Why Prenatal Care is So Important and What Does it Include?

Pregnancy time is one of the most beautiful journeys, and every woman dreams of giving a new life at least once in her lifetime. But for having a healthy pregnancy and natural delivery, it is essential to maintain a healthy immune system.

Pregnancy is a happy, beautiful and life-changing experience for women. Though the body undergoes drastic changes to accommodate a new life and nurture it, Pregnant women are at higher risk of getting sick quickly because of their weaker immune systems. Pregnancy can have an impact on the immune system. During pregnancy, the woman's immune system is suppressed so that her partner's sperm, embryo, or fetus isn't rejected as a threat. As a result, the white blood cells, which are the cells of the immune system, lose their capability to fight against the body's enemies, such as infectious diseases and foreign invaders.

Women are more susceptible to illness during pregnancy. This can affect you and your growing fetus as well. That is why you need to maintain a healthy immune system during pregnancy.

There are some tips for prenatal care:

Maintaining a healthy weight.

Gaining weight is typical during pregnancy, but gaining too much weight can be dangerous for a woman and her child. What are the risks of gaining too much weight? It is important to remember that a woman hasn't to go on a special diet not to harm the baby's health during pregnancy. A balancing and healthy diet is the best option for a pregnant woman. The possible risks of gaining too much weight can be connected with complications and medical conditions such as gestational diabetes or preeclampsia. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, women with overweight can have possible risks of having diabetes and high blood pressure during pregnancy. Moreover, overweight women may have a caesarean birth. The question is, how much eight is healthy to gain during pregnancy?

Here is recoomendation for gainhg weight during pregnancy:

Underweight (BMI < 18.5): Gain 28 — 40 lbs (about 1 lb/week)
Normal weight (BMI 18.5 — 24.9): Gain 25 — 35 lbs (about 1 lb/week).
Overweight (BMI 25 — 29): Gain 15 — 25 lbs (about 0.6 lb/week)
Obese (BMI > 30): Gain 11 — 20 lbs (about 0.5 lb/week)

There is a list of possible complications connected with overweight during pregnancy:

Increased risk of having hypertensive disorders
Increased risk of having preeclampsia
Increased risk of having diabetes
Increased risk of having caesarian birth
Increased risk of having a large-for-gestational-age infant
Increased risk of having complications with labour and delivery

But gaining too little weight during pregnancy can also provide complications. There is a list of possible complications:

Increased risk of delivering a baby with a small weight
Increased risk of having a premature baby

What can a woman do for having a healthy weight gaining during pregnancy?

Having a healthy and balancing dieting
Doing regular exercises
Reducing stress
Having proper sleep
Staying hydrating

Taking prenatal vitamins. Prenatal vitamins are supplements created for pregnant women with the necessary vitamins and minerals during pregnancy. But it doesn't mean that every pregnant woman needs to take prenatal vitamins. After consultation with a doctor, women can get a prescription for vitamins to fill gaps.

Which vitamins can a pregnant woman need during pregnancy?

Folic acid
Iron
Omega-3
Vitamin D
Vitamin C
Vitamin A
Vitamin E
Vitamin B12
Zins
Magnesium
Calcium
Choline

Of course, taking prenatal vitamins is a fantastic opportunity to fulling the gap in your diet, but it is important to take prenatal vitamins according to doctor recommendations. Also, it is essential to have a diet with all the necessary nutrients for a normal baby's development and a woman's health during pregnancy. For example, it is necessary to take omega-3 and choline for developing a baby's brain, which women can consume from the diet. There is a list of foods with added omega-3:

Salmon
Flax
Tuna
Eggs
Spinach
Walnuts
Chia seeds
Cold liver oil
Hemp seeds

There is a list of foods highest in choline:

Chicken breast
Salmon
Green peas
Beef
Shrimp
Lean pork chops
Eggs
Low-fat milk
Pork
Peanut flour

But sometimes, women can not consume enough docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid from a diet. That's why it is better to take this omega-3 fatty acid in the form of vitamins.

Reducing stress. Reducing and preventing stress will help women for having a healthy immune system. There are many ways for reducing anxiety: