Taking Care of Pregnancy - General Tips You Should Know!

It is a thrilling experience when a women comes to know that she is pregnant. The thought that a life is forming inside our own body makes every women feel proud and also fills with many emotions. But with that comes lots of worries in mind as well. What should I eat? How should I walk? Many women become quite conscious while walking. Which way should I sit? Can I have relations with my husband? So many queries and questions bother pregnant women especially first time mothers.

The first and foremost thing , one should remember is that pregnancy is not a disease. It is a gift. One can do all things normally. Only some points one should take care of:

1. Avoid alcohol completely- If you had little /more alcohol before you came to know that you are pregnant do not worry but now onwards avoid it completely till you feed your baby.
2. Avoid Caffeine- Cot down your coffee intake to one or two cups a day at the most. Remember caffeine is found even in green and black tea, cola and other soft drinks other than coffee. But yeah, you can take chocolates in moderate amount if you really feel like taking it as it contains comparatively very less amount of caffeine.
3. You should avoid taking Papaya and pineapple during pregnancy and some of hot spices in large /medium quantities. Small quantities are fine.
4. Avoid any kind of raw non-veg items such as raw egg, raw meat etc.
5. Avoid artificial sweeteners as well or take them in moderate quantities.
6. Keep on eating little bit in between your mealtime may be some fruit or light snack. This is important. Eat lot of fruits. But eat fruits separately. Similarly eat non-veg separately.
7. Don't avoid non-veg. It is highly recommended as all required nutrients are present in it. But don't eat carbohydrates, fruits etc along with it for 3 hours.
8. Are you taking sufficient milk? Avoid toned and homogenized and any packed milk as they pose health risk. If you can't take milk then take at least butter, curd etc.
9. Avoid any packed, market food be it any juice in the world. Throw away and refined material especially "Refined Oil" like Saffola. Go for raw oils like groundnut oil, pure ghee, butter etc.
10. Eat variety of food consisting of Dal, vegetables, fruits and other healthy items. Avoid lots of fried and heavy items.
11. You should get done all tests done during pregnancy. Doctors don't suggest all tests but you can go ahead and get yourself tested at least for all general tests like Kidney/Liver function tests, thyroid, sugar,CBC,Blood Type and Rh Status,Antibody, HIV, Syphilis, Rubella, Hepatitis-B etc. My weight kept on increasing during pregnancy but my doctor could not guess the reason of it. Later I found out it was due to my high thyroid levels.
12. Do not take at all any over the counter , unprescribed medicines. Take medicines only prescribed by your gynecologist. If you have some cold , cough or any routine illness, than also you should consult your gynecologist before taking any medicines. Same applies to vaccinations as well. If you can , postpone vaccinations after pregnancy or consult your doctor before getting vaccinated.
13. Avoid Smoking and smokers too. Because with even a very small amount of inhalation either in the form of passive or active smoking, little bit of nicotine passes to fetus, that can result in low birth weight baby and can hamper further growth as well.
14. You can do as usual your usual activities such as working on computers, flying, cleaning, housework, driving etc.
15. Try to avoid going out at all. You must avoid going on two wheelers, Vikrams and local buses and especially Autos. I advise you to only travel by your own car with your husband/father as driver.  If your due date is nearby, try to avoid flying long hours especially if you have high blood pressure or any other cardiovascular disease.
16. Make sure you're taking Folic acid as advised by your doctors. Folic acid should be started even before you conceive.
17. Are you have low-placenta problem due to your higher age? Take more rest and do less of walking.
18. You must stop as soon as possible some medicines which affect our brains which are taken in depression and usually prescribed by psychiatrists and are clearly cautioned for pregnant women. You must consult your doctor as some medicines may be much more needed for your health than pose risk for your fetus. Above all check the instruction on the medicines if they have any warning for pregnancy.
