Healthy Pregnancy Tips
Every pregnant woman desires to have a healthy pregnancy. Knowing what kinds of things to focus on during pregnancy is the best place to start. These healthy pregnancy tips are the basic things you should be doing to have a healthy pregnancy.
Being healthy during pregnancy doesn’t mean starting a new diet, developing an intense workout regimen, or giving up everything you love. Having a healthy pregnancy is all about making better choices that will make your body the best place possible for your growing baby! Let’s jump in!
*I am not a medical professional. These are the things I found most helpful during my pregnancy. All advice I share here should be considered helpful recommendations from a fellow mom.
*This post may contain affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase using this link. I only recommend products I love or would personally use.
Healthy Pregnancy Tips
Every newly pregnant woman is trying to figure out how to have a healthy pregnancy or how to stay healthy during pregnancy. This is different for every pregnant woman because her health goals during pregnancy are likely different. For some, it may be keeping weight gain at a minimum, for others, it may be avoiding diabetes during pregnancy, and for some, it might just be survival.
There is nothing wrong with any of these goals! What I am about to share are great goals for all pregnant women. These are things I personally tried to do during each of my pregnancies, with the addition of a few.
Keep Regular OB Appointments
One simple way to have a healthy pregnancy is to schedule and keep your regular OB appointments. If you choose to use a midwife instead of a doctor, that is great as well. The important thing is that you are seeing someone regularly who specializes in the care of pregnant women. This will ensure you have a healthy pregnancy and that your baby is also staying healthy and monitored throughout your pregnancy.
Take Your Prenatal Vitamins
Nearly every practitioner I have ever encountered encourages pregnant women to make sure they’re nourishing their bodies. This can be done by ensuring they’re consuming the important vitamins and minerals our bodies need to grow a baby. A simple way to do this is to take a prenatal vitamin. One of the best healthy pregnancy tips is to take a prenatal vitamin that has all of the things your body needs supplemented, as your baby is taking from your body to grow.
Keep in mind, the vitamin that works at the beginning of your pregnancy may not be something you can take your entire pregnancy. With my first pregnancy, I developed a really bad gag reflex that made it nearly impossible to swallow pills. I talked with my doctor, and they recommended a chewable multivitamin. Don’t be afraid to ask for help!
Eat a Well-Balanced Diet
Right along with a good prenatal vitamin, it’s important that you’re fueling your body with healthy foods. Consuming foods that will help boost your immunity, as well as keep your iron at an appropriate level, is important. Your baby is going to continue to take what it needs to grow, and it’s your responsibility to supply your body with what it needs to sustain you. You’ll want foods that are high in fiber, foods that are high in protein, and healthy foods that have iron.
Have Healthy Snacks Available
Even when I’m not pregnant, if unhealthy snacks are available, I’m going to grab those first. A great healthy pregnancy tip is to stock your pantry with healthy snacks so you can give your body what it needs without any junk. I’ll share some more of my favorite healthy snacks for pregnancy in a bit!
Make Sure You’re Eating Fiber and Iron-Rich Foods
Part of having a healthy pregnancy is choosing the right foods. Some foods that are high in fiber are fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, and seeds. Chia seeds, flax seeds, oats, almonds, avocado, raspberries, and whole wheat bread are a few examples of foods high in fiber.
If you need foods to help keep your iron elevated, consider foods such as spinach, eggs, kidney beans, lean beef, and Brussels sprouts.
Encourage Your Partner to Have Healthy Eating Habits with You
One of the most encouraging things as a pregnant mom is not to feel like you’re on your pregnancy journey alone. It is much easier to make healthy choices if your partner has the same health goals as you. Encourage your partner to have healthy eating habits along with you. Plan your dinner menu together, grocery shop together, and encourage each other to make healthy choices.
Get Regular Exercise
Move your body! Moving your body will help with everything. It will help you avoid constipation, it can help with muscle cramps, and most importantly, to so many pregnant women, it can help avoid unnecessary weight gain during pregnancy. Our bodies are designed to move, especially during pregnancy. Having a good regular exercise routine can also be beneficial for your delivery. I loved having my yoga mat during my pregnancies because it gave me a comfortable place to exercise.
