Congratulations – you’re pregnant! Now, given that your little one absorbs almost everything you ingest through the placenta, you probably already know the importance of getting enough essential nutrients in your diet and are now considering purchasing supplements to help meet the daily requirements.

But – what to take, which are safe, and which aren’t during pregnancy? If you’re overwhelmed, don’t worry; this article will help you out.

Supplements to take during pregnancy

#1 – Folic acid

Meet the pregnancy super-nutrient you’ll want to add to your plate throughout all nine months: folic acid. It plays a critical role in the production of your little one’s heart and circulatory system and helps develop your developing baby’s brain and spinal cord.

Research also shows that folic acid supplementation during pregnancy can help reduce the risk of neural-tube defects (congenital disabilities) in your child!

#2 – Calcium

Calcium is vital to healthy bones and teeth, and the same applies to your developing baby. Your baby will take all the calcium she needs from your body for the development of her bones and teeth.

If you’re not ingesting sufficient amounts of calcium, your body will leach the calcium from your bones to provide it to your baby. And as you can imagine, that makes you incredibly susceptible to osteoporosis. You don’t want that now, do you? Consider calcium supplements if you don’t think you’re getting enough calcium in your diet.

#3 – Iron

As your blood volume increases during pregnancy, your iron needs grow as well. Iron is essential for making haemoglobin, the component of blood that shuttles oxygen throughout the body and to your baby.

If you don’t get in enough iron, you may run the risk of becoming anaemic. And not only would that cause you to feel sluggish, but it can also inhibit the growth of your baby!

#4 – Fish oil

When you take fish oil, you’re killing two birds with one stone. How so? Well, that’s because fish oil contains DHA and EPA – the two essential fatty acids that are crucial for your baby’s brain development.

Research has found that the supplementation of DHA and EPA during pregnancy may boost infants’ cognitive functions. Also, some evidence suggests that fish oil may benefit your baby’s eye development.

#5 – Prenatal supplement

If the thought of gulping down five different supplements scares you, here’s some good news. You can (nearly) get all the nutrients you’d need to support a healthy pregnancy through supplementing with a prenatal vitamin. The fewer pills you need to pop, the better, right?

While there are many options available in the market, you should ensure that the one you choose contains the previously-mentioned essential nutrients: folic acid, iron, calcium, and omega-3 fatty acids, like DHA.

Supplements to avoid during pregnancy

One word: herbs. In general, you should avoid supplementing with anything herbal during pregnancy. Here’s a brief list of herbal supplements you need to avoid – at all costs.

1. Black cohosh – can cause uterine contractions, in turn inducing preterm labour.
2. Goldenseal – might worsen jaundice in infants, leading to a rare type of brain damage (kernicterus) that can be fatal.
3. Dong Quai – may stimulate uterine contractions, increasing the risk of miscarriage.
4. Pennyroyal – thought to be a stimulator for the menstrual process and uterine contractions, leading to the expulsion of the fetus and placenta.
5. Mugwort – can stimulate a woman’s menstrual cycle and, therefore, should be avoided by expectant women.

You’re probably well aware of some of the essential pregnancy advice – like not smoking or drinking, and getting enough rest – about taking care of yourself and your developing baby. So, if you’re sick of hearing the same old advice, here are 5 less common pregnancy tips that can help ensure healthy development for your baby.

#1 – Follow a healthy diet

Enveloped in warm, amniotic fluid, your baby gets all the nutrients she needs from you through the placenta. To ensure that you’re meeting her needs for rapid growth and development, you need to include a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products in your diet.

If you’re still unsure of how much and what you should eat during pregnancy, it never hurts to consult your primary health care doctor for individualized advice.

#2 – Take a prenatal vitamin

While a healthy diet remains the best way to get all the nutrients you need, sometimes you can still fall short despite trying your best. And that’s where prenatal vitamins can help.

Most prenatal supplements contain more folic acid and iron than other standard adult multivitamins. Here’s why:

• Folic acid – helps prevent severe abnormalities of your baby’s brain and spinal cord.

