Taking Care of Yourself During Pregnancy

To increase your chances of a healthy pregnancy, see a doctor regularly Prenatal Care Prenatal care is medical care you get before you give birth. Prenatal care includes routine doctor visits and routine tests. The doctor checks your health and the health of your developing baby... read more during your pregnancy and:

Ask your doctor if you have questions about eating, weight gain, medicines, or other health matters during pregnancy.

You need about 250 extra calories each day while you're pregnant. Most of your extra calories should be protein, which you can get from:

You should also eat plenty of:

Always wash your fruits and vegetables before you eat them.

How much weight you gain depends on your size. Most women should gain between 25 and 35 pounds during pregnancy. Women who are overweight should gain a bit less. Try to gain only about 1 to 4 pounds in the first trimester (3 months) of pregnancy. It can become difficult to slow down weight gain later in pregnancy.

Don't try to lose weight during pregnancy, even if you're overweight. Your baby needs food to grow and develop.

While you're pregnant, avoid:

Tobacco smoke can harm your baby. You shouldn't smoke, and you should avoid other people's smoke ("secondhand smoke").

Cats are often have an infection called toxoplasmosis Toxoplasmosis Toxoplasmosis is infection caused by the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii. Infection occurs when people unknowingly ingest toxoplasma cysts from cat feces or eat contaminated meat... read more . Even healthy cats can carry it. Cats pass toxoplasmosis in their poop so you can get it by changing litter boxes or cleaning up cat poop. Toxoplasmosis can harm babies in the womb. So if you have a cat, have someone else clean up after it or wear gloves and wash your hands after.

If you get certain infections while you're pregnant, your baby could be harmed.

Take a prenatal vitamin containing iron Iron Deficiency Iron deficiency is a common cause of anemia, a condition in which the number of red blood cells is low. Iron deficiency usually results from loss of blood in adults (including bleeding from... read more and folate Folate Deficiency Folate deficiency is common. Because the body stores only a small amount of folate, a diet lacking in folate leads to a deficiency within a few months. Not eating enough raw leafy vegetables... read more every day.

It's good to try to avoid taking medicines while you're pregnant Medicine and Drug Use During Pregnancy More than half of pregnant women take medicines, drink alcohol, smoke, or use illicit drugs at some time during pregnancy. Taking certain drugs and medicines while pregnant may hurt your baby... read more . Many medicines are safe for your baby, but some are not. Sometimes doctors aren't sure how safe they are.

However, many diseases, such as high blood pressure and diabetes, also are dangerous for your baby. Sometimes it's better to take a medicine that keeps you and your baby healthy even when it's slightly risky. Talk to your doctor about your medicines and the risks of treating versus not treating. If you're taking a dangerous medicine, your doctor often can switch you to a safer one. Check with your doctor before taking any new medicine or supplement, including medicines you can get without a prescription.

You can usually continue exercising and being active throughout pregnancy. You may need to modify certain exercises as your belly grows. Be careful to avoid injury, especially to your belly. Don’t play contact sports, such as basketball or football.

You may feel more or less desire for sex during pregnancy. You can safely have sex during pregnancy unless you have:

The safest time to travel during pregnancy is between 14 and 28 weeks. You shouldn't spend more than 6 hours traveling per day. While traveling:

Air travel isn't usually recommended after 36 weeks of pregnancy, mostly because you could go into labor and have to deliver your baby far from home.