For baby’s sake

Dr Shilva

Carrying a gradually growing baby inside your womb for nine months can be taxing on your body. At the same time, a number of factors, including your eating and lifestyle habits, can also affect the health of your baby. You need to be very careful about what you eat and what you do not, how much nourishment you extract from your diet and how you spend your days.

If you are expecting a baby, it is important to follow these eating and lifestyle habits:

Don’t pile up calories: Many women take the famous adage ‘eating for two’ in pregnancy quite literally. You do not necessarily need to double the quantity of your food. Rather, you need to double the nutrition. One should not eat foods that are rich only in calories, but increase the intake of vitamins and minerals in your diet. Eat nutritious food, rather than eating more. Avoid junk foods and take to eating a lot of fruits and vegetables.

Consume sufficient calcium: Women, who do not consume sufficient calcium during pregnancy, tend to lose bone mineral density as the growing baby draws out calcium from the mother’s bones for its growth. Make sure you eat enough dairy products like milk, cheese and yoghurt. At the same time, it is recommended to consume a daily calcium supplement.

Protein deficiency is harmful for the baby: Protein deficiency in a mother results in underweight births. Daily intake of pulses, nuts, meat and eggs is important to ensure normal development and growth of the baby. Include whole grains, legumes, beans and cereals in your diet.

Avoid caffeine, alcohol and smoking: You certainly do not want your bad lifestyle habits to affect your baby’s health. No matter how addicted you are to these stimulants, they are a strict ‘no’ during pregnancy.

Exercise daily: Never stick to your bed during pregnancy unless a complication has necessitated to. Daily exercise helps keep the body agile, muscles strong and enhances stamina. It helps prevent constipation, gastric problems and back pain. Walking, stretching and pre-natal yoga are best exercises for pregnancy.

Avoid sitting long hours: Even if you are involved in a sedentary job, make sure you stand up from your chair and take a few minutes of walking breaks every hour. Constant sitting can cause back pain and muscle cramps.

Don’t exert too much: One must be careful to not overstress their body during pregnancy. As you carry another growing individual inside your womb, you are bound to experience fatigue and you need sufficient amount of rest to cope with it.

Do not miss folic acid: Folic acid supplements are today regularly advised by doctors to expecting mothers. Folic acid is very crucial to prevent neural tube abnormalities and birth defects in children. Do not miss it.

Attend pre-natal classes: Visiting pre-natal classes helps women prepare themselves better for motherhood as it helps them interact regularly with experts and learn about the upcoming challenges and precautions.

(Dr Shilva is a Panchkula-based gynaecologist )