Pregnancy is a tremendous life experience for women. After all, you’re creating a new human being. That is an incredible display of physical and mental power on mother’s part. Pregnancy can be both terrifying and exciting. Often, your loved ones and friends will surround you with joy and blessings and you’ll pleasantly fantasise about your baby’s bright future. When preparing to deliver a baby, your heart can flutter whilst entering children’s stores, choosing out clothes, furnishings, and shopping for all the baby-related items you’ll want and need. However, having a human being in your body means you are in charge of assisting the baby in development and health. Therefore, we have put together a list of do’s and don’ts when you are pregnant for every trimester to help you through your pregnancy journey.

First Trimester

The first trimester has always been one of the most critical and vital stages. During the first three months, a lot of changes happen to your body and mind. Your baby grows the fastest during this trimester than any other period. 

An early appointment and regular follow-ups with an obstetrician is important to monitor the weekly progress of the fetus’ development. Also, do select your obstetrician and hospital carefully. Avoid making numerous adjustments during consultations as this will result in opposing perspectives and it may trigger unnecessary conflicts. Health supplements for child development are also important for expecting mothers in Malaysia, folic acid is a type of Vitamin B that is highly important and required for blood cell development. It is incredibly beneficial to a baby’s nervous system development as it nearly eliminates the chance of neural tube abnormalities in your kid. Folic acid supplements are usually given to women before and throughout pregnancy. 

Second and Third Trimesters

The second trimester, which runs from the 13th week to the end of the 26th week of pregnancy, is one of the safest and most beneficial periods. While the discomfort that an expecting woman feels in the first trimester will usually subside in the second trimester, there are additional issues that might arise. The mother might begin to feel the baby’s initial movements during the second trimester. 

First of all, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), it is essential for pregnant women to get a flu shot during the flu season. The flu vaccination does not carry the live virus, so it cannot infect you, but it does stimulate your body to produce antibodies that protect you once you are exposed to it. In addition, exercises such as Yoga and Lamaze could be done on a daily basis. Do attend prenatal or antenatal classes provided at the hospital.

During the second trimester, a pregnant woman’s belly expands dramatically in a short period of time. Stretch marks and itchiness caused by stretching can be reduced by keeping the tummy moisturised.To avoid stretch marks, use stretch mark lotion for pregnancy Malaysia and oils to the abdomen. Lastly, make a list of individuals who can assist you during an emergency and prepare your home for the arrival of the new family member. 

What you should eat when you’re pregnant:

It is best to consume more organic and home-cooked food with a wide range of iron, calcium, and folate. One of the most important Vitamin B is folate (B9). It’s crucial for both you and your baby, especially in the first trimester and even before that. Every day, it is recommended to have at least 600 micrograms (mcg) of folate which might be difficult to get from diet alone. However, together with supplementation depending on your doctor’s prescription, bringing in legumes can enable you to get the sufficient amount of folate needed. 

Choose antioxidant-rich food such as dark green spinach, oranges, carrots, red apples, yellow bananas, and blueberries throughout your pregnancy. Berries are packed with nutrients such as water, nutritious carbohydrates, vitamin C, fibre, and antioxidants. It has a low glycemic index, so they shouldn’t cause any severe blood sugar fluctuations. 

Consume a high-protein diet that includes plenty of dairy products. To satisfy the demands of your growing child, it’s best to take more protein and calcium throughout pregnancy. Milk, cheese, and yoghurt are examples of dairy items that should be considered. A well-balanced diet is critical for avoiding weight gain. 

What to avoid when you’re pregnant:

As for what pregnant women should avoid doing or eating, the most important point is to not consume drugs and alcohol, and also do not smoke. It is best to avoid caffeine for you and your baby’s health. When you’re pregnant, everything you eat and drink passes through your body to your unborn child. Considering smoking, drinking alcohol, or doing drugs might harm your baby’s growth, development, and health, it’s critical to change past habits. 

It is also best to avoid saunas and hot tubs. When you visit a sauna, whirlpool, hot tub, or steam room, you run the danger of overheating, dehydration, and fainting as your body is unable to adequately remove heat through sweating, and your core temperature rises. It has the potential to damage your baby’s development with a considerable increase in your core temperature. 

Apart from this, if you have a cat at home, it is good to avoid cleaning the litter box as parasites, especially toxoplasma gondii, are hazardous to pregnant women. Kids born with the

parasite may experience major health issues including convulsions, eyesight issues, or even mental disorders. 

It is recommended to avoid uncooked or partially cooked meat. They have the potential of bacterial or virus contamination which might contaminate the food. Avoid raw eggs and any dishes that contain them. Listeria contamination can be found in soft, mould-ripened cheeses like brie and camembert. Listeria is a type of bacteria that causes infections in pregnant women and their kids that can be fatal. 

For fruits, papaya and pineapple should not be eaten raw. Bromelain, found in pineapples, has shown to soften the cervix and lead to an early labour if consumed in great amounts. Doctors think that eating little amounts of pineapple is harmless, and that the fruit contains many nutrients that may be beneficial. To be safe, pineapple consumption should be limited at the first trimester of pregnancy. On the other hand, a papaya that isn’t fully ripe includes latex, which might cause preterm contractions. Even ripe papaya peel and seeds should not be consumed. To minimise these dangers, many women prefer to avoid papaya entirely while pregnant. 

Travelling is usually safe for most pregnant women. However, if you have certain pregnancy issues, such as preeclampsia, early rupture of membranes, or preterm labour, you should avoid travelling. Also, if you are expecting more than one baby, travelling may not be a wise option. Before you go, always schedule an appointment with your obstetrician–gynaecologist (ob-gyn).