Foods That Should Be Avoided In the Time Of Pregnancy

Pregnancy is a very important stage in a women’s life. It is said that one should eat well at all times but when a woman is expecting she has to take extra care for her diet and pregnancy ,as diet she intakes helps in development and growth of the baby.

Women should have a healthy pregnancy diet which includes essential nutrients, minerals, carbohydrates, fats and vitamins. In pregnancy a pregnancy diet should be followed. In pregnancy there are certain food items that should be avoided .
The foods which should be avoided are:

1) A pregnant women should avoid the undercooked meat, raw meat or raw eggs as they are exposed to a bacteria known as salmonella ,which can lead to infections and can be harmful for the baby. Raw eggs can cause can be a cause for food poisoning which can cause diarrhoea or even preterm labor.

2) Soft cheese as it contains listeria which is a harmful and dangerous bacteria as it has the ability to cross placenta and can lead to blood poisoning, which can be a cause for miscarriage and it can be life threatening also.

3) Unpasteurized dairy products. As it also contains bacteria called Listeria, which is life threatening. Check and drink milk which is pasteurized.

4) Avoid eating some types of fish, though fish is considered a good item in the diet plan as it contains omega -3 Fatty acids, but there are certain fishes which has higher volume of mercury present in them which can be harmful for the unborn baby. The types of fish which include high amount of mercury are shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tilefish, canned and chunk light tuna has less amount of mercury but it should be avoided too.

5) Refrigerated Smoke sea food should be avoided generally as it also contains bacteria called listeria.
6) Another category of fish which should be avoided are fishes which are brought from contaminated lake and rivers as they are exposed to various pollutants and they contain high amount of PCBs ( Poly carbonated biphenyls) which can infect the un born baby.

7) Caffeine and alcohol should be avoided in pregnancy. High intake of caffeine is harmful as it can result in low birth rate or even miscarriage. Caffeine occurs in some products as coffee, tea, chocolate, and even in soft drinks and soda’s. Alcohols in the time of pregnancy can cause problem for the baby .

An expecting mother should take care of what she eats, as she not only has to take care of herself but for her baby needs also. So it is always advised to follow a pregnancy diet plan and take proper rest in the time of pregnancy.

Exercising during pregnancy

How Regular Exercising can Help you in Post Pregnancy Risks

A pregnant women needs to be physically active during the stages of pregnancy. Pregnancy and exercise programs are certainly very much important for a pregnant women. It not only builds her tones and muscles but also keeps her healthy. Exercising at the time of pregnancy period lifts up the immune system and provides the much needed energy to conceive a healthy baby. One of the significant advantages of exercising or fitness exercises is that it reduces the risk of miscarriage to a great extent. Exercising provides the following benefits to pregnant women:

• It helps in developing a sound body posture.
• It raises the energy level of the pregnant women.
• It helps a pregnant women to take a good nap of sleep.
• It helps in reducing swelling, constipation, and backaches.
• It increases the muscle tone and strength of the pregnant women.
• It reduces the circulation problems during the pregnancy period.

Exercising Guidelines during Pregnancy

The following are the various guidelines that a pregnant women must adhere to before beginning to follow a exercise routine:

• A pregnant women must eat a healthy balanced pregnancy diet full of essential nutrients.
• A pregnant women must take frequent breaks during the exercise.
• A pregnant women must take plenty of fluids during exercise.
• A pregnant women must not exercise in the hot and humid conditions.
• A pregnant women must start the exercise slowly and do not over exert herself.
• A pregnant women must wear comfortable clothing at the time of exercising.
• A pregnant women must avoid overstraining any kind of exercises.
• A pregnant women must do some stretching exercises before a workout.

Exercising during the period of pregnancy helps the pregnant women to prepare for labor and healthy childbirth. Exercising after the pregnancy can help the pregnant women to get back in right shape and size. There are various types of safe exercises that a pregnant women can try such as swimming, dancing, yoga, aerobics, walking, etc. walking slowly on the treadmill is considered to be very good form of exercise. On the other hand, there are different types of pregnancy exercises that a pregnant women must avoid namely bouncing, leaping, cycling or biking in rough terrains, scuba diving, etc. However, a pregnant women must first listen to her body while exercising and immediately stop exercising and rush to the doctor if she develops any of the following symptoms:

• Pain in chest.
• Difficulty in breathing.
• Erection of blood from vagina.
• Severe headache lasting for long hours.
• Pain in back and pelvis.
• Blurred vision
• Difficulty in walking

It is recommended and advised that a pregnant women must consult the doctor before beginning to start any kind of fitness or exercise program.