Tips to Stay Fit and Healthy During Pregnancy

How does it feel like being pregnant!!

Just find out about your pregnancy? Congratulations! Now, get ready to hear lots of advice from friends, neighbours, not to mention over-zealous family members, who will suggest all those things that you should meticulously avoid during pregnancy. Some might go one step ahead and advise you to stay indoors. But gone are those days when being pregnant meant sitting at home, enjoying pampering from family members, demanding fulfillment of frequent cravings, and missing the social life. These days, pregnant women prefer to work and keep their life going while they are nurturing life in their womb.

However, pregnancy brings many physical and emotional changes in a woman. From the size of her belly to the rate at which her heart beats, everything changes during those nine months. Pregnant woman experiences so many hormonal and physical changes which lead to several health issues like swollen feet, short breaths, high blood pressure, etc.

Five tips to stay fit and healthy during pregnancy

It is essential to lead a healthy lifestyle during pregnancy for the proper growth and well-being of your baby. Usually, hormonal changes, morning sickness, and other physical changes are common during pregnancy. However, these changes leave you tired and low on energy and make it difficult to stick to a healthy diet plan during pregnancy. Every year, around 55,000 women in India die due to preventable pregnancy-related issues. Hence, it is important that you make healthy choices for your health as well as for the growth of your baby. After all, only a healthy woman can raise a healthy baby.

Here are some tips that can help you stay fit and healthy during pregnancy:

Avoid sugary and junk food: You should avoid junk food and sugar as much as possible during pregnancy. They do not have any nutritional benefits and just add calories to your body. Even, processed carbohydrates like white bread, breakfast cereals, pasta, bakery products, etc. get stored in your body in the form of fats. Similarly, junk food items like burgers, pizzas, fries, etc.; are very low on nutritional value and add unhealthy fats in your body, so stay away from them.

Keep your body hydrated: Water is the best option to keep a body hydrated during the pregnancy. It also helps you in avoiding fatigue, pregnancy nausea and unnecessary cravings and hunger pangs. It is advised to drink at least 2 liters of water daily during pregnancy.

Get a good amount of rest and sleep: Hormonal and physical changes in your body due to pregnancy can leave you tired and fatigued. So, you need more rest and napping if you are pregnant. Make sure to take enough rest so that your body can recover and restore its lost energy. Listen to your body and just sit back and relax whenever you are tired and low on energy. The minimum sleep of 8 hours is required during pregnancy for the healthy growth of a baby.

Make an exercise plan: It is vital to do some physical activity during pregnancy. It can be a brisk walking, swimming, or a pre-natal yoga, etc. that are easy and gentle on you as well as on your baby. Your joints are likely to become loose and your center of gravity shifts when you are pregnant, thus, it becomes important that you do not scale down on your normal routine. Follow a moderate exercise activity plan that you enjoy in order to stay active during pregnancy.

Avoid stress: Try avoiding as much stress as possible for the health and well-being of your baby. With so many changes in your life due to pregnancy, you are bound to get some amount of stress, however, you need to manage your stress level efficiently for your own and baby’s health. Taking too much stress during pregnancy can weaken your immunity system and lead to pre-term labour. So, take some time out of your daily schedule and relax to have a healthy pregnancy.

Pregnancy and health insurance in India:

The cost of pregnancy-related expenses in India is high due to inflation. While the news of pregnancy brings happiness, it can be financially challenging, especially for the middle and lower class people. That’s the reason, many health insurance providers in India have included maternity benefits in their policies so that quality pre-natal and post-natal care can be provided to pregnant women. Such plans cover maternity expenses and thus, ensure, maternity doesn’t burn a hole in the pocket. However, the coverage is offered only after a waiting period of say, 3 or 4 years. Therefore, if your family planning is still a few years away, you should go with a comprehensive health insurance that covers maternity as well.

Indeed, motherhood is a divine emotion. It is not only the birth of your child, but your rebirth as well. So, make this experience the most memorable moment of your life. Nourishing your body with healthy food, exercising and avoiding stress will help you in having a healthy pregnancy and ensuring the well-being of your baby.

We wish you a safe and blissful motherhood!