Question: Other than eating and sleeping well, how else can we keep our baby safe during pregnancy?
Answered by: Prof. Dr. Jamiyah binti Hassan, Lecturer and Consultant to Faculty of Medicine University Technology Mara (UiTM) and UiTM Hospital, Sg Buloh
People often say that for a mother who’s expecting, a healthier body means a healthier baby. Nothing could be more true!
Pregnant moms, have conversations with your doctor (O&G) from the very start. Eating a nutritious and balanced diet will keep you energetic and ensure good brain development and a healthy birth weight for your baby. Take prenatal vitamins for essential nutrients like calcium, iron and folic acid. Keep hydrated, drink lots of water every day. Ideally, you should sleep well for an average of 7.5 hours1 through the night during the 2nd trimester of your pregnancy. This helps you prepare for the baby’s arrival by storing reserve energy for the more strenuous 3rd trimester.
Staying active contributes to your general well-being as a happy, healthy, positive-thinking pregnant mom. Walking 20-30 minutes a day at a moderate pace2 within your own home or outdoors with nature will help control your weight, improve blood circulation and keep your spirits up. Pilates, yoga and swimming are also great exercises for pregnant women. By taking care of yourself, you are naturally keeping your baby safe.
“By taking care of yourself, you are naturally keeping your baby safe.”
We all know that stress takes a toll on mom and baby. I would encourage pregnant moms to discuss with their doctors in learning how best to manage their stress and anxiety. Be well-informed and refer to credible sources of health information – don’t be fooled by unproven myths. For instance, your doctor will assure you it’s a myth that pregnant women must eat for two!
You can provide early protection for your unborn baby by getting the right vaccination when you’re pregnant.3 When you’re vaccinated during pregnancy, your body gets protected, the protection is passed on to your baby, and your baby is born already with some protection against the specified disease.4,5 Maternal immunization (MI) is the safest and most effective way to protect your soon-to-be-born baby from life-threatening vaccine preventable diseases (VPDs) such as pertussis (whooping cough), tetanus, diphtheria and influenza. Ask your doctor today about how you can best protect your unborn baby, who will be most vulnerable at birth, from infectious diseases.
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