Healthy Pregnancy Guide PDF

# The Healthy Pregnancy Guide If you are pregnant, or are planning to become pregnant, this guide is for you! Having a baby can be a wonderful experience, but it can also be a time of uncertainty. Many parents have questions and concerns as they face all the changes that pregnancy brings. With adv...

# The Healthy Pregnancy Guide If you are pregnant, or are planning to become pregnant, this guide is for you! Having a baby can be a wonderful experience, but it can also be a time of uncertainty. Many parents have questions and concerns as they face all the changes that pregnancy brings. With advice coming from everyone, it's tough to know who to listen to. That's why having accurate information is so important! It will help you to make good decisions about how to take care of yourself before, during and after your pregnancy. In this guide, you will find important facts and questions related to a healthy pregnancy. They include: | Topic | Page Number | | ------------------------------------- | ----------- | | Prenatal Nutrition | 2 | | Folic Acid | 6 | | Alcohol and Pregnancy | 9 | | Physical Activity and Pregnancy | 12 | | Emotional Health | 24 | | Ten Months of Pregnancy | 28 | | Resources | 38 | | Breastfeeding | 39 | | Immunization | 40 | | Oral Health | 20 | Planning a pregnancy and being pregnant can be exciting times in your life! Using this guide can help make it a healthier experience for you and your baby. ## Prenatal Nutrition Healthy eating plays a very important role in a healthy pregnancy. Eat foods from a variety of sources to make sure you get all the vitamins, minerals and nutrients you and your developing baby need. Eating well will also help you feel better, give you more energy and help you gain a healthy amount of weight. It will also contribute to your baby's healthy growth and development. ### Important Facts Know what you need. During your second and third trimesters of pregnancy, you need some additional calories each day to support the growth of your baby. One extra snack is often enough. For example, have an apple or a pear with a small piece of cheese as an afternoon snack. Follow Canada's Food Guide to eat the amount and type of food that is right for you and your baby. ### Fruits and Vegetables are a Must Pregnant women need fruits and vegetables every day. Brightly coloured vegetables and fruit contain more of the kinds of vitamins you and your baby need. Eat at least one dark green and one orange vegetable each day. Make sure your fruits and vegetables are prepared with little or no added fat, sugar and salt, and choose vegetables and fruit more often than juice. ### Grain Products are Important You need to include grain products as part of your daily diet. This includes foods like bread, rice and pasta. Try to choose grain products that are lower in fat, sugar and salt, and look for the "whole grain" variety. ### Have Milk and Milk Alternatives for Strong Bones Milk and alternatives are important for your growing baby. Opt for the low-fat variety, which will give you the high quality protein, calcium and vitamin D you need but with less of the fat and calories. Have skim, 1% or 2% milk every day and go for lower fat varieties of yogurt and cheese. Drink fortified soy beverages if you do not drink milk. ### Include Meat and Meat Alternatives Eating meat and alternatives each day will help you and your baby stay healthy. Choose lean (less fatty) meats and meat alternatives—dried peas, beans, tofu and lentils—made with little or no added fat or salt. Fish is also important and should be eaten each week. But choosing which fish to eat, and how much, can be complicated. ### Common Questions about Prenatal Nutrition #### How much weight should I gain while I'm pregnant? It depends on how much you weighed before you got pregnant. The following recommendations are based on your Body Mass Index (BMI) before you became pregnant. BMI is a number based on a comparison of your weight to your height (BMI = weight (kg)/height (m)²). | BMI | Recommended Weight Gain | | -------- | ----------------------------------------------- | | Below 18.5 | 12.5 to 18 kg (28 to 40 pounds) | | 18.5 to 24.9 | 11.5 to 16 kg (25 to 35 pounds) | | 25.0 to 29.9 | 7 to 11.5 kg (15 to 25 pounds) | | 30 and more | 5 to 9 kg (11 to 20 pounds) | If you are pregnant with more than one baby (twins, triplets) you will need to gain more weight. Your health care provider will be able to advise you. ### Next Steps Aim for three meals a day with healthy snacks in between. Check out Canada's Food Guide to see how many servings of each food group you need each day. Take a prenatal multivitamin every day. Make sure it has 0.4 mg of folic acid and 16 to 20 mg of iron. A health care provider can help you find the multivitamin that is right for you. ## Folic Acid Your baby's brain, skull and spine form during the first few weeks of pregnancy, before you even know you are expecting! In order for them to form properly, you must have enough folic acid. ### Important Facts #### What is folic acid? Folic acid is one of the B vitamins important for the healthy growth of your unborn baby. It is essential to the normal development of your baby's spine, brain and skull, especially during the first four weeks of your pregnancy. It is, therefore, important to eat a folate rich diet and to take vitamin supplements with folic acid before you get pregnant to reduce the risk of neural tube defects. ### What are neural tube defects? Neural tube defects (NTDs) are birth defects that occur when the neural tube fails to close properly during the early weeks of pregnancy, resulting in abnormalities of the spine, brain or skull that can result in stillbirth or lifelong disability. Closure of the neural tube happens early in pregnancy, often before a woman knows she is pregnant. Spina bifida is the most common NTD. ### Take a folic acid supplement daily All women who could become pregnant should take a multivitamin containing 0.4 mg of folic acid every day. To help reduce the risk of NTDs, you should start taking the vitamin supplement at least three months before you get pregnant and continue throughout your pregnancy. Talk to your health professional to find the best supplement for you. ### Some women are more at risk of having a baby with an NTD If you or your partner have had a previous NTD-affected pregnancy, or have a personal or family history of NTDs, talk to your health care provider. You may be advised to take a higher dosage of folic acid. ### Eat