- Exercise daily – helps with constipation, muscle cramps, fatigue, back pain, strength and stamina, mood, sleep and a quicker recovery
- Take Folic Acid – reduces neural tube abnormalities. (Take 0.4mg per day for 3 months preconception and during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy). Take folic acid alone or with a prenatal vitamin.
- Seatbelts – use of a seatbelt may be lifesaving for mother and baby.
- Get Enough Rest – enables the body to cope with changes ( physical and psychological), increases energy and endurance.
- Eat a Nutritious Diet – provides your body with the essentials to create a healthy, happy baby and the energy to keep up with the changes in you. Refer to Canada’s Food Guide.
- Take Prenatal and Breastfeeding Classes – increases awareness of what to expect and how to prepare for labour. Helps you to deal more effectively with the challenges of pregnancy, childbirth and parenting.
- Stop Smoking – improves breathing and oxygen to mother and baby. Larger healthier babies with fewer respiratory problems (allergies, asthma, etc.).
- Stop Alcohol – reduces the risk of low birth weight babies, miscarriages, fetal alcohol syndrome, deformities and mental retardation.
Dr. Robert Fallis, author: Your Home Doctor: Babies, Your Home Doctor: Mom, and soon to be published, Your Home Doctor: Pregnancy.
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