There are a number of lifestyle changes you can make to assist with a healthy pregnancy.

1. Take a pre-pregnancy supplement

Taking a pre-pregnancy and pregnancy supplement like MamaCare for at least three months before conception and during pregnancy provides your body with essential nutrients for pregnancy.

2. Eat well

Eating a healthy diet during pregnancy is one of the best things you can do for yourself and your baby. Try and include a variety of foods from the five food groups – fruit, veg, wholegrains and cereals, dairy or plant-based equivalents, lean meats and alternatives.

3. Maintain a healthy weight

Healthy weight gain during pregnancy will help you return to your pre-baby weight more quickly and reduces the risk of developing gestational diabetes. Healthy weight gain is generally between 11.5-16 kg, depending on your pre-pregnancy BMI.

During the first trimester, 1-2 kg of weight gain is considered normal. During the second and third trimesters, it’s normal to gain between 300-500 g per week. It’s best to consult with your doctor if you’re concerned about whether your weight gain is normal.

4. Get plenty of gentle exercise

Exercise helps you sleep better, gives you more energy and improves your mood. Try walking or swimming.

5. Cut out alcohol

Not drinking alcohol is the safest option when trying to conceive and during pregnancy. The risk of harm to the fetus is highest when women have high, frequent alcohol intake.

6. Stop smoking

Giving up smoking before becoming pregnant will give your baby the best start in life, reducing the risk of harm to your unborn baby.

7. Get plenty of rest

It’s natural to be tired during your pregnancy. Your body is working very hard growing your baby, so listen to your body. If you are tired, get some rest – it’s good for both mum and bub.

8. See your dentist

Pregnancy can lead to dental problems in some women including gum disease and tooth decay due to increased hormones affecting the body’s response to plaque. It is important to continue with regular dental checkups.

9. Begin pelvic floor exercises

Pelvic floor exercises help to strengthen the muscles of the pelvic floor. These muscles come under great strain in pregnancy and childbirth.

10. Take extra care of yourself

This is a time in your life when you might forget to look after yourself. Listen to soothing music, read books and spend time with your family and friends. Try not to neglect yourself during your pregnancy. It is a beautiful time of your life, enjoy it!

Pre-Pregnancy Nutrition

Pre Pregnancy Nutrition Needs. Make some Lifestyle Changes

You need a healthy body to make a healthy baby!

It is a good idea to prepare your body for pregnancy. There are some healthy changes to your way of life that you and your partner can make to increase your chances of getting pregnant.

To start with, get enough sleep, make time to exercise, maintain a healthy weight, don’t smoke or drink alcohol and limit your caffeine intake. As well as these improvements in your lifestyle, eating a healthy well balanced diet, in combination with a Pre-Pregnancy Supplement like MamaCare will help provide your body with all the essential nutrients it needs to nurture a healthy baby during your pregnancy and beyond.

Remember… good mothering starts well before birth !!!

What to eat when trying to Conceive

Never in a woman’s life is nutrition as important as when she is trying to conceive, is already pregnant and when breastfeeding. When you are having a baby, what you eat and your body’s stores will help ensure that you will have everything you need to nurture your growing baby for the next nine months and beyond; but it takes time for the reserves of some essential vitamins and minerals to build up in your body. It is therefore very important that your diet includes healthy foods which contain these fundamental nutrients.

Preparing for your pregnancy, it is recommended that you eat a varied diet based on a range of 5 basic food groups such as:

  • Starchy foods like Bread, Cereals, Rice, Pasta and Noodles
  • Vegetables and Legumes
  • Fruit
  • Dairy foods like Milk, Cheese and Yoghurt
  • Protein, such as Lean Meat, Fish, Poultry, Eggs and Legumes

The very early stage of pregnancy is a critical time in your baby’s development. It is particularly important to have enough stores of Folic Acid in the early weeks, when you may not even realise you are expecting. So, taking a Pre-Pregnancy Supplement such as MamaCare in the months leading up to conception will help reduce the baby’s risk of Neural Tube defects such as Spina Bifida.

Introducing Mama Care into your pre-conception diet is important because it has been been specially formulated to meet the increased nutritional demands of pregnant and breastfeeding mothers by providing essential Protein, Vitamins and Nutrients which are beneficial to a mother and her growing baby such as:

Folic Acid

Folic Acid helps prevent Neural Tube birth defects such as Spina Bifida. The neural tube forms the spinal cord and the brain. It begins forming in the first 6 weeks after conception often before you know you are pregnant. It is therefore very important to start taking MamaCare Pre-Pregnancy Supplement in the months leading up to conception to build up enough reserves in your body for your baby’s earliest development.

Iodine

Iodine is essential to the development of your baby’s brain and nervous system. Pregnant and breastfeeding women have increased iodine requirements. Iodine is naturally found in seafood, dairy and fruit and vegetables. However, it is hard to get enough iodine through diet alone, so it is important to take a Pre-Pregnancy, Pregnant and Breastfeeding Supplement like MamaCare which contains Iodine.

Iron

During pregnancy a woman’s requirement for iron also increases. This is because the amount of blood in her body increases to meet the needs of the placenta and the growing baby. Iron helps the blood carry oxygen through both the mother and baby. To avoid iron deficiency, it is important to eat plenty of iron rich foods as well as enjoy a nutritional Supplement like MamaCare daily.

Protein

The Amino Acids in protein are the building blocks of the human body. Protein supports the growth of fetal tissue as well as breast and uterine tissue during pregnancy. It also helps increase your red blood cells which transport nutrients and oxygen around the body. MamaCare Nutritional Supplement for pre-conception, pregnant and nursing mothers is an important source of protein for you and your developing baby.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is produced naturally by your body when your skin is exposed to sunlight. You can also get it from some foods such as oily fish. However, because we try to avoid too much exposure to the sun, it is recommended that all pregnant and breastfeeding women take a Vitamin D that is found in MamaCare Pre-pregnancy, Pregnant and breastfeeding supplement.
MamaCare also has a range of 100% all natural body care products for women. No parabens or mineral oils, absolutely nothing to harm mum or baby.
For details visit our online shop and order now!