Pregnancy is an exciting period in the life of many women. The experience is always special and there is no way a woman can experience similar feelings and emotional upheavals through other means. But pregnancy is not ‘all smooth’ for many women across the world. Complications are common among women during pregnancy and we cannot dismiss the fact that pregnancy do carry life risk for both mother and the fetus. Further, complications developed during pregnancy period can affect the health and well-being of the child and mother throughout the life. So, it is important for women to be careful during pregnancy and not take it lightly. To avoid the risk of complications during and post pregnancy, and to stay healthy, pregnant women are recommended to:  

• Receive treatment and care from a registered obstetrician and gynaecologist
• Sharing current and past medical history to the medical team to help them decide on medication that is suitable to your body
• Learning and following tips given by your physician to remain healthy and give birth to a healthy baby.

Pregnancy Health Checklist

We give below a pregnancy health checklist that will help prepare yourself to handle your pregnancy confidently. The checklist will also help you define your conversation with your physician and her medical team. Do a pre-pregnancy check up When you are ready for pregnancy physically and mentally, it is wise to fix up a pre-pregnancy visit to your gynec. She can identify your health issues, if any, that can affect your baby during and post pregnancy. This is the first and important step towards ensuring a smooth and successful pregnancy. Do a pregnancy confirmation When you know that you are pregnant (by using pregnancy strip or through periods stoppage), pay a visit to your gynec and let her confirm your pregnancy. Schedule Regular Visits

• • During your monthly visits, your gynec will check and assess your overall health and the development of your fetus.
  • During the entire pregnancy period, keep a track of any unusual symptom or problem that you come across and discuss about that with your gynec during monthly checkups without fail.
  • Discuss with your physician and know beforehand what kind of pain management you will have to go through and possibility of a csection and what to do in case of a normal delivery at an appropriate time during your monthly checkup.

Switch to Healthy Lifestyle Choices As your health is very important during your pregnancy for the proper development of your fetus, you should stick to healthy lifestyle choices, meaning, you should not smoke, drink alcohol and eat things are generally regarded as junk and unhealthy. When you are not in good health, that can cause health problems for your baby and you may have complications during delivery. Your Current Medications and Supplements If you are consuming some OTC drugs and supplements, be open to your gynec about it. Remember, it could potentially affect your baby knowingly or unknowingly. So, provide her the complete list of medications and supplements that you are currently taking. Take Prenatal Vitamin and Folic Acid Make sure you consume all the prenatal vitamins and folic acid prescribed to you as per the dosage without fail. Remember, folic acid can prevent serious birth defects in babies, and avoiding them may lead to compromising your baby’s health and wellbeing. Share Family History Sharing your family history to your gynec is very important, particularly during pregnancy. Because certain medical conditions can be passed on from one generation to another, so that your physician can plan her treatment accordingly. Thus you can prevent if any pregnancy related health issue because of your family history. Remain Physically Active Staying physically active during pregnancy is important for the health and wellbeing of you and your baby. Being physically active comes with number of benefits including lowered stress, improved sleep and increased energy. You can talk to your gynec and know the kind of physical activities that you can do including yoga posas, physical exercises etc., Know What to Eat and What to Avoid Needless to say, eating a healthy and well-balanced meal can give your body the needed nutrients and help your baby grow into a healthy baby. So, take a list of healthy foods to include during the pregnancy period. Take all that is recommended by your gynec. If you have doubt about consuming low-fat dairy products, get it clarified and know whether you can take it or not. Strictly avoid foods that are recommended not to take. For example refrigerated seafood, unpasteurized milk, undercooked food, crab, certain types of fish varieties etc., When your physician advises you not to take, know that she is saying that as those foods can harm the development of your fetus.

Certain food can make way for a bad mood. Avoid such foods. Stay Away from Toxic Substances Make sure that you don’t expose yourself to toxic substances during the entire pregnancy period. Substances such as bug sprays, rodent sprays, insecticides, harmful chemicals, ant chalk piece etc.,
You just need to be little careful and strictly avoid getting near toxic substances during pregnancy. Stay Emotionally Strong and Happy Your feelings during pregnancy can have direct bearing on the development of your baby inside your womb. Women who are stressed during pregnancy are known to give birth to underweight babies and there are also more chances of giving birth to premature babies. So, you should feel happy. Though feeling sad or worried are part of everyone’s life, during pregnancy you cannot allow such thoughts to occupy your mind for a longer period and you should take help when you feel that you couldn’t control your emotions. Staying happy and having positive thoughts can lead to healthy development of your baby. Stay Away from Infections

During pregnancy STIs, Flu and Urinary Tract infections can be dangerous for you and your baby, so you should be extra careful and make sure you are free from infections. Food-borne infections can also be dangerous. So, make sure you don’t eat raw meat, unpastuerised milk, undercooked meat and poultry, frozen food etc., Follow the safety precautions recommended by your physician to stay away from infections.

Never Miss Monthly Check-ups Make sure to visit your physician for a month-on-month checkup without any fail. Your doctor will monitor your health and keep track of the development cycle of your fetus. Get Help if you Experience Domestic Violence

Violence is harmful during normal circumstances and it is even more harmful during pregnancy period as the emotional upheaval can also affect the fetus. So, take help from appropriate authorities when you are subjected to domestic violence during pregnancy.