Finding out you are pregnant can be exciting and stressful at the same time. But, you need to breathe and take some minutes to process. Then, once you’ve accepted the reality, follow these steps to ensure a successful pregnancy.
Table of Contents
#1. Call Your Midwife/Doctor as Soon as You Can
Getting in touch with a doctor or midwife is considered a priority step. Many often wait until nearing the end of the first trimester to start their clinics. However, as research points out, starting your pregnancy clinic in Singapore early benefits both the mother and the child.
When you contact your doctor, you should tell them if you have any chronic disease or are taking medication, you have complications with your previous pregnancy, you or the baby’s father is a carrier for the gene associated with sickle cell or thalassemia, or you or a family member has a baby with abnormality like spina bifida.
#2. Take a Folic Acid Supplement
Women in developed countries don’t need a multivitamin specific to pregnancy since their diets provide them with most of the needed nutrients. But, even if this is the case, you will still need to take at least 400mg of folic acid until the end of your first trimester and vitamin D until you give birth.
Folic acid helps prevent neural tube defects like spina bifida, while vitamin D is essential for absorbing calcium and phosphorus, which are responsible for healthy bones and muscles.
#3. Focus on Your Nutrition
Please remember that you are feeding for two. So ensure you get the right food and nutrients for you and your developing baby. Many doctors will recommend supplementation of vitamins and DHA. But along with that, also ensure that you eat a balanced diet.
It’s best to avoid foods that might harm your baby, like unpasteurized dairy and juices, undercooked meat and eggs, certain seafood, and too much coffee. Your doctor will recommend the right foods for you, which is why you need to call them.
At the same time, it is advisable to stop consuming alcohol and other illicit drugs. Research has shown that they can be dangerous to your baby and cause complications like miscarriage, stillbirth, and several disabilities.
This dentist in Murray Hill also adds that you should include iron-rich food in your diet as pregnant women are more susceptible to periodontal diseases and iron deficiency. Consuming enough iron will help in alleviating the chances of you getting these health issues.
#4. Calculate Your Due Date
Calculating your due date on your own can be difficult. But, many online calculators can predict when your child may be born. However, our midwife will tell you about your appointment after having a scan.
When calculating your due date, bear in mind that human gestation takes around 38 weeks. Therefore, you can calculate by counting 40 weeks from the first day of your last period. But you can also use the date of conception to calculate, only that this is a bit challenging since many women do not know.
#5. Create a Work Plan
We are not talking about telling your employer that you are pregnant. That, you will do when you are ready. But, you still need to attend your doctor’s appointment, and you need to plan should any complications arise.
Therefore, it’s wise to understand the employer’s maternity policy in your location. Also, you need to know how you’ll get permission from work to your pregnancy clinics.
#6. Stay Fit
Many people think that pregnancy means cutting off all forms of exercise. But this is not true. Doctors recommend exercising during pregnancy as long as you do it safely. If you didn’t exercise before getting pregnant, you should start gently and gradually build up. Start with low-impact exercises like walking, yoga, swimming, etc. However, note that some people may be advised not to exercise, for instance, people who’ve had several first-trimester pregnancy losses and those with some medical conditions.