FITMOM Durham’s 5 Tips for a Healthy Pregnancy

Whether you are preparing for a pregnancy or currently pregnant, here are FITMOM Durham's Top 5 Tips for ensuring a healthy pregnancy. 

1) Abdominal Separation Checks by Trimester:  Abdominal Separation or diastasis recti, is the separation of the abdominal muscles intoright and left halves.  Itis caused by a stretching of the rectus abdominis by the growing uterus, andalthough it does not pose a threat to mom or baby, it can have a significanteffect on your post-natal core stability. 

2) Take a Childbirth Class: Formal childbirth education classes create a spot in your schedule tosit down with your partner/support person and answer the questions you havesurrounding labour and delivery. The purpose of most childbirth classes isn’tto teach women how to birth, it’s toincrease the confidence of both the women and their support person that birthin a normal, natural process.  Furthermore,a good class will provide current research on various topics so you can makeyour own decisions.

3) Nutrition:  Eatinga well -balanced diet will help to ensure both you and your growing baby haveall of the nutrients you need for optimal health.  Canada’sHealthy Food Guide can make recommendations for pregnant and breastfeedingwomen.  Also, taking a pre-natal vitaminthat has .04 mg of folic acid is recommended for all women of childbearingage.  Folate is essential to the normaldevelopment of the spine, brain and skull of the fetus, especially during thefirst four weeks of pregnancy.

4) Exercise Regularly: The benefits of exercise during pregnancy are well documented.  Not only do women experience greater relieffrom common pregnancy related complaints like fatigue and back ache; but theyexperience a greater release of endorphins, your body’s natural pain reliever, duringlabour. 

5) Practice Self Care: The biggest adaptation from pregnancy to parenting is learning tobalance the demands of a new baby while meeting your own personal needs.  Developing better sleep habits, stayinghydrated and well-nourished and practicing relaxation skills during yourpregnancy can help during the early days and weeks of parenting.