.

Also, proper water intake ensures you avoid health conditions like UTI, which is an extremely important aspect of maternity

5. Proper Prenatal Supplements – While your doctor will prescribe medicines, make sure to ask them about any prenatal supplements that you need to take. The importance of Folic Acid and Vitamins during pregnancy cannot be emphasized.

Also important is the proper quantity of blood hemoglobin and hence most doctors would recommend iron supplements wherever required. Check with your mother care experts about your specific needs and strengthen immunity. This prenatal care tips should not be overlooked.

6. Appropriate Clothing – While you may want to indulge yourself by shopping for all those gorgeous looking maternity wear collections, the overarching consideration must always be a comfort.

This is a crucial stage in your and your child’s life and one time where comfort supersedes all other aspects. Shop for clothes that make you feel comfortable, allow you to breathe and move freely and at the same time are not too flowy, causing you to trip.

7. Appropriate Footwear – Another critical aspect of maternity care is to ensure the care and pampering of your feet. As it is your feet that support your increased weight, it is important to find the right footwear that is easy on your feet.

Avoid heels if you can so that your feet do not feel the extra strain. It is also normal for your feet to swell due to fluids and even increase a whole size. So, go ahead and buy footwear that is one size bigger rather than struggling to fit in shoes of your regular size.

8. Educate Yourself – This is an absolute must prenatal care tips for every to-be mother. Whether this is your first pregnancy or not, try and join a childbirth class.

This helps you not just by giving you an avenue to clear your doubts but also helps to establish a bond with the staff and socialize with others going through the same phase. Overall, a good class is an excellent method of mother care as well as baby care.

Things To Avoid During Pregnancy

As important as it is known what should be done for helping the expectant mother, it is equally crucial to know what to avoid so that you have a healthy pregnancy. Below is a list of some of the common things to avoid.

1. Avoid Alcohol, Smoking, and Drugs – This is almost a no brainer. Each of these items has an adverse impact on the growth of your child and must be completely avoided.

If you are having trouble leaving any of these, consult an expert. This is a critical step of mother care and you must go for it as soon as possible.

2. Avoid Believing Everything You Need – While you may get a lot of well-intentioned advice throughout your pregnancy, you need not follow everything you hear.

Always consult your doctor or a mother care expert to identify what are the things you must follow and what you can ignore.

3. Food To Avoid – Eating is an integral part of the whole pregnancy journey, and you will be encouraged to eat by everyone. At the same time, you should remember to focus on eating healthy. Avoid foods like excess sugar or aerated drinks that can cause more harm than help.

Also, ensure that you control your intake of carbohydrates, but not avoid them completely. Consume food that is rich in Omega 3 Fatty acids like fish as these are essential for the proper development of your child.

4. Avoid Caffeine – Whether you are addicted to your morning coffee or any other form of caffeine, suffice to say it isn’t good for you or your child. The most important prenatal care tips are to avoid caffeine as much as possible and in case you need the sugar rush, try substituting fresh fruits instead, which are a much healthier option.

Consult your mother care expert to know what are the other alternatives that you can consume. For a healthy and happy pregnancy, make sure that you avoid caffeinated drinks at all times.

5. Don’t Take Certain Medications – When you consult your doctor, they will prescribe the relevant medicines and supplements for you. Let them know about any other medicines, supplements or even herbal medicines you might be taking.

If your doctor advises against any of it, listen to them and do not take these medicines. Also, there are certain common medicines like recreational drugs and some over the counter drugs that should be avoided during pregnancy. Let your doctor know before consuming any medicine outside your prescription and ask for their advice.

Author Bio:- A brainchild of IIT alumni Vipin, Abhishek and Garima, Care24 offers professional care from trained caregivers that help the patient recuperate at home. Care24 has been in operation since 2014 and has successfully helped 40000+ families heal at home in Mumbai and Delhi.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author. All About The Woman is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, suitability, or validity of any information on this article. The information appearing in the article do not reflect the views of All About The Woman and All About The Woman does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same. All information is provided on an as-is basis.
Refrences:
https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/preg-health.html
https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=155877