Emotional Health

While pregnancy can be a happy and exciting time, it is a time when you are dealing with many changes in your life. These include:

Coping with physical changes, such as hormonal swings, sickness and tiredness, and change to your shape.
Dealing with other people, such as the man involved with the pregnancy, and/or your partner, husband, family, friends, doctor, medical staff and strangers.
Dealing with changes to your environment, your work and home life arrangements.
Coping with new information and learning about pregnancy, birth and parenting.

Change often causes us stress, and it is important to be aware of your feelings and find your own ways to deal with your concerns. You may feel many different and competing feelings, joy and sadness, anxiety and excitement. Some women find that it can help to write down all these feelings and why you think you are feeling them. Pregnancy can raise lots of questions, such as:

Will I be a good parent?
How did my childhood affect me?
How will this pregnancy affect my relationships?
How will I manage?

You may ask yourself many other questions at different times during your pregnancy. Your pregnancy may raise questions for others around you too. However, you are the main person in this process. Others may be important too, but it is important not to forget yourself and your own needs during this pregnancy. A few suggestions for coping are:

Think about what or who has helped you deal with stress and change in the past,
Get more information, prepare for and investigate issues you are facing,
Seek out people you trust, who will be supportive and understanding, without trying to pressure you to behave in a certain way.

Nutrition

Healthy eating is important during pregnancy, to maintain your own health and to develop a healthy pregnancy. The most important things to remember about nutrition are:

Eat a balanced diet, selecting foods from each food group
Avoid foods that can harm your pregnancy, and
Eat in moderation.

It's always important to discuss your food requirements with your doctor or nutritionist, as everyone is different, and you and your pregnancy may have special dietary needs.

During the first trimester (the first 12 weeks), it's important to ensure that you are eating enough required nutrients, as this is when the organs of the foetus first start to develop. Throughout your pregnancy, but particularly during this time, it is important to increase your intake of:

Protein: for building muscle and tissue. Found in red meat, beans, legumes, nuts and seeds.

Calcium: for strong teeth and bones. Found in dairy products (eg. milk and cheese), soya beans and milk, some seafood (such as salmon or sardines), spinach, broccoli, and calcium supplements.

Iron: for building blood cells and preventing anaemia. Foods containing iron include red meat, chicken, fish, green leafy vegetables, wholegrain cereals, and dried fruit and nuts. Also eating foods containing Vitamin C (eg. oranges) can help your body to absorb iron.

Folic Acid: for brain and spinal cord development of the pregnancy, and to prevent you from getting anaemic. Found in green leafy vegetables, breads, cereals, and fruit. A daily folic acid supplement is often recommended and can be found in the health food section of your supermarket.

Water: to make sure you stay well hydrated.

Avoid foods that may harm your pregnancy:

Alcohol should be removed from your diet, as even moderate amounts may result in low birth weight, smaller head circumference, mental retardation and congenital heart defects.

Caffeine intake should be limited to no more than 2 cups of tea, coffee, or cola per day.

Empty calories (such as sugar, chocolates, soft drinks and lollies) contain energy but no nutrients, so these foods should be eaten sparingly.

Avoid foods that may be contaminated with the listeria bacteria, such as rare meat, prepared food stored for more than 12 hours, takeaway chicken, soft cheeses and unpasteurised dairy products. Listeria is rare, but can have serious effects in pregnancy.

Handle raw meat and cat litter trays with caution, washing your hands and any tools with soap afterwards. Toxoplasmosis is a parasite found in these which can cause birth defects.

Eating in moderation means eating the suggested amounts of foods from each of the food groups. Eating for two does NOT mean eating twice as much as normal.

Drugs and Medicines

Alcohol and other drugs such as tobacco, marijuana, cocaine, heroin can all have serious, negative and long-term consequences for both you and your child. Information and counselling is available through DrugArm.

Some common medicines and substances are not suitable for use during pregnancy and it’s advisable to check with your doctor, health clinic or the TGA.

You may have a medical condition, such as epilepsy or asthma that requires drug treatment during pregnancy. It is very important to seek medical advice in these cases. Ideally, you will have a regular doctor who can monitor your condition and your pregnancy, and make you aware of any symptoms or side effects that could occur.

Avoid smoking during pregnancy as it can seriously affect the developing foetus. Within one day of quitting smoking, your blood’s level of carbon monoxide and nicotine will drop dramatically. Contact Quitline for support.

Exercise

Exercise is important during pregnancy to maintain your health and well being, and to prepare your body for childbirth. The amount and type of exercise you do will be determined partly by the amount and type of exercise you used to do before pregnancy, and also the recommendations from your doctor or midwife. Generally, there are a few tips to follow:

Do gentle stretches and exercises to warm up and warm down.
Take it easy, as your muscles are softer when you are pregnant.
Avoid overheating and extreme heat exhaustion.
Maintain a good posture to protect your spine and help prevent backache. Keep your spine straight, tuck your bottom under, and roll shoulders back and down.
Bend your knees and use your leg muscles for any bending or lifting movements.
Do not spend too much time lying on your back as this puts pressure on the blood vessels that supply the uterus.
Pelvis rocking, squats, abdominal bracing, spine stretching, and relaxation are all good activities to practice at home.

Common Discomforts

Throughout the course of a pregnancy, it is not uncommon to experience changes in your body that may lead to minor discomfort. Such changes can include, but are not limited to:

Breast pain: this can be one of the first signs of pregnancy for many women. To minimise discomfort, it is important to get a supportive bra professionally fitted, as you may go up several sizes during your pregnancy. It is also normal for the nipples to darken and veins in the breast to become more obvious.
Morning Sickness: Intense nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to smells that can occur at any time of the day or night - not just in the morning! It is unknown what causes morning sickness, but it is thought to be hormonal and occurs most often in the first trimester of pregnancy. Some people suggest eating small amounts of dry bland foods (such as crackers) first thing in the morning, eating small meals throughout the day to avoid an empty stomach and drinking lots of fluids.
Heartburn: Hormonal changes and pressure from the enlarging uterus on the stomach are the most common causes of heartburn. Eating small meals often, avoiding spicy foods, avoiding eating before bed, and eating slowly in an upright position may help to ease heartburn.
Swelling of fingers, ankles, and knees: Caused by hormonal effects on fluid retention. Try elevating your legs or lying down for short periods throughout the day.
Constipation and Haemorrhoids: Hormonal changes in pregnancy slow down the movement of bowel muscles, which can lead to constipation. Frequent straining on the toilet may damage pelvic flood muscles and cause haemorrhoids. To avoid constipation, eat a balanced diet including high fibre foods such as wholemeal breads and cereals, fresh fruit and vegetables, and water.

Antenatal Care

Antenatal (or pregnancy) care is important to maintain your own health and the health of your pregnancy. In the beginning, you may choose to receive care from your regular doctor, or you may prefer to deal with a midwife, obstetrician, or public hospital staff. The decisions you make about antenatal care may effect your birthing options.

The most common schedule for antenatal visits is:

when you first think you are pregnant
every 4 weeks until 32 weeks
every 2 weeks until 36 weeks
then every week until birth

However this is only a guide and your visits may be more or less regular depending on your own circumstances. Check with your health carer when beginning your antenatal care about the frequency and cost of visits.