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Wednesday, February 08, 2012

Four Tips for a Happier Pregnancy and Healthy Child

As the delivery date approaches, it is entirely normal for expecting mothers to feel a sense of anxiety accompanying the excitement. After all, there are so many things to plan for and seemingly not enough hours in the day to do it, especially with other pressing concerns, such as work or classes. The following tips will help to prepare an expecting mother for the big day.

Start a Running List
Organization is a key tool in preparation for delivery day. A list of things to do throughout the pregnancy will keep you organized. Try to keep the list in a highly visible place. The list can contain long-term preparations as well as short-term preparations. Also, create a separate list for what you’d like to pack in your hospital bag and for things you’ll want to grab on your way out of the door to the hospital.

The Exercise Program
There are many questions women find themselves asking when it comes to being pregnant and exercising. Woman generally want to know what exercises are allowed, what is risky, how long to exercise for and what exercises are good for the baby as well, if any.  According to the American Pregnancy Association, there are many exercises that will benefit pregnant woman. Some suggestions for working out while pregnant:

* Those with experience will know their limits and the precautions to take, but anyone new to exercise will benefit from the services of a personal trainer skilled in working with pregnancy.

* Classes for pregnancy exercise can be extremely beneficial, because they have safety precautions built in. Prenatal water aerobics, dance, and yoga classes are great choices. Information can be found through the obstetrician or alternative health consultant.

* Most important is maintaining adequate oxygen, blood flow to uterus, and hydration. During the second and third trimester, this means taking breaks and avoiding routines that involve lying on the back. Drinking plenty of water and avoiding temperature extremes is a good idea throughout.

Pregnancy and Dieting
Obtaining information on what a healthy diet during pregnancy looks like provides a remedy from worries about the best eating options. Generally, the recommendations are the same for all adults, which makes this task an easy one.

Whole grain foods should be the primary energy source. This includes not just the grains, like millet, oats, wheat and spelt, but also starchy foods like the sweet potato and yam. Vegetables and fruits should make up 5-7 servings daily. Dairy and protein sources come in last.

Special Considerations
There are some other considerations that you can bring up with your doctor and plan for. Cord blood banking is an option to consider; working with a reputable company, you can obtain a cord blood collection kit to bring with you to the hospital. After your baby is born the umbilical cord blood will be collected to be stored for your family. Cord blood stem cells can potentially be used in medical treatments should the need arise in the future. Other considerations include creating a birth plan. A birth plan acts like a guideline for how an expecting mother would like their birth to go. Whether you’d like no medicine or certain music playing, a birth plan can help relieve some nerves. Remember to try and stay positive, as will be s a special day for you and your newborn!

This article was written by Alan Cassidy, an active writer within the blogging community covering maternity and childbirth, and always advocating for infant and children’s health. Connect with him on Twitter @ACassidy22

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