Healthy Pregnancy - Things You Must Do & Don't!

Regular health checkup with the doctor is essential during pregnancy. With changing lifestyle, blood sugar, weight, and blood pressure should be monitored constantly to ensure they are within the permissible limits. Any deviation from the normal limits should be immediately corrected to avoid complications, both for the mother and the developing baby. It is advisable to do a weekly check at home before going to the doctor so that these basic parameters are within the permissible limits.

Morning sickness is very subjective. While some women may not have any morning sickness at all during their entire pregnancy, others could have it until the last trimester. There is a strong hormonal component to it, and some may just have to tolerate it through their pregnancy. Morning sickness, though can't be prevented, can be avoided by meditation, going to bed early, avoiding late evening meals, etc. See what works for you to control it.

Pregnancy brings with it a whole new lot of symptoms. While some may pass with time, others may stay. A lot of it is due to the hormonal and physiological changes that the body is undergoing. Caution needs to be exercised in managing them, with non-medical methods as much as possible. Any medication that is taken could reach the developing baby and cause complications. It is common to receive multiple pieces of advice during pregnancy; find what works best for you and stick to it.

While you definitely should avoid strenuous exercise during pregnancy, mild exercise is very much advisable. This helps not only in keeping you healthy, but also in promoting labour and in stress management. Whether it is jogging or swimming or mild yoga, draw up an exercise regimen with your doctor based on what would be allowed for your body. Stick to an exercise regimen which will help you in controlling weight and stress. However, if you think that you cannot take up any exercise or you have been asked to take bed rest, you can still do walking as walking is the best way to keep yourself fit, both physicall mentally.