Healthy eating - Try to eat a healthy diet that contains whole grains, lean meats (or other foods high in protein), fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy items.
Try to avoid processed foods, canned meats, and certain fish containing mercury (shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish).
Exercise - Regular exercise will help you feel better and look better during your pregnancy. It will also help you to prepare for labor.
Talk with your doctor about what exercises are safe during pregnancy. Walking and swimming are generally good for pregnant moms.
Rest- Make sure you are getting enough sleep. You will probably be more tired than normal during your pregnancy. Try taking a nap during the day or resting after you come home from work. At night try to sleep on your left side. This will help with blood circulation to the placenta. Don’t smoke or drink alcohol - This might seem like a no-brainer but approximately 11% of women smoke during pregnancy and up to 12% of women have admitted to drinking at least one drink during pregnancy. Smoking increases your risk of having a low birth weight baby, placental problems, and premature labor. Alcohol is known to cause physical and mental birth defects. Even light drinking can be dangerous to your baby. It is best to avoid alcohol completely during pregnancy.Don’t be afraid to call your doctor- If something doesn’t feel right or you are worried, don’t be afraid to call. Your doctor’s office is used to answering questions.
Looking Great During Early Pregnancy
You may be looking forward to having that cute little bump that comes with pregnancy. A lot of women look forward to looking pregnant and wearing maternity clothes. Others get depressed with the changes that come along with pregnancy. During the first few weeks of pregnancy, you may not look pregnant yet. Others may notice your growing belly but not realize why it is growing. You may not be ready to announce your pregnancy to the world yet or you may just want to look good in regular clothes as long as you can.Here are a few tips for looking good during early pregnancy.
Purchase a few pairs of pants that are a little bigger than your normal size instead of buying maternity. You may want to have these around for after you have the baby anyway. Wear loose fitted shirts until you are further along.
Try using the rubber band trick with your favorite pair of pants. Take a rubber band loop it through the button hole and then wrap it around the button. You can wear your non-maternity clothes longer with this trick.
Wear your husband’s button down shirts. If you need something comfortable to wear, try wearing your husband’s t-shirts or button down shirts.
Wear makeup. Makeup will help make you look and feel better. Pregnancy is not the time to be down about the way you look. Makeup is an easy way to feel better about the way you look.