For happier pregnancies and healthier babies, focus on your own well-being

Pregnancy — it’s the best of times and the worst of times. Excitement and anticipation are offset by morning sickness and weight gain, and the fun of baby showers is countered by fatigue.

From conception to contractions, pregnancy delivers surprises and new experiences — both physically and emotionally. And the way you treat yourself and your child-to-be will affect your health and your happiness. Here are a few tips to help you make the very best of your next pregnancy.

Preconception pointers
If getting pregnant is in your plans, you should be taking a prenatal vitamin. Birth defects of a baby’s brain and spinal cord develop during the first 28 days after conception — when many women aren’t even aware they’re pregnant.

Prenatal vitamins make up for nutritional deficiencies in the mother’s diet, and the folic acid, iron and calcium in the vitamins will reduce the risk of birth defects. Over-the-counter prenatal vitamins work just fine, but make sure yours contains at least 800 micrograms of folic acid.

Pre-pregnancy is also the best time to improve your health and fitness habits. Anything you take into your body will eventually feed your baby, so tobacco, alcohol and drugs should be out of your system when you get pregnant.

Eating for two
Though you may feel you deserve it, being pregnant doesn’t exactly give you a free pass to double portions of meals and desserts.

“Pregnancy hopefully is a continuation of your normal dietary habits,” says Dr. Ryan Jones of American Fork’s Intermountain Legacy OB/GYN Clinic. “If you’re eating sensibly and trying for a balanced diet, you want to continue to do that. If you’re not doing it, pregnancy is a time to start following the basic pyramid of nutrition.”

And despite what you might have heard, you don’t need to swear off foods like lunch meat, unpasteurized cheese and seafood.

“There are a few bacteria that can cause problems in pregnancy, but as long as the food is prepared along normal health standards, there really shouldn’t be any problem,” Dr. Jones says.

Staying active
Pregnancy and labor are more demanding on the body than nearly anything else you’ll experience. So the better physical shape you’re in before and during pregnancy, the easier your delivery and recovery will be.

“There is good data that women who exercise 30 to 40 minutes a day have better pregnancies, shorter labors, shorter pushing, and a decrease in gestational diabetes,” says Dr. Wayne Young of the Central Orem OB/GYN Clinic.

And if you’re wondering which activities are OK for a pregnant body, just take note of your comfort level.

“I have patients ask about crunches, sit-ups, Pilates, bicycles,” Dr. Jones says. “My answer is, ‘You can do that if you feel comfortable doing it.’”

If you haven’t exercised much before but decide you’d like to stay fit through your pregnancy, start slow.

“If you’re in otherwise good health, a certain level of activity in our sedentary culture is helpful,” Dr. Jones says. “Walking never hurt anybody — doing that two to three times a week, doing water aerobics, joining a walking group or finding something else you enjoy is also beneficial for the social aspects.”

Inconvenient effects
You might not feel quite like yourself during the nine months of pregnancy, and your body and emotions will do things you wish they wouldn’t.

For many women the biggest struggle with early pregnancy is morning sickness. The most effective fixes for nausea and vomiting will be home remedies and over-the-counter medications.

One option is to change when and how often you eat.

“You get sicker when your sugar level is low, which means you have to eat a little all the time. You have to graze all day long,” Dr. Young says. “Morning sickness happens in the morning because your glucose level is lowest then. Put some food by your bedside and have it around 3 or 4 in the morning when you get up to go to the bathroom.”

Dr. Jones says over-the-counter helps like Vitamin B6 supplements and Unisom will help about one-third of patients. Other options are acupuncture, ginger capsules and wristbands that apply acupressure.

Another exhausting side effect of pregnancy is fatigue. The only true remedy for this is rest. Don’t plan to get as much done as you normally might. And don’t be afraid to ask for help around the house or with your other children.

“A woman’s job, when she’s pregnant, is to make a baby — anything she gets done other than that is a bonus,” Dr. Young says. “Don’t be frustrated when you’re fatigued. Your body is putting a lot of energy and calories into the baby and you’re the only one who can do that.”

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