Stay Well Hydrated
As your baby grows, your need for more hydration grows too. An easy way to maintain a good amount of water is to have a great stainless steel water bottle that you can take everywhere. Everyone in my family has one of these Iron Flask stainless steel water bottles. It encourages hydration because they can go anywhere we go.
Get Plenty of Rest
As your baby continues to take more from your body, it’s important to make time for plenty of rest. One of the most important healthy pregnancy tips I can share is to give your body rest. You will not only feel better, but your body will be able to perform better. Good sleep is important in general, but when you’re pregnant, it becomes even more important because you’re growing a tiny human.
Mentally Plan for Maternity Leave (or become a stay-at-home mom)
Before having my first baby, I was a teacher. I went back to work after giving birth, which meant having a plan while I was gone. I had a lot of lesson plans to prepare, and I wanted to make sure I was leaving my students in a good place when I left, so they would be making progress while I was gone.
This may look different for you, as obviously not everyone is a teacher, but I recommend having things set up at your job so everything goes smoothly while you’re on maternity leave and you can have peace of mind.
Even though I tried to mentally prepare to head back to work, it was still hard. I set some goals for myself ahead of time so that I wasn’t so overwhelmed when I actually went back to work after having my baby. I had a goal for how much breast milk I wanted to have stored, I had mental health goals to make sure I was taking care of myself, and I had goals to make sure I had time set aside to spend with my new baby. All of these things were helpful, and I was able to mentally prepare for maternity leave, as well as for heading back to work.
Create a Birthing Plan
Part of having a healthy pregnancy is preparing for delivery day. You’ll want to take time to communicate with your partner about all of your desires for your labor and birth. This will help ensure you’re on the same page about your expectations for your upcoming delivery. I have created a very simple birth plan template that will help you start thinking about and planning for your labor and birth.
Wear a Belly Band to Support Your Growing Belly
A great healthy pregnancy tip is to support your growing belly by finding a great belly band. These belly support bands are designed to help give a boost to your growing abdomen. The stretch of your growing baby can become a strain on your back. A belly band is designed to help give your back support, so the strain isn’t so painful.
Get in Touch with Your Body by Practicing Kegel Exercises
If you aren’t familiar with Kegel exercises, now is the time to learn. Kegel exercises are simply engaging your pelvic floor. These exercises can help you know what’s happening with your body during delivery because you can mentally connect with the pelvic floor muscles. Even more than that, these exercises may help you with your postpartum recovery. These muscles become fatigued during pregnancy, so practicing exercises will help keep them strong.
Stop Any Kind of Harmful Behavior
If you participate in any kind of activity that can harm your baby, you really should try to give that up. Whether that be smoking, drinking alcohol, or anything along those lines, you’ll want to give it up.
Clean Up Your Cleaning Routine
When I first found out I was pregnant, I wanted to clean up all the products I used around my house. This can also be done with your cleaning products. Many cleaning products have harmful chemicals in them. I suggest taking a look around and seeing if there are cleaning alternatives that you can swap out. One product brand we use at my house is Mrs. Meyer’s brand cleaning spray. I use it on nearly every surface in my house. I appreciate that there are different scents, so I can switch them out with the seasons.
Take a Birthing Class
If you haven’t already, now is the time to sign up for and take a birthing class. There is a great peace of mind that comes with feeling like you are prepared and knowledgeable about the birthing process. All hospitals and doctors approach labor and birth differently, so it’s important to make sure you’re all on the same page as you approach delivery day.
Healthy Pregnancy Breakfasts
If you have the time to sit down and have breakfast at home, prioritize protein. Things like eggs, bacon, and sausage make for a great breakfast for a pregnant woman.
It’s important to start your day off with a healthy breakfast. But we all know that sometimes we’re running out the door, and sitting down to a complete breakfast just isn’t always an option. Here are some healthy pregnancy breakfasts you can grab quickly.