• Iron – helps prevent anaemia, a condition where your blood has a low number of healthy red blood cells.

In addition to the above, prenatal vitamins also typically contain essential nutrients such as calcium, iron, and magnesium, to better support the growth and development of your baby.

#3 – Stay active

You might not know this, but it’s critical to keep moving even when you’re expecting. Exercising when you’re pregnant can help you control your weight, reduce stress, improve circulation, boost your mood, and sleep better.

As a general rule, if you were physically active before your pregnancy, you can continue your activity in moderation. And if you’ve never exercised regularly before, you should consult with your health care provider before starting on an exercise program.

#4 – Track your weight gain

If there’s ever a time you can gain weight without any guilt, it’s during pregnancy. But with that said, you still need to put the weight on slowly and steadily, while remaining within the healthy range for your body type, so you steer clear of potential health complications.

While you should consult your primary health care provider regarding the exact weight you need to gain throughout your pregnancy, here’s a rough guide for your reference:

• BMI of less than 18.5: You should gain 12.5 to 18 kilograms.
• BMI between 18.5 and 24.9: You should gain between 11.5 to 16 kilograms.
• BMI between 25 and 29.9: You should gain between 7 to 11.5 kilograms.

#5 – Drink more water

Your blood volume increases by up to 50% during pregnancy! And so, to support this gain, you need to drink more water.

By staying adequately hydrated, you can prevent haemorrhoids, constipation, UTIs, fatigue, swelling, headaches, and many other uncomfortable pregnancy symptoms. Score! Aim for 8 to 10 glasses of water per day.

Avoid Catching Colds and Flu this Winter

Winter is the season when the viruses are in full action and infections become more prevalent. During winter there are almost more than 150 plus common cold viruses and flu bugs that are constantly evolving and circulating in the environment. Doctors have patients complaining of cold, hacking coughs, sore throats, flu, etc.  If you are in contact with such patients it is but obvious that you will catch the infection. Immunity in such cases plays a strong role in helping you to stay away from cold or flu. Here is a quick list of remedial measures that are simple yet effective to ward off the winter prone infections like cold and flu.

1. Wash your hands: Remember the basic hygiene lesson that was taught to us by our parents and teachers? Yes right. Wash your hands thoroughly before and after your meals, be it breakfast, lunch or dinner. This is the simplest method to drain down the viruses and dilute the germs that may have accumulated on your hands. Make sure you wash your hands after you return home.
2. Avoid touching your hands here and there: Yes that sounds childish, but research has shown that most of the cold viruses are transmitted when we use our hands for handshake during meetings or wiping the nose or rubbing our eyes. The infection is transmitted through the mucus membrane. If you have shaken hands just before or after a meeting is over make sure you run lots of water over your hands to ensure they are clean. The same thumb rule to be followed when you open or close a doorknob. Therefore make sure you keep your hands off.
3. Get enough sleep: When you wish each other good night, it really has an in-depth meaning when it comes to keeping away cold and flu. Doctors have suggested that good sleep means at least eight to ten hours to increase your immunity and make you feel fresh and fit to fight the infections.
4. Exercise and sweat: It is not easy for anyone to get out of bed and start exercising. But it is so important that you sweat it out. A regular workout will increase your immunity and take it to a higher level.
5. Avoid close contact: Stay away from people who are already infected. Ensure that you don’t share your personal belongings like towels, toothbrushes, cups etc. with them.
6. Include a diet containing garlic and zinc: Zinc boosts the immune system and is found in eggs, seafood, oysters, black-eyed peas, tofu, etc. Garlic helps in easing out chest related issues.
7. Stay warm: The cold virus which may be in the dormant stage gets triggered in the chilly winters. So keep yourself wrapped in warm winter clothes.
8. Stay hydrated: If you catch a cold and are dehydrated, your mucus lining dries up and become thicker. This will make an easy passage for the bacteria and viruses to invade. Therefore, drink at least eight to ten glasses of water to flush out the infections.

If you follow the above-mentioned things, there are fewer chances of getting cold and flu this winter.  Despite taking care if you fall sick to make sure you consult your doctor for the speedy recovery.