• As soon as you know or feel that you are pregnant, make sure to set an appointment to meet with your doctor so that you can be sure of what needs to be done
• Do not drink any alcoholic beverages or coffee and smoke during your pregnancy as this could lead to:
  • Premature Birth
  • Underweight babies
  • Stillborn baby
  • Miscarriage
  • Ectopic Pregnancy
• Make sure that you are eating well and proportionately so that you are getting your baby the right nutrition as well as for your own body. Your means must consist of the following:
  • 5 portions of fruits and vegetables in the form of fresh fruit, canned fruits (no preservatives), dried, frozen, and juice
  • Add more starch-based foods as it will supply you with carbohydrates needed for your body. Try your best to go on a whole meal option for this
  • Include in your meals lean meat, fish, eggs, beans, and pulses
  • Add dairy products to your diets such as cheese and yogurt
• Only eat food that has been properly stored or prepared hygienically
• Make sure that you are taking supplements however, check with a doctor first to ensure that they are suitable for you
• Do light exercise suitable for your pregnancy and body condition. Always consult with your doctor first
• Avoid confrontation or stressful situation both physically and emotionally as this can place the baby growing within you in distress

Being pregnant is indeed the most beautiful thing a woman can experience as you are bringing a new life into this world plus you would be beginning a new chapter in life as a mother if you haven’t had children. However it is important that you are aware of the changes that your body might undergo in order to avoid any shock or misconception.

We have listed for you below the key changes that your body could undergo when you are pregnant:

• Body aches and muscle aches primarily in your lower abdomen
• Morning Sickness or the nauseous feeling of wanting to vomit at any time of the day
• Constipation
• Instances of heartburn or indigestion
• An urge to urinate more often
• Backache and at times may be quite severe depending on your body type
• Possible dry and itchy skin or eczema
• Enlargening of your breasts
• Possible development of piles or also known as hemorrhoids
• Leg cramps or pain in the legs. This may include swelling in your ankles, feet, and hands
• Development of varicose veins that are enlarged
• Feeling lightheaded and fainting
• Extreme fatigue and low stamina
• Difficulty breathing

Some of the conditions above are perfectly normal and safe. However, if you are experiencing something that is out of the ordinary or in severe pain. You must see you doctor immediately without wasting any time as it could put you and your baby’s life at risk

Throughout your pregnancy, it is important to maintain a healthy lifestyle both for the benefit of your baby as well as yourself. Every action that you do would have an effect on the outcome of your pregnancy. Hence we have compiled some of the best tips to maintain during your pregnancy as per below:

• Have regular prenatal checkups with your doctor as this will be imperative in accessing the health of your baby, preparing for your due date, your baby’s gender, and also preparing for any complication in your pregnancy which may be due to your health or the baby’s growth
• You need to maintain a diet that is balanced and allows your body to get the correct amount of nutrients primarily calcium, iron, and folic acid. The balanced diet would include eating lean meats, fruits, vegetables, whole-grain bread & low-fat dairy products
• Ensure that you drinking a sufficient amount of water so that your body will always be hydrated. This will help you avoid complications such as constipation and dehydration which are common during a pregnancy
• Make sure that you get enough sleep and rest. This is to ensure that your body has an adequate amount of strength at all times. During the later stages of your pregnancy, it may become hard for you to find the correct position to sleep. Thus in this situation, it has been scientifically proven that sleeping on your left side would be the best for you
• Do more exercise that is suitable for your body which will benefit your pregnancy enormously. However, you must remember not to do any exercise with a heavy impact. Medically it has been proven that light aerobics would be the ideal exercise to be done. The benefits of doing light exercise during your pregnancy for at least 2 hours and 30 minutes each day would be as follows:
  • Preventing excessive weight gain
  • Lessen the chances of back-pain, swelling, and constipation which are common complications during pregnancy
  • Help improve your sleep
  • Improve your stamina and energy
  • Help you achieve a more stable mood
  • Help prepare your body for labor

Getting pregnant does not mean that you need to stop exercising and need to be eating for 2. This is a common misconception made without proper consultation with experts or your doctor. Its perfectly safe to have a modified exercise program during your pregnancy which can be worked out with your fitness advisor or doctor.

