5 Ways to Be Healthy During Your Pregnancy

If you’re pregnant — or trying to conceive — you probably already know that it’s super important to be the healthiest version of yourself that you can. During those nine long months, you want to be taking care not only of yourself but of course, your baby also. Here are 5 ways to be healthy during your pregnancy.

1. Take a prenatal vitamin

Did you know that a good prenatal vitamin gives you essential nutrients like iron, calcium, and folic acid? These nutrients feed into your baby’s neural cord, which will develop within the first month of pregnancy, so it’s important to start taking a prenatal vitamin right away. While some prenatal come in a prescription, you’re fine taking the over the counter ones. I have a whole guide on the best prenatal vitamins if you want to learn more.

2. Exercise

One of the best things I did when I was pregnant with both my kids was maintained my exercise routine. It helped me sleep better, control my weight, and generally put me in a better mood. Best of all, I actually felt healthier and happier. While most any exercises will work, remember not to overdo it, and stick to cardio workouts such as walking, swimming, and yoga.

For added comfort and functionality while doing your workout routine, use compression socks for pregnancy. They may help increase blood circulation in your legs, ankles, and feet and, in turn, help reduce swelling and pain in those areas. You may find more flexibility when you move, as you may feel less discomfort in doing your physical activities.

3. Diet

For me, during my pregnancies, exercise and diet went hand-in-hand. I knew that I wanted to stay relatively healthy, so this meant eating nutritious meals as often as possible. Asparagus, lentils, fruit, and a lot of fish were my staples. Of course, I also wasn’t afraid to indulge in some cravings — milkshakes were a favorite of mine — but I tried to keep my unhealthy meals to a minimum, and overall this strategy made me feel a lot healthier.

4. Sunscreen

Did you know that you are more sensitive to sunlight when you’re pregnant? So it’s definitely a good idea to be smart if you’re going to be exposed to extended periods of sunlight. Of course, this means applying generous amounts of sunscreen (SPF 30 and higher) and taking extra precautions such as wearing a hat, sunglasses, and maybe even a long-sleeve shirt at times to protect your skin from those harmful rays.

5. Take time for yourself

Let’s face it when that baby comes; your entire life is going to flip upside down. Specifically, nearly all your waking moments will be spend taking care of and watching over your baby, which is a great thing. But, this means that you will find yourself having very little (if any) time for yourself. So, be sure to take some time during your pregnancy to do the things that you want to do: hang out with friends, grab a drink with co-workers, treat yourself to a shopping spree, or just take the time to yourself to relax.

This is a guest post on 5 ways to be healthy during your pregnancy from Kate of MaternityGlow, where she blogs about tips and tricks for new parents.

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