A healthy pregnancy is what all women love. There are many factors that can affect the development of the foetus — some of them are beyond your control and some are within your limits. It has been noted that obese women have more complications during pregnancy than others. Women who suffer from heart diseases, diabetes, lung and kidney diseases, hypertension and epilepsy are also at more risk during pregnancy.
Women who had complications in their previous pregnancy and those who had children with birth defects should be careful and they have to be in constant touch with their doctor.
When talking of risk factors involved in pregnancy, one has to be careful in maintaining a healthy life style and also a healthy environment. A peaceful and calm atmosphere is good for a healthy pregnancy. The first thing one has to take note is that if you are a smoker, quit for the good of your unborn babe. Smoking decreases the amount of oxygen that the babe gets and this only increases the risk of bleeding, miscarriage, premature birth and low birth weight. If pregnant, you should also avoid passive smoking.
Secondly, bad habit of drinking alcohol can lead to foetal Alcohol Syndrome, reduced birth weight and behavioral abnormalities. Another factor that has to be considered during pregnancy is caffeine. Some say that caffeine is not that harmful but others say that it is dangerous. However, the Food and Drug Administration warns against the consumption of caffeine when one is pregnant. It has been seen that caffeine can affect the heart rates of the foetus. Even Decaffeinated coffee is harmful as they contain added chemicals. Well, caffeine is also known to increase the risk of stretch marks.
When you are pregnant, you should have to be very cautious when taking drugs. If you are taking drugs you should only take them under the guidance of a doctor. Drugs can have serious effect on the unborn babe and they can have adverse impact on the babe growth.
When pregnant, take extra precaution not to be exposed to chemicals like pesticides in foods. Always wash the fruits and vegetables before you take them.
When talking of the risk factors involved during pregnancy, it should also be noted that proper nutrition is also needed for the body, both for the unborn babe and the mom. Care should be taken that you get enough folic acid, the deficiency of which can cause birth defects.
Apart from this, a pregnant woman should also do some mild exercise. This helps in keeping the body and the mind peaceful and also in increasing the blood circulation. But you should not go for hard exercise as it is dangerous to you as well as your unborn babe. You can either go for walking, swimming and yoga.
When pregnant, the body may undergo many changes. You may even come across many complications, which has to be looked into immediately. Well, you should not miss your appointments and also lab tests. Always be in constant touch with your gynaecologist.