Pregnancy can be a beautiful experience. But it can also be an overwhelming one—especially during the first trimester where everything ...
Pregnancy can be a beautiful experience. But it can also be an
overwhelming one—especially during the first trimester where everything is new.
At this stage, your body will go through numerous physiological and
psychological changes that you need to support with certain precautions and
habits to make sure that your baby develops properly; because during these
first few months, you’re the one in charge of your baby’s health.
In the beginning
The most important developments in your baby happen in the first
three months of your pregnancy. During this stage, your baby’s organs and major
systems begin to form. Its features, as well as arms and legs start to appear;
and through the rest of the trimester, your baby’s digestive, nervous,
circulatory and urinary systems develop as well as the external organs.
“The changes you are experiencing are drastic because at this stage
in the pregnancy, your baby goes through the most dramatic changes and developments,”
explains Ma. Victoria Valmonte-Torres, MD, FPOGS.
It’s also the stage that leaves your baby most vulnerable to your lifestyle
habits. And to ensure that you’re doing what you can to help your baby stay
healthy, it’s important to know what you can do to support its development.
Lifestyle shift
Needless to say a shift in your daily lifestyle habits is essential
during this period.
Get lots of sleep, cut down on caffeine, and avoid exposure to
environmental pollutants and stressful situtations. Avoid skipping meals and
make sure that you eat regular, small meals throughout the day to make sure
that you gain weight at a gradual pace.
Exercise also helps, but be sure you choose gentle activity that
allows you to ease back pain and help you boost energy and stamina. Drinking
lots of water helps increase blood volume and circulation during pregnancy as
well, which makes the delivery of nutrients more efficient for yourself and
your baby.
Of course, make sure that you don’t miss your prenatal check-ups
with your doctor. Your doctor will serve as an important advisor and partner as
you go through this journey, who can help you start your journey strong and for
a happy and healthy pregnancy.
You are what you eat
“Make sure that you get the proper amount of nutrition needed to
support optimal fetal development during this stage,” says Ma. Victoria
Valmonte-Torres, MD, FPOGS.
Though the best way to ensure a healthy
pregnancy is through proper intake of food, a lot of expectant mothers still believe
that “eating for two” is the way to go. A report
from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed that
almost half of expectant mothers in the U.S. are overweight or obese.
You
should not just be mindful of what you eat, but of how much you eat. To help
ensure that you are getting the right amount of nutrients for you and your
baby, the
doctor may also prescribe a maternal milk formula, like ProMama, that is
nutrient-dense, and has less calories. When paired with a healthy diet, two
glasses a day of ProMama can support your nutritional needs and help with the
major changes you are going through in pregnancy. These major changes may be
quite daunting for some, but with the right support, pregnancy will be a
breeze.
“These
nutritional needs and the many changes can be challenging, particularly when it
comes to the first three months of your pregnancy, when you’re experiencing
everything for the first time,” says Diane Lapid, Product Manager – ProMama.
“This is why ProMama wants to inspire mothers to start forming good habits that
will allow them to have a solid foundation and a strong beginning for this
journey—ultimately allowing them to celebrate the joys of pregnancy,” ends
Lapid.
For more
pregnancy tips and to know more about ProMama, you can log on to www.facebook.com/ProMamaPH or contact Wyeth Careline at 81-WYETH
(81-99384) for Metro Manila and 1-800-10-884-222 (toll-free) for provinces.