"Learning to care for your baby and yourself begins long before the big day."

Our suggestions:

• Get all the information you can on your pregnancy
• Get early prenatal care and keep all of your appointments. Every pregnancy is different. Visit your physician as often as recommended.
• Get plenty of rest and relaxation. When you are stressed and tense, the oxygen and nutrient supply is reduced to the baby. Pregnancy takes a lot of energy.
• Eat a nutritious diet each and every day. Your baby needs to grow from one to 200 billion cells. Cut back or eliminate caffeine from your diet. Drink plenty of fluids – at least 6-8 glasses a day. Get plenty of folic acid – sources are dry beans, leafy green vegetables, citrus fruits and whole grain breads and cereals. Use the Food Pyramid Guide! You will need: Milk, yogurt, and cheese (3 servings); vegetables (3-5 servings); Bread, cereal, rice and pasta (6-11 servings); meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and nuts (2-3 servings); fruit (2-4 servings).
• Exercise regularly. It’s a great way to relieve stress, build endurance for childbirth, and feel good about yourself. Talk with your physician before starting an exercise program.
• Stay away from people who have contagious diseases, especially German measles.
• If you smoke, quit or cut down. When you smoke, your baby does too. Smoking increases the risk of stillbirth, miscarriage, low birth weight and many other problems.
• Remember that any alcohol and drugs (prescription, over-the-counter, and illegal) are all passed to your baby and may have disasterous or irreversible effects.
• There is no safe level of alcohol consumption in pregnancy.
• Get all medications approved from your physician before taking, including aspirin and cold preparations.
• Surround yourself with people who are there to support you!