Good health during pregnancy is really important both for you and your baby. Here are some tips for saying healthy during pregnancy:

Eat a healthy, balanced diet

Eating well is important all the time, but it is particularly beneficial during pregnancy. During your pregnancy, try to stick to a healthy, balanced diet, which includes the followings foods:

• Fruit and vegetables: try to eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables because they are rich in nutrients, vitamins and minerals. Fruit and vegetables are also high in fibre, which will help to prevent constipation. Try to eat 5 portions per day. This can include frozen produce, juices and smoothies and soups.
• Carbohydrates: carbohydrates are essential for fuelling the body. Try to choose wholegrain versions, such as wholemeal bread and pasta and brown rice.
• Protein: proteins are important for growth and repair and should be eaten every day. Good sources of protein include fish, poultry, nuts, eggs and meat (avoid liver).
• Fats: fats are essential but moderate your intake and choose unsaturated fats, rather than saturated fats. Good sources of fat include nuts, olive oil and avocadoes. Try to limit your intake of foods, such as biscuits, cakes, fried food, fast food and processed food, as these foods have little nutritional value and are often high in cholesterol, sugar and salt.
• Dairy foods: dairy foods are important because they contain calcium and other minerals and nutrients that your baby needs. Good sources of calcium include milk, cheese and yoghurt.

Make sure you wash your hands and surfaces and utensils before you prepare or eat food. This will help to reduce the risk of infections and illnesses.

Foods to avoid

During pregnancy, there are some foods that you should avoid as they can potentially be harmful for your baby; these include:

• Liver
• Pate
• Shark, marlin and swordfish
• Mould-ripened and blue-veined cheese, such as brie, camembert and stilton
• Raw shellfish

Drinking and smoking

Alcohol and smoking both have very negative effects on the unborn baby so you should try to give up smoking as soon as you find out that you are pregnant and avoid drinking during your pregnancy. One glass of wine during the 40 week pregnancy will not have serious implications but regular drinking can cause foetal alcohol syndrome, which can be very serious. If you need help with giving up smoking or drinking, arrange to see your GP as soon as you find out that you are pregnant.

Exercise

Exercise is very beneficial for pregnant women, especially if you are worried about gaining weight. During the early stages of pregnancy you can exercise as normal, but as your pregnancy progresses you may need to reduce the intensity of your exercise sessions. During the latter stages of pregnancy, swimming can be very therapeutic and relaxing and it can help to ease muscular pain, as the water supports the weight of your body. Using good skin moisturising creams and maintaining a good diet can prevent the need for cosmetic surgery after pregnancy as procedures such as breast enlargement surgery.

Avoid the following exercises during pregnancy:

• Avoid exercises that require you to lie on your back, as the pressure of the bump on the major blood vessels can cause you to feel faint and dizzy
• Avoid contact sports, as these carry a high risk of injury
• Avoid dangerous sports, such as climbing, motor-racing, ice hockey and skiing
• Avoid sports which carry a risk of falling, such as cycling and horse riding
• Avoid scuba diving

Exercises include pelvic floor exercises and abdominal strengthening exercises can be beneficial for preparing you for child birth.