a balanced diet Taking a daily vitamin supplement does not reduce or replace the need for a healthy, well-balanced diet according to Canada's Food Guide. Good or excellent sources of folic acid (called folate when it is naturally occurring in foods) include dark green vegetables (broccoli, spinach, peas and brussel sprouts), corn, dried peas, beans, lentils, and oranges. Grain products fortified with folic acid such as bread and pasta also provide significant amounts of the vitamin. ### Common Questions about Folic Acid #### Can NTDs be detected before birth? Some NTDs can be detected before birth by prenatal screening tests. If you are pregnant and wish to know more about the prenatal diagnosis of NTDs, talk to your health care provider about prenatal screening tests that can give you more information about your baby. #### Is it possible to get too much folic acid? Do not take more than the daily dose of a vitamin supplement as indicated on the product label. Increasing your daily dose of folic acid without the advice of your health care provider is not recommended. In large doses some substances in multivitamins could actually do more harm than good. This is especially true of vitamin A in some forms. ### Next Steps Start taking a daily multivitamin with 0.4 mg of folic acid ideally before planning a pregnancy. Talk to your health care provider or pharmacist about which multivitamin would be best for you. Eat more foods that are good sources of folic acid (or folate). If you are more at risk of having a baby with an NTD, see your health care provider before you plan a pregnancy to discuss your options. ## Alcohol and Pregnancy Alcohol and pregnancy don't mix. ### Important Facts There is no safe amount or safe time to drink alcohol during pregnancy or when planning pregnancy. If you drink alcohol while you are pregnant, you may be at risk of giving birth to a baby with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). FASD is a diagnostic term that describes a range of disabilities (physical, social, mental/emotional) that may affect people whose birth mothers drank alcohol while they were pregnant. ### Next Steps Whether you are trying to get pregnant or are pregnant already, stop drinking alcohol. No alcohol is the best (and the safest!) choice for having a healthy baby. If you need help to stop drinking, ask your health care provider for advice. Tell your partner, family, friends and community members who can all support you with this decision. ## Physical Activity and Pregnancy There was a time when pregnant women were encouraged to avoid physical activity. Fortunately, attitudes about pregnancy have changed and medical experts now recommend regular physical activity as part of a healthy pregnancy. ### Important Facts Regular physical activity during pregnancy is great. It can: * Improve your mood and self-image * Help ensure appropriate weight gain * Help you relax and reduce stress * Promote better sleep * Increase your muscle tone, strength and endurance ### Next Steps Build physical activity into your daily routine. The type of activity you choose is up to you, as long as you feel comfortable doing it and your health care provider says it's okay. ### Common Questions about Physical Activity and Pregnancy #### I've never really been active. Should I start now that I'm pregnant? Physical activity can make you feel better and be beneficial for both you and your developing baby. The decision to be active during pregnancy may be the first step toward a long-lasting healthy way of life for you and your family. Remember to speak with your health care provider before you begin and start slowly. #### I'm already active, but now I'm pregnant. Can I continue to be active? If you were active regularly before becoming pregnant, continue your program and make changes as you need to. Talk to your health care provider about your current routine to see if and when you may need to make any adjustments. Most importantly, listen to your body as it changes from one month to the next and only do what feels comfortable for you. #### Can I lift weights? Weight training is generally safe as long as the resistance is light to moderate. Using heavier weights could put too much stress on muscles and ligaments. Proper controlled breathing is also very important. After your fourth month of pregnancy, experts suggest modifying exercises that require lying on your back so they are performed on your side, or while you are standing or sitting. ### How can I tell if I've overdone it? If you're really tired and you feel like stopping, then it's time to stop. If you still feel tired, give yourself a break for at least a day. Call your health care provider if you have any of the following symptoms: * Persistent contractions * Bleeding from the vagina * Increasing back pain, pubic pain or pain in the abdomen * Sudden swelling of the ankles, hands or face * Dizziness or shortness of breath * Excessive fatigue * Difficulty walking * Changes in usual fetal movement * Swelling, pain and redness in the calf of one leg ### Common Questions about Alcohol and Pregnancy #### What type of alcohol should I avoid? Everything! Beer, wine, cocktails, coolers, hard liquors (such as whiskey, gin or vodka), liqueurs or even hard ciders all contain alcohol that can hurt your developing baby. There is no alcohol that is "safe" to drink when you are pregnant. #### Are there times during pregnancy when it is okay to have alcohol? There is no known time during pregnancy when it has been determined that it is safe to drink alcohol. #### How much drinking causes FASD? No one knows for sure how much drinking causes FASD. That means that there is no safe amount of alcohol you can drink while you are pregnant or trying to become pregnant. #### Can FASD be cured? FASD cannot be cured. People live with FASD for their entire life. However, people with FASD can still do very well with helpful supports and services. Some examples include special education, vocational programs, tutors, structured environments and lifelong care. They can find paid work or go to school if given special assistance. #### Can biological fathers cause FASD? No. FASD can only be caused when a birth mother drinks alcohol while she is pregnant. However, it is known that women with partners who drink are more likely to drink themselves during pregnancy. Fathers, partners, family and friends can play a big role by supporting a woman's choice not to drink when they are having a baby. ### Common Questions about Emotional Health