Having a healthy pregnancy is a major concern for mothers-to-be. Knowing the gender of your baby, getting the house prepared, and choosing a name are all things parents think about, but women just want to be healthy and bring a healthy baby into the world.
Being pregnant is hard work on a woman’s body. The initial changes in hormones are dreadful for most women, causing “morning sickness.” That feeling of nausea, which can last a few months or stay throughout the entire pregnancy, makes it hard to maintain normal eating habits. Throwing up on a daily basis is common during the first trimester. It is especially imperative to keep yourself hydrated during this time. Water is always a good choice. I drank a lot of apple juice during my first two pregnancies, and I never liked apple juice before. I could tolerate the apple juice better than water. Drinking a lot of sugary drinks could be bad for you and increase your risk of developing other health issues, so talk to your doctor if you have questions about how much juice you should drink.
Food of any kind may not be appealing during the first trimester of your pregnancy, but fruits and vegetables are always a good choice if you can tolerate anything. Crackers tend to help with nausea. Greasy foods or high sugar content foods may make the nausea even worse. As the nausea goes away, making better food choices gets easier! During my last pregnancy, all I could really tolerate until week 35 was mandarin oranges, and I never did like those things until I was pregnant with Matt. That was all I wanted and craved! (Incidentally, Matt’s mom craved mandarin oranges when she was pregnant with her daughter!) While cravings can be really fun, or really irritating for some, your baby and you both need proper nutrients to nourish your bodies. If nothing you normally eat appeals to you, this may be a good time to try out some new recipes.
Exercise. For some, that probably sounds like a dirty word. For me, during pregnancy, I really did not even want to hear that word. Being pregnant knowing that you are placing your baby for adoption is vastly different from any other kind of pregnancy. Let me help you wrap your mind around that: When you are making an adoption plan for your baby while you are pregnant, all the things that happen during pregnancy intensify, and there are even more emotional and mental strains added to the process. During my pregnancy with Matt, I was depressed. I did not handle that pregnancy the same way I handled my other pregnancies. I was not getting any sleep, and I felt sick, and all I could eat were mandarin oranges. Getting out of bed was tough, let alone getting out of the house to take walk. If you find exercising really difficult, try doing some light stretches with your arms and legs. Walk if you can. Truly, anything to get out of the house and get some fresh air will do.
No matter what, take those prenatal vitamins! Those vitamins are super important for your baby’s health, and yours! I once was told that all the vitamins and nutrients a woman consumes during pregnancy go to the baby first, then to mommy. Those vitamins help the baby’s development and supplement what you may not be getting through food.
Excessive weight gain and gestational diabetes are a couple of concerns for expectant mothers. I gained A LOT of weight during my pregnancy with Matt, even thought for the first 35 weeks my diet was mainly mandarin oranges. I ate pretty well the last three weeks of my pregnancy. I consider myself very lucky to not have developed any health concerns. If you do have health concerns, and are considering placing your baby for adoption, be honest about what is going on with your body and your baby. If you have, or if your baby will have health issues, the best course of action is to let your doctor and the adoption agency know of these things. It will not disqualify you for anything. Instead, it will help them to better care for you and meet your needs.
If you have questions about diet or exercise during pregnancy, talk to your doctor.