Healthy Pregnancy

Pregnancy is an important time to think about your lifestyle and what you can do to help have a healthy pregnancy. Everything you eat and drink while pregnant reaches your baby and influences their health. It’s important to eat a healthy, nutritious diet to provide the right balance of nutrients to help them grow and develop properly (even after they’re born). Gentle exercise during pregnancy is good (and safe) for you and your baby. Not only does it help you maintain a healthy weight, it also helps prepare your body for labour.

Follow our 10 Top tips for a healthy pregnancy below:

  1. Start the day with a healthy breakfast- e.g. yoghurt with fruit and seeds, porridge and banana or poached egg on wholemeal toast
  2. Aim for 5 a day fruit and vegetable- to get a good variety of vitamins and minerals for you and your baby
  3. Include a variety of foods- choose from the four main food groups on the eatwell guide
  4. Choose nutritious snacks lower in sugar, salt and fat such as nuts, oatcakes, fruits and vegetables
  5. Keep physically active- If you weren’t already active, increase it gradually aiming towards 30 minutes, 5 times a week
  6. Be aware of food safety during pregnancy- NHS Choices has a useful guide
  7. Choose nutritious foods, not extra food- ‘Eat for you and not for two’ – we only need an extra 200 calories in the 3rd trimester
  8. Stay hydrate- Aim for 6-8 medium sized healthy drinks each day, more on warmer days and when doing physical activity
  9. Take a daily Vitamin D supplement throughout pregnancy and folic acid for at least the first 12 weeks
  10. Seek support around stopping smoking during pregnancy, alcohol and mental health concerns

For more information visit www.totalwellbeingluton.org/managing-your-weight/healthy-lifestyles-during-pregnancy or email: info@totalwellbeingluton.org

 

Vitamins

You’ll get most of the vitamins and minerals you need by eating a healthy, varied diet. But when you’re pregnant you also need to take some supplements to support a healthy pregnancy, these include Folic acid and Vitamin D. Click on the name below for more information:

  • Folic acid is very important for your pregnancy, as it can prevent birth defects known as ‘neural tube defects’, including spina bifida.  It’s best to start taking folic acid as soon as you start trying for a baby, or as soon as you find out you’re pregnant. Certain foods contain the natural form of folic acid (folate) While it’s good to include these foods in your diet, you’ll still need to take your folic acid supplements. You’ll need 400 micrograms (mcg) every day until the end of your first trimester (12 weeks). Ask your GP or pharmacist.
  • Vitamin D helps the absorption of calcium and phosphate in the body (needed to keep our bones, teeth and muscles healthy). The main source of vitamin D is sunlight and it is difficult to get a sufficient amount from the diet. You should take a daily vitamin D supplement of 10 micrograms a day. These are available from most pharmacies, supermarkets and other retailers. This is especially important as we are at home a lot more at the moment. If you have dark skin – for example you have an African, African-Caribbean or south Asian background – you may also not get enough vitamin D from sunlight.

Please see the Tommy’s leaflet and our guide on the right on how to get the right nutrients during pregnancy

Find out more about Healthy Start Vitamins and the Healthy Start Voucher Scheme via the button below

 

Nutrients needed for a healthy pregnancy

Nutrients needed for a healthy pregnancy

Please see the 10 top tips listed above.

It is important not to diet or to try to lose weight during pregnancy, instead following a healthy diet and keeping physically active is important to help ensure you do not put on too much weight during pregnancy.

Being overweight or obese during pregnancy can increase risks to you and your baby.

There is support available to help you with managing your weight and having a healthy pregnancy For more information visit www.totalwellbeingluton.org/managing-your-weight/healthy-lifestyles-during-pregnancy or email: info@totalwellbeingluton.org

For information on feeding baby please visit our feeding baby webpage

Parenting and Family Relationships

There are a variety of courses and one-off sessions for parents in Luton to promote positive, nurturing and responsive parenting

Child Safety

Safe at Home Luton is a child accident prevention programme aimed at families from pregnancy through to the child’s 5th birthday.

SEND families

If you think that your child may have special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) you should speak to someone about your concerns- find out more on Luton’s Local Offer

Five to Thrive

Just as our child’s body grows better when you give them good food, your child’s brain grows better when you do five simple things that feed the growing brain:

Respond ● Cuddle ● Relax ● Play ● Talk

Talking Takes Off

Talking Takes Off is a programme to support improvements in speech and communication in children from 0-5 years old in Luton.

PREGNANCY

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