Congratulations on your pregnancy. You may have heard of the “joys of pregnancy.” Generally, people are being sarcastic when they throw out this phrase. While there are many things to enjoy about being pregnant, there are a few things that are not as pleasant. In order to cope with them, you should take some steps from when you first find out you are pregnant.
The first thing you must do is make an appointment with your doctor. Confirm that your pregnancy test was a true positive, and set up a schedule for prenatal care. During this visit, your doctor will prescribe prenatal vitamins. Your second step is to fill this prescription and take them every morning religiously throughout your pregnancy. Taking these vitamins ensures that your baby has everything it needs and that you will remain healthy throughout the pregnancy and beyond.
Your health is of the utmost importance. Your baby will take what it needs from your body, without regard as to whether or not there are enough nutrients left to sustain you. Therefore, your next step is to ensure you are eating right so that you can stay healthy and have a healthy baby. You need to get more than the typical daily value of vitamins and minerals. You should also be getting closer to 2500 to 3000 calories per day. Get in those extra calories with fruits and vegetables high in nutrients, and you won’t go wrong. Remember to eat plenty of protein as well, as amino acids are the building blocks of cells. You can get specific information about your diet from your doctor. Your next step is to determine how you are going to cope with those “joys” mentioned earlier. During the first trimester, you will notice many things start to happen. First, you will notice that you have to urinate more frequently. Plan for this and start making extra trips to the restroom so that you don’t get caught off guard by the sudden need to go.
Another thing you may notice is nausea. Morning sickness, as it is called, can actually occur during any part of the day or night. Some women experience it during one specific part of the day, while others experience it throughout the day. Typically it only lasts for the first trimester, although some women complain of nausea into the second trimester. If you start experiencing morning sickness, there are several things you can do to help. You can take in clear fluids like water or juice and eat some saltine crackers. If this does not seem to help, you can try Biobands. These bands help combat nausea without taking any medication that could adversely affect your baby.
Following these steps will get you through the first trimester of your pregnancy. Following this, the pregnancy is generally smooth sailing for most women. You will not experience any other “joys” until much later in the third trimester when you will experience more frequent urination, Braxton Hicks contractions, and other side effects of pregnancy. Prepare yourself for these later stages by following the last step of the first trimester. Get yourself a book about pregnancy that takes you through the entire process, step by step and stage by stage. This will steer you in the right direction.