Looking after yourself during pregnancy

**Collaborative post**

For many women, the road to having a baby is straightforward, but for others, myself included, it can be more of a challenge. There are certain things you can do to prepare your body for pregnancy and during your pregnancy – after all, you are going to be growing another human so want to do all you can to provide a healthy environment for them for the next 9 months. 

You could start with a trip to your GP who will be able to give you a general check-up and answer any questions you may have. Getting a check-up is always a good idea if you haven’t had one for ages. If you are having difficulties conceiving your GP will be your first port of call, and again once you get your positive pregnancy test it is your GP you will head to straight away to get the ball rolling with your midwife appointments and scans. 

You may have to make some simple lifestyle choices while trying to conceive or once you have conceived. For instance, if you’re a smoker or drink alcohol often, it’s crucial that you quit as soon as possible. Help is available should you require it. Also, if you exercise excessively, it would be wise to reduce this to a moderate amount. Extreme exercise or dieting can prevent your period, which is obviously crucial when conceiving and you will need to be careful with some exercises while you are pregnant – it is fine to continue to exercise but overdoing it should be avoided. It’s key that you take time to look after yourself – consider treating yourself to a pregnancy massage to help you relax and feel pampered.

To provide more comfort and support during pregnancy, wearing a pregnancy belly wrap is a great help. There are many benefits of pregnancy belly wraps. For one thing, it can help to support the back and relieve some of the discomfort that can arise from pregnancy. Additionally, it can help reduce the appearance of stretch marks and keep your skin hydrated. It can help your stomach muscles heal and regain their strength, making it great for postpartum recovery. Pregnancy belly wraps are beneficial for pregnant women who want support for their growing belly and for new mothers who want help restoring their pre-pregnancy body.

You will also want to start thinking about what you are eating regularly. Oily fish, like salmon and mackerel, are great for boosting fertility. They are packed with Omega-3, which plays a vital role in regulating the reproductive cycle and they are also great to continue eating when you are pregnant. Eggs, garlic, avocado and full-fat dairy are other good options if you want to improve your diet. Eating lots of fatty foods and sugary snacks will increase your blood pressure, which will not help you become pregnant or be good for you and the baby once you are pregnant. 

Other foods you will want to avoid eating while pregnant include:

• Mold-ripened soft cheeses such as Brie & camembert
• Soft blue cheeses
• Unpasteurised milk
• Raw or undercooked meat
• pate
• undercooked eggs
• Raw shellfish 

You will also want to ensure you are taking a good prenatal supplement, while many take just Folic Acid which is an essential supplement to take during pregnancy, there are other vitamins that your body can be lacking so a supplement that contains all of these vitamins in one tablet may be a good thing to add to your new morning routines – as well as trying to switch your morning coffee or tea to a decaf version if you can (or just cutting back on the caffeine). Feel pregnancy supplements contain: Folic Acid, Zinc, B-Vitamin complex, Vitamin D and Iron all in one tablet which you take daily.

• Folic Acid helps to prevent birth defects and helps to support the growth of the uterus and placenta.
• Zinc is essential for fetal growth and cognitive function.
• B-Vitamin Complex assists your baby’s brain development and the nutrient content of breast milk.
• Vitamin D helps your baby’s bone and teeth formation.
• Iron helps to support your natural increase of blood volume during pregnancy and contributes to the reduction of fatigue – iron deficiency leads to you becoming anemic while pregnant and having had this is in all my pregnancies, I can honestly say it really isn’t pleasant and leads to you feeling rather poorly and exhausted.

These supplements are made up with a formula of 20 vitamins, mineral and probiotics provide tailored wellbeing support for you and your baby while you are pregnant and after your baby has been born too.

You can find out more about Feel supplements on their website – click here, they also have supplements for all your other dietary needs too including multivitamins, joint support, immunity, digestion, beauty probiotic, and more.