Now that you are pregnant, these Dos and Don’ts are important for you to note. Congratulations! Welcome to the wild journey called pregnancy.

Pregnancy Dos

• Take your Pre-natal Vitamins

The easiest way to provide your body with all of the healthy nutrition it needs to support a growing baby is to eat a balanced diet rich in vitamins and minerals. However, a healthy diet alone may not be sufficient for pregnancy.

Prenatal vitamins provide increased dosages of key nutrients that expecting mums require, such as:

calcium, iron, and folic acid.

• Sleep Well

Sleep might be difficult to achieve during your 9 months of pregnancy, especially in the last trimester due to changing hormone levels, anticipation, discomfort and anxiety. Pregnancy is physically demanding, and draining and you’ll need your rest.

• Work Out

Exercise is good for mum and baby. In fact, regular exercise may help you deal with a variety of pregnancy-related concerns that may arise. Talk to your doctor to know which exercises are ideal for you especially as you approach your last trimester and should avoid heavy lifting.

• Get Vaccinated

Certain vaccines like the whooping cough and flu vaccines are ideal for pregnant women. You need to discuss this  with your midwife or doctor before deciding which vaccines to have.

• Register for Antenatal early

Don’t wait till something is wrong before you register for antenatal. As soon as you find out that you are pregnant, sign up for the antenatal services at your hospital. You will have at least 8 antenatal sessions on the average throughout pregnancy.

Pregnancy Don’ts

• Don’t Smoke

Babies born to pregnant women who smoke tend to have have a lower birth weight and are more likely to develop learning problems than children born to nonsmoking moms. Due to physiologic nicotine addiction, children born to smoking mothers are more prone to attempt smoking at a younger age and become regular smokers sooner.

• Don’t Drink Alcohol

Alcohol can have a significant impact on your baby’s development. People who consume alcohol while pregnant may give birth to a child with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS).

• Don’t eat raw meat

Foodborne illnesses such as listeriosis and toxoplasmosis can be contracted from raw or undercooked meat and eggs. It’s also possible that you’ll get food poisoning. These infections can result in serious, life-threatening illnesses, as well as birth deformities and even miscarriage. If you’re pregnant, make sure all of the eggs and meat you eat are well cooked.

Also Read: Is Pregnancy safe to eat in pregnancy? Explained!