Pregnancy health essentials

Inside you a tiny little person is growing stronger and stronger every day. It’s a wonderful feeling. And a very precious time – your baby relies totally on you for its nutrition. That’s why it’s important to look after yourself when you’re pregnant.

The more mums-to-be do to assist themselves the happier they will be at this crucial time. Along with such things as medical checks and anti-natal classes, diet, exercise and rest have a large role in doing the best to ensure good health.

Here are some of the main things you can do to help stay healthy during pregnancy...

There’s a lot of information around about what you can and can’t eat during pregnancy. One of the main things to remember is to eat regularly and choose from a range of nutritious foods, such as:

• Fresh fruit and vegetables;
• Carbohydrates (bread, pasta, grains, potatoes and cereals);
• Lean meat or fish, especially oily fish (remember you should avoid some types of fish, like shellfish);
• Milk and other dairy products (remember you should avoid some types of dairy products such as blue cheese).

Exercise can be very beneficial when you’re pregnant. Not only can it help to ease stress and promote good sleep, but it may also help you cope during the birth. Why not try:

• Brisk walking;
• Swimming;
• Gentle toning or stretching classes (if you were already going to an exercise class before pregnancy, tell your instructor that you're pregnant);
• Cycling (unless you’re in the late stage of pregnancy).

Please always remember to speak to your doctor before starting any new type of exercise.

Ask any new parent what they miss the most and they’ll probably say sleep! So try to get lots of rest.

If you’re finding it hard to get a decent night’s sleep, because of your bump, you could try:

• Sleeping on your side or with a pillow between your legs;
• Learning a relaxation technique;
• Wearing loose cotton night clothes to stop yourself getting too hot;
• Taking a relaxing bath.

Click for information from The National Childbirth Trust. Please note that information presented on these web pages is not meant to diagnose or prescribe. In all health matters please contact your doctor or midwife. Nurofen for Children is not responsible for content on external websites.