5 Things That Can Help You Achieve a Happy and Healthy Pregnancy

Pregnancy is an amazing miracle, and your body can do some seriously impressive things to grow that tiny human. While your body can do most of the work, there are some things you can do to help create your mini-me, along with keeping yourself happy and healthy.

Chocolate

Chocolate is an amazing comfort food that you’ve probably been eating for many years. Aside from its comforting characteristics, chocolate is good for you in other ways too. First, a study in Denmark of more than 55,000 people found that those who favored chocolate tended to have a lower risk of atrial fibrillation, which is an irregular heartbeat that raises stroke risk. Second, some evidence has shown that eating chocolate during pregnancy can lower your risk of preeclampsia.

Exercise

Staying active and exercising is an important aspect of any person’s life, and it rings true for pregnant people too. It’s recommended that you take a pregnancy exercise class or walk at least 15 to 20 minutes every day at a moderate pace. You should exercise in cool and shady areas to prevent overheating. Walking, swimming, yoga, and pilates are all great exercises for pregnant women.

Water

Again, drinking water is a good idea for any person that wants to stay healthy, but this is especially true for a pregnant person. Most doctors recommend that pregnant women drink at least eight glasses of water a day, and more is even better. Staying hydrated can help relieve headaches, migraines, and a lack of sleep.

Meals

Most people are supposed to eat three meals a day, but most experts suggest five to six well-balanced meals a day for pregnant women. These meals should include plenty of folate-rich foods like fortified cereals, lentils, oranges, asparagus, and wheat germ. These foods help with the proper development of the baby’s neural tube and the creation of new red blood cells for you.

Fish

Finally, scientists believe that eating fish while pregnant can be largely beneficial. According to a 2007 study of more than 12,000 children, researchers found that young people whose mothers ate the most fish during pregnancy had higher I.Q.s, along with better motor and communication skills compared to those whose mothers did not eat fish. Not only is fish good for your own health (it helps lower bad cholesterol), it’s good for your baby’s health too.

Pregnancy is a beautiful journey, and it can have some bumps along the road. It’s all about the end though, right? Seeing your beautiful baby will make the journey completely worth it. Plus, oxytocin, known as the love hormone, is secreted during lovemaking, after ovulation, and during labor, birth, and breastfeeding. It creates nurturing and loving feelings. Keep that in mind when you’re chugging water and experiencing morning sickness at 3:00 in the afternoon.