Clif Bar Multi-Pack
I loved having Clif bars on my snack shelf. They were great as a quick snack, but they were also great as a quick breakfast. I also kept a box of them at work for when I would forget to grab breakfast.
KIND Breakfast Bars
Another great, quick breakfast while pregnant is a KIND brand breakfast bar. They come in a variety of yummy flavors, so you won’t get bored with them. My favorite at the peanut butter, and the dark chocolate cocoa.
Healthy Pregnancy Lunches and Dinners
Healthy pregnancy lunches and healthy pregnancy dinners need not be complicated. Some of the main things you want to keep in mind are high protein and foods that are easy to digest. Here are some of my favorite healthy pregnancy lunch ideas!
Chicken Salad with Crackers or Lettuce
You can choose to make your own chicken salad at home or buy a pre-made chicken salad at the store. I like to make mine at home because I can use plain Greek yogurt, and it adds some extra protein. If you eat gluten-free, skip the crackers and pick a big leafy lettuce, and you have a super simple lunch or dinner!
Loaded Baked Potato
I like having large potatoes around because it’s easy to cook one, add some toppings, and have a filling lunch or dinner. Some of my favorite things to add to my baked potato are chicken, steak, or pulled pork. I like to add steamed veggies, sometimes cheese, and a sauce on top.
Loaded Burrito Bowl
Another one of my favorite quick meals for dinner is a loaded burrito bowl. Start with a whole grain, add your protein and vegetables you like, and you’ve got a quick and easy healthy pregnancy dinner!
Salad with Protein
I love a good salad! Choose your favorite lettuce blend and pick your favorite protein. Throw them together with some veggies and your favorite dressing, and you have a great lunch!
Soup with Protein
Soups are great while pregnant because they can help keep you hydrated. Pick a soup that has a protein to help keep your protein intake up. Soups are great in the winter or any time of year, really.
A Wrap or Panini with Protein
A quick lunch during pregnancy is a wrap or a panini. You can add your choice of protein and whatever you like with it. A lettuce in your wrap, along with a yummy sauce, makes for a quick lunch while pregnant.
Loaded Smoothie Bowl
A loaded smoothie bowl is simply a bowl of Greek yogurt and whatever add-ins you like in your yogurt. Ideally, you’d want to add some fruit, nuts, and berries. The Greek yogurt will take care of the protein part, and the other things will give you valuable nutrients your body needs.
Healthy Pregnancy Snacks
I highly recommend having some healthy snacks for pregnancy easily available. This will help you make healthy food choices during your pregnancy because you have good food available when hunger hits.
Although foods like fruits and vegetables are ultimately some of the best choices, I know those kinds of foods aren’t always easily available. I always liked having snacks around that I could grab quickly as I walked out the door, or available at work, so I wasn’t at the vending machine buying junk snacks. Here are some of my favorite quick snacks for pregnancy.
LARABARS
A LARABAR makes a great snack for pregnant women. They have very simple ingredients and come in and variety of flavors. They’re small and easy to throw into a bag so you always have a healthy snack closeby.
SAHALE Flavored Nuts
I ate a lot of nuts during my pregnancy. I had it in my head that if I ate a variety of nuts during my pregnancy, I could somehow reduce the chance of my kiddo having a nut allergy. I don’t know if that is even possible, but I knew I was eating a healthy pregnancy snack, and just maybe I was reducing that risk. These SAHALE flavored nuts will give you a yummy, healthy snack to enjoy.
CHOMPS Meat Sticks
Even when I’m not pregnant, I have CHOMPS meat sticks available as a healthy snack in our house. They’re easy to grab and have a quick boost of protein. They come in a variety of flavors, so you won’t get bored by eating the original flavor all the time.
There are so many ways you can have a healthy pregnancy. I hope these healthy pregnancy tips have been helpful for you to get started on this journey towards a better you! You’ll be so glad you made these choices and changes to prioritize your health while pregnant.
The owner of this website is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon properties.