Maintaining a Healthy Pregnancy

Lifestyle habits:

• Stay hydrated and rest when you need to.
  
• Eat a balanced diet.  More info here.
  
• Stay active with low-impact activities (walking, prenatal yoga, etc.).  Read more here.

Supplements and medications:

• Take a prenatal vitamin and 81 mg of aspirin every day.
• Talk to us before you start or stop any medications.  Find out which medications to avoid during pregnancy here.

Other:

• Keep an eye on your blood pressure using these instructions.

Avoid:

• Cleaning cat litter boxes to reduce your exposure to toxoplasmosis.
  
• Hot tubs and saunas.  Becoming overheated can harm your baby.
  
• Alcohol, tobacco, and recreational drugs.
  
• High-risk sports like skiing or boxing.

Let us know right away if you have any signs of labor:

• Regular contractions (every 5 to 10 minutes)
  
• Your water breaking
• Intense pelvic pressure or lower back pain

More info here.

Also let us know immediately if you:

• Notice sudden swelling in your hands or face or around your eyes
  
• Experience sudden weight gain (more than 2 pounds in a week)
  
• Have blood pressure of 140/90 or higher
  
• Are more than 18 weeks along and feel like your baby has stopped moving or is moving less

If you have other concerns between visits, don't hesitate to reach out.

Go to the ER right away if you have:

• Heavy bleeding or severe abdominal pain
  
• Severe upper abdominal or right shoulder pain
  
• Severe headaches that don’t get better with rest or medication
  
• Difficulty breathing or chest pain
  
• Severe or sudden nausea or vomiting
  
• Fever over 100.4° F
  
• Vision changes (blurry vision, seeing spots, or light sensitivity)

Or go if you feel you need to be seen right away for any other reason.

If you can, let us know you're heading to the ER.