5 Tips For A Healthy Pregnancy Before Adoption in MO

Regardless of your choice if you are pregnant considering adoption or if you choose to parent your child, the need to live a healthy lifestyle remains the same. Pregnancy not only changes your body but also takes a lot of its resources. Through hormonal changes, fatigue, and other symptoms, getting used to changing your life is challenging enough, and maintaining healthy eating habits can get tough. Your doctor may have already prescribed a prenatal supplement, but this does not replace healthy food. There may also be foods that you previously loved that you must now forgo or cut back on. The change, though, is not impossible. We at Adoption Choices of Missouri want to help you keep a healthy lifestyle for your health and the health of your unborn child. Below are five tips for a healthy pregnancy before adoption in MO.

Go To All Of Your Medical Appointments And Keep The Adoptive Parents Informed

Neglecting your appointments is far too easy to do, but checking in should be one of your top priorities. You might have some anxieties, and having a doctor to answer those questions and see if everything’s going smooth will ease the nerves. They will also inform you of any complications and let you know your options. Your child’s adoptive family should also be in the know of what’s going on, so they can adapt.

Exercise and Move Your Body Throughout your Pregnancy

Exercise is often praised for weight loss benefits, but there are many other ways it can help you too. Even light-intensity exercises such as walking a few times a week can help. Although heavy lifting is not recommended for pregnant women, moderate exercise is safe. Exercise helps with stress, blood circulation, energy, sleep, strengthening muscles, and more. Talk to your doctor about your exercise routine to see what he or she recommends. Contact your healthcare provider for more information.

Eliminate Unwanted Toxins During Your Pregnancy

You can’t avoid every toxin, but cutting it down will reduce the risks of birth defects and other problems for your baby as he or she grows. Environmental toxins can be made or natural. Many of the ways you can cut down on toxins are easy and will give your baby the best chance at health. Three things you can do to avoid toxins include:

• Avoid BPAs: BPA stands for bisphenol-A. It’s used in resins and polymers, but unfortunately, disrupts hormones that already fluctuate during pregnancy. You can reduce your exposure to BPAs by swapping plastic water bottles and containers for glass, avoiding canned soup, and using gloves when handling a lot of paper receipts. Occasionally, touching a receipt is harmless, but if you work as a cashier or perform another job with a lot of them, BPAs are permeable through the skin. 
• Avoid phthalates: Phthalates are in plastics like BPAs, but they are also in beauty products such as lotion and nail polishes and fragrance products like candles and perfumes. They disrupt hormones and the endocrine system. Replace scented products with essential oils and buy phthalate-free products.
• Avoid PFCs: PFC means perfluorinated chemicals, which you will get most of your exposure from non-stick cookware. These chemicals can limit the growth of your baby and affect brain and organ development. Cast iron and glass cookware are safe alternatives. Beware of lead if you use ceramic.

Avoid Certain Foods Through Your Adoption Journey

Your physician has already advised eating a balanced diet. Chances are, you were already briefed on the dangers of alcohol and smoking during pregnancy. In today’s environment, though, there are other things you will have to consider reducing your intake of due to toxins. These things include:

• Fish with higher levels of mercury: this includes tuna, King mackerel, marlin, swordfish, Orange roughy, shark, and tilefish. 
• Raw or undercooked eggs, seafood, meat, and poultry: You are at increased risk of bacterial food poisoning. Use a thermometer to make sure your foods are cooked to the right temperature, and cook eggs until both whites and yolks are firm.
• Unpasteurized milk or juice.
• Excess caffeine

Take Care and Eat A Balanced Diet to Maintain a Healthy Pregnancy Before Adoption in MO

Eating healthy is a challenge for a lot of people, but remember to do the same while pregnant comes with myths. Your nutrition needs will go up, but your calorie needs won’t increase much. A well-balanced diet includes whole grains, fruits, vegetables, calcium, and other vitamins and minerals. Consult with your doctor for your calorie needs throughout your pregnancy. 

Prenatal vitamins are made to help fill in any gaps, but there is no substitute for a good diet. Folic acid, a B vitamin, is important and has lower the risk of a neural tube defect in babies such as spina bifida. Choline also helps prevent birth defects in the brain and spine. However, it is often not included in prenatal supplements, so talk to your doctor about choline supplements.

Adoption Choices of Missouri serves women facing unplanned pregnancies serving over 100 women annually. Our counselors give support and help and are committed to supporting the women we serve regardless of the choice they make.

Adoption Choices of Missouri serves birth parents statewide and beyond, please call us or text us to learn more! Call us toll-free at 877-903-4488 or, in Missouri call or text us at 816-527-9800

Meet the author: Seannea Wharton is a student at Miami University majoring in English. As of now, she is working on her first novel, starting a book blog, and learning American Sign Language. She was raised in a suburban town in New Jersey and has various hobbies such as gardening, cooking, and crocheting. She enjoys learning about a wide range of topics and loves finding new books to read.