Prenatal Health .

When your pregnant, staying healthy is the most important thing. You need to attend your prenatal tests, such as an ultrasound to check on the fetal development. You also need to take your prenatal vitamins, which include folic acid, prenatal multi vitamins, and minerals including calcium and iron. Your need to be prepared to have physical activity, so you can prevent excess weight gain, to control your blood sugar and high blood pressure, it can help prevent or reduce most pregnancy symptoms(nausea, heartburn, leg crams, etc) it will decrease your recovery time after you deliver your baby, helps with labour and delivery by improving your indurance, it could reduce depression, it will increase your self esteem and finally it will increase your overall fitness and strength. Also, durning your pregnancy, your nutrition changes, because you aren't just feeding yourself anymore, your also feeding you child. Your need 2-3 extra Food Guide Servings each day, you need more iron, more essential fatty acids such as fish, walnuts, flax seeds and olive olive to help your child's brain develop, you need 3.0L of fluid everyday from both foods and beverages, limit your caffeine intake and avoid herbal teas. When your pregnant, you should be gaining weight, your baby will add 6-8 pounds extra, and your total weight gain by nine months should be anywhere from 25-35 extra pounds. Finally, the dont's of pregnancy. When your pregnant, it is important to stay away from second-hand smoke, and smoking yourself, if you are around/doing either, it increases your baby's chances of asthma or bronchitis, a risk of low birth weight, chance of a stillbirth, risk of SIDS, physical defects, risk of lung cancer and heart disease, and raises the risk of ear infections. Also, drugs can be dangerous if taken during pregnancy, over the counter, and illegal drugs, they can both also cause low birth weight, SIDS, miscarriages, still births, prematurity and more! The key to this, is to talk to your doctor, and find out what the best way to keep you and your baby healthy durning the nine months or pregnancy.