19. Get done Ultrasounds for fetus health. I remember there are different levels like Level-1,2 and 3 etc. This is to confirm that your baby is healthy and you do not give birth to a handicapped( may be genetically) baby which can be due to you coming in contact with pesticides, some medicines or toxic elements. It is impossible to avoid such situation and not everybody in the world is so lucky. If you're cautious then you can opt for abortion rather than spend sleepless nights and countless money for your baby which is mentally retarded or have malformed heart and ultimately dies early in a couple of years.
20. I strongly recommend you participating child birth classes so that you know basic precautions, indications and how to handle your "labour" coolly and help your new born baby.
21. As a special precaution I recommend you taking boiled RO water. Without any laws, no purifier company in India is truly reliable. Any hardness in water is no use for you.
22. Beware if you're using your mediclaim or company insurance for your delivery. In India such cases mostly end up in Cesarean which you must avoid. It is best to have natural delivery but to have it you must find such a doctor who has a history of doing normal deliveries and who takes especial interest in it. By default Indian hospitals and doctors will give one reason or other of Caesarian delivery. I recommend you to get admitted in hospital on payment basis and after delivery only try to avail your insurance and company insurance.
23. Avoid high impact exercises during pregnancy especially weight-lifting , sit-ups, sudden change of posture and tummy exercises. Low impact aerobic exercises or Pranayams except Kapal Bhati Pranayam or Yoga exercises helps in increasing intake of oxygen and makes a pregnant woman feel better. On average two and half hrs of moderate intensity exercises weekly is recommended for a pregnant woman.
24. You should avoid inhalation of the fumes of bug sprays, insecticides, pesticides, repellants and dust etc during pregnancy. They are poisonous and a pregnant woman should stay away as much as possible.
25. One should avoid an exposure to lead which is mostly found in paints etc during pregnancy as exposure to high amount can lead to premature birth, miscarriage, low birth weight and slow development. Even exposure during pregnancy to small amounts can cause behavioral problems in kids.
26. Use of Microwave Ovens poses no risk so do not worry about that.
27. One should avoid overheating of body during pregnancy.
28. If you have normal pregnancy, sexual relationship with your partner is absolutely normal even if your due date is nearby. But only a couple of coital positions are recommended. To know the recommended coital positions search in Google : "recommended coital positions during pregnancy or pregnancy positions". Only avoid any jerks or pressure on your abdomen during intercourse. But in case you have some complications in your case or you are feeling some discomfort, consult your doctor.
29. You should avoid X-Rays, CT scans and other MRI scans unless your doctor advises for. In that case also , inform the technician and radiologist in advance about your pregnancy condition. X-Rays can cause serious defects in fetus especially at early stage.
30. Are you aware that teeth hygiene is very important during pregnancy since during pregnancy you undergo hormonal changes which makes you susceptible to gum disease. Research has found that there is relationship between gum disease during pregnancy and premature and low weight baby. Also during pregnancy you are not advised to get X-Rays of your teeth. So start taking precaution even before pregnancy.
31. Sun bath is very important. Almost every Indian is  deficient in vitamin-D and insufficient of it cause problems in infants. There is only one safe way to get vitamin D is by sun bath. If you're white then take 15 minutes of it for 4-5 days/week otherwise take 45 minutes or so if your complexion is dark. Try to expose as much of your body without getting sun burn. Don't use any lotions or take it behind glasses.
32. Do not wear very high heels. Wear comfortable, flat heels.
33. One should take care of posture while standing, bending or sitting. Faulty postures can create backaches and some other problems.
34. First and foremost thing, do not worry a lot during pregnancy. Take things easily. As it has been proven that fetus is very much affected by the physical and mental health of mother during pregnancy. Keep yourself happy always. Just imagine the little gift you are going to get.
35. Most important thing, get yourself checked regularly by a good gynecologist. Have frank discussions with her if you have any doubt or any inhibitions in your mind. Follow her advice faithfully and enjoy your time.