However there is a very important golden rule, always take into account the changes that your body is undergoing and do not exceed what your body is capable off

We have compiled some of the best tips for a suitable diet and exercise advice for you to practice during your pregnancy:

• Make sure that you set an exercise routine that you can commit yourself to do each day. This means that there cannot be any lapses and skipping as it will have an effect on the rhythm of your body.
• Never start exercising for a while and then stop as the most common cause is fatigue. You need to persevere so that you can have a healthy body during your pregnancy
• It’s important that you choose the exercises that you can do based on your own body structure and fitness level. However, you need to avoid at all costs any exercise that is extreme or likely to give you an injury during your pregnancy. It can be daunting if this was your first time and you have always had a very active fitness lifestyle, however, this would be the best both for yourself and your baby.
• Some of the suitable types of exercises that you can do during your pregnancy are:
  • Yoga
  • Pilates
  • Light Aerobics
  • Swimming
  • Other exercises need to be consulted with your doctor first
• When doing exercise during your pregnancy, it’s important to maintain a hydrated body for the benefit of you and your baby to avoid any complications. Ensure to drink 1 glass of water or juice before starting your exercise. Subsequently, at every 20 minutes mark drink, another glass of water as this is to ensure that your body as sufficient hydration at all times
• Monitor your body temperature when you are doing exercise, if you are feeling too hot make sure to stop and let yourself cool down
• Try to do pelvic floor exercises while you are pregnant as it has been proven to strengthen your spine. It will also help alleviate your bowel and bladder issues which is common during pregnancy as well as post-labor

Its important for you to remember that during your pregnancy, your body releases a hormone call Relaxin which may cause your body to get easily injured. Hence no matter what exercise you are doing, listen to your body and do not push it over the limit it can go

So it’s finally time, your little bundle of joy will be entering the world very soon. A little version of you that will be by your side all throughout life calling you mother. If you are going through the pregnancy alone, with your partner, family, or with the support of organizations like our Love Life Association, do not worry but it will be important to have yourself prepared in order to not be in a state of shock.

These are some of the steps that you will need to take in advance in order to ensure you are prepared to bring your little bundle of joy into this world. Check out the tips we have prepared for you:

• Take time to understand the birth process especially if this is going to be your first pregnancy so that you will fully aware of the stages of labor that you will be undergoing. This would be an ideal situation to take up birthing classes or consulting with your doctor if you will be needing a C-section.
• If you are going through this pregnancy together with your partner or family, hence it will be important that you can come in agreement with all parties before the delivery on various aspects of your baby during the delivery as well as post-delivery. This can include the decision on cutting the umbilical cord, medical decisions for your baby, who is going to help care for you as a joint decision would help to avoid sudden conflicts or disputes especially when you are in labor
• If you are a single parent, you have to make the decision for yourself but do not fear or second judge yourself. You need to remember that you are the mother of this young baby growing inside you hence all the decisions that you are making for your child are for their best. This would also be the ideal time to seek help if you need from organizations like ours to help you have a healthy pregnancy
• Talk to other mothers from your peers, those around you who have undergone different pregnancy situations so that you can prepare yourself better. This would also be ideal for you to prepare yourself for post-delivery where there may be changes in your body, caring for your baby and etc.
• Start preparing yourself mentally for the stages of labor so that you have the strength to go through it
• Practice more relaxation techniques which can be easily advised to you by your doctor. This would be important as your emotions will be soaring during pregnancy, pre-labor and post-delivery thus it would be important for you to calm your nerves

These are only a few of the steps that you can take before bringing your baby into the world. Remember, if you need support during your pregnancy we are here for you. So do not put your body through the stress that can affect both you and your baby. Give us a call should you need it so we can advise you