Pregnancy: Overview, Symptoms, Nutrition, Care, & Things to Avoid

“A baby is something you carry inside you for nine months, in your arms for three years, and in your heart until the day you die”

Overview

Pregnancy is the state of carrying a developing embryo or fetus within the female body. This condition can be shown by positive outcomes on an over-the-counter urine test and affirmed through a blood test, ultrasound, recognition of fetal pulse, or an X-ray. Pregnancy goes on for around nine months, estimated from the date of the lady’s last menstrual period (LMP). It is customarily isolated into three trimesters, each approximately three months in length. Pregnancy is also known as the gestation period. Average gestation period or pregnancy is 40 weeks or 280 days. It occurs through sexual intercourse or assisted reproductive technology.

Symptoms of Pregnancy

Not all moms-to-be experience the same symptoms when pregnant, and symptoms vary in severity. Some of the common symptoms are listed here:

• Menstruation missed
• Weight gain
• Mood swings
• Discoloration of areola’s
• Breast tenderness
• Dizziness especially morning sickness
• Shortness of breath or feeling of fatigues
• Backache
• Food cravings/aversions

Nutrition for Pregnancy

What a woman eats and drinks during pregnancy is her baby’s main source of nourishment. Thus, specialists prescribe that a mother-to-be pick a variety of healthy foods and beverages to provide the important nutrients a baby needs for growth and development. Some of the utmost nutrients required for a healthy pregnancy are listed here:

1. Calcium – Calcium helps your baby grow a healthy heart, nerves, bones, and muscles as well as develop a normal heart rhythm and blood-clotting abilities. The recommended dosage is 1,000 milligrams of calcium a day. Best sources of calcium-rich food include milk, low-fat yogurt, cottage cheese, and salmon
2. Folic acid – Folic acid is a man-made form of vitamin B called folate. Folate plays an important role in the production of red blood cells and helps your baby’s neural tube develop into her brain and spinal cord. Best sources of folic acid-rich food include  spinach, citrus fruits, and beans
3. Iron – It is essential to the extra red blood cells your body will create for the baby. The red blood cells carry oxygen to your organs and tissues, as well as your fetus. Best sources of iron-rich food include dark, leafy greens, dried fruit, raspberries, beetroot, kiwi, broccoli, fish, clams, and oysters
4. Protein – It positively affects the growth of fetal tissue, including the brain. It also helps your breast and uterine tissue to grow during pregnancy, and it plays a role in your increasing blood supply. The best source of protein-rich food includes meat, poultry, fish, eggs, beans, tofu, cheese, milk, nuts, and seeds
5. Iodine – For the development of baby’s brain and nervous system it is very important to keep an optimum level of iodine in the body, Even it is crucial for the pregnant women as it helps in regulating the thyroid glands in the body to avoid any complications. The best source of Iodine is milk, iodized salt, potato, and shrimps.

Pregnancy Care

Prenatal care is the act of having a healthy lifestyle while you are pregnant. Here is the list which needs to be taken care when you are pregnant:

1. A regular or timely visit to the doctor
2. Record your body-weight and blood pressure
3. Stay active through simple workouts
4. Comfort clothing
5. Stay away from the stress or depression
6. Be careful about hygiene
7. Be particular about supplementation
8. Keep yourself hydrated by drinking optimum water
9. Take adequate sleep of 7-9 hours
10. Eat five or six well-balanced meals after every 2 hours or as suggested by a specialist

Things to Avoid in Pregnancy

Research has proven numerous adverse effect of things during pregnancy and some of the reported things to be avoided during pregnancy are listed underneath:

1. Avoid drinking alcohol
2. Quit smoking
3. Limit caffeine intake
4. Avoid eating raw meat
5. Don’t clean the cat’s litter
6. Take precautionary measures for sex
7. Unpasteurized milk or dairy products
8. Avoid sauna or jacuzzi or even sunbeds
9. Avoid exposure to x-ray
10. Breastfeeding

Disclaimer: Nothing in this article is to be construed as medical advice, nor it is intended to replace the recommendations of a medical professional. For specific advice, please consult a specialist.