Obstetrics and Gynecology Specialist Op. Dr. Meral Sönmezer gave important information about the subject. In order to hold your baby in your arms in a healthy way, there are many situations that you should pay attention to before and during pregnancy. With a lifestyle you will create by paying attention to these, you can have a healthy pregnancy process and give birth to a healthy baby.
1. Pay Attention to Your Nutrition
You need to take care of your diet before and during pregnancy. A healthy and regular eating habit that you will acquire before pregnancy will prepare your body for pregnancy, and starting the pregnancy period with this order and maintaining this habit will also help you have a healthy pregnancy. For a healthy diet, you should pay attention to consuming adequate amounts of all the basic food groups.
2. Take Vitamin and Mineral Supplements
Before pregnancy, it is very important to identify the missing vitamins and minerals in your body and replace them. Important vitamins and minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron and folic acid are very important for a healthy pregnancy and for your baby to be healthy. Determining and using the supplement according to the needs of the expectant mother must be under the control of the doctor after the examination.
3. Quit Smoking and Alcohol!
If you smoke and drink alcohol and have decided to have a baby, one of the most important things you should do first is to eliminate smoking and alcohol from your life. The nicotine and other harmful chemicals in cigarettes damage the DNA of your egg, which enables the formation of a baby, as well as smoking during pregnancy seriously affects the health of your baby by causing the blood flow in the veins to deteriorate. Likewise, alcohol use during pregnancy invites many problems such as mental and developmental delay, skeletal system disorders, heart and liver diseases in the baby. Therefore, if you decide to become pregnant, it is very important to give up these harmful habits at least 3 months before pregnancy and to give birth to a healthy baby.
4. Reach Your Ideal Weight
After deciding to conceive, it is very important for the expectant mother to reach her ideal weight. In the same way, attention should be paid to weight control during pregnancy. For women with normal weight, an average of 10-13 kg gain during pregnancy is ideal. Weight gain of more than 15 kg will increase the risks of gestational blood pressure, pregnancy poisoning, and gestational diabetes, as well as not gaining enough weight (weight gain below 9 kg) causes the risk of developmental delay in the baby.
5. Don't Neglect Your Doctor's Checks and Tests
Choosing a doctor that you can trust, communicate with and entrust yourself and your baby to from the beginning of your pregnancy will make your pregnancy more peaceful and enjoyable. It is very important that you come to the examinations at the times determined by your doctor during your pregnancy. The gynecological examination to be performed before and during pregnancy and some tests for diagnosis and screening are very important for you to give birth to a healthy baby. Pap-smear test, thyroid functions, glucose, blood count, uterus and ovaries should be evaluated. Timely performance of all tests and examinations throughout your pregnancy will allow for the pre-detection of possible conditions requiring intervention and the initiation of appropriate treatment during or after pregnancy, depending on the situation. It is extremely important both for your baby and for public health that you do the first examinations, first vaccinations and first tests after your baby is born.
6. Exercise Regularly
Exercise is very beneficial for your health during pregnancy as it is in every period of life. Light exercises such as walking, yoga and stretching movements that you will do during your pregnancy will make your birth process more comfortable, protect your health and make you feel good. Unless your doctor says otherwise, light exercises will be beneficial for muscles and joints. In addition, strenuous physical exercises, standing for long periods of time and intense work tempo should be avoided.
7. Avoid Stress
Stress is a very risky situation during pregnancy. Stress factors experienced negatively affect the physical and mental development of the baby. Some studies show that exposure to high levels of stress increases the risk of preterm birth and having a low-weight baby. Therefore, staying away from stress during pregnancy is very important for both your health and the health of your baby.
8. Adequate and Quality Sleep is a Condition
Sleep is also a very important factor in having a healthy pregnancy period. Insufficient sleep can damage the immune system during pregnancy and affect the baby's weight. For this reason, you should take care to sleep at least 8 hours every day during pregnancy. It is very important that the environment you sleep in is dark in order to facilitate the secretion of the hormone melatonin, which is especially necessary for a quality sleep. The temperature and ventilation of the room you sleep in are also necessary factors for sleep quality. In addition, the ideal sleeping position during pregnancy is to lie on the left side. Lying on your left side facilitates blood circulation for you and your baby. A quality sleep contributes positively to the development and mental health of both you and your baby.
9. Pre-Pregnancy Counseling and Examination
Planning a healthy pregnancy should be done before conception. For this reason, couples who plan to become pregnant should see an obstetrician at least 2 months before stopping protection. In this examination, it is checked whether there is a disease, anomaly or vitamin deficiency in the mother's body that will put the pregnancy at risk, and the necessary processes are started for the diagnosis of some genetic diseases that may cause disability in the baby and for taking precautions. In other words, a healthy pregnancy process starts before the mother gets pregnant.
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