First Time Pregnancy Advice:

There is a good reason why we are given 9 months to get ready for the newest member of the family; to get prepared. There is a lot to consider when preparing for the arrival of your new baby, by taking small baby steps you will get there with some careful planning.

Prepare your body:

Being a first time mum can be daunting at any age, but being a young mum can add extra pressure and stress during this already challenging time.

We all know that when you’re young there is a constant pressure to look and feel good, so with an ever-growing bump you may not feel very trendy. Yet, by eating healthy you can ensure you and the baby stay healthy and you won’t put on lots of extra weight which will be difficult to shift after the baby is born - after all you didn’t fork out on those designer jeans to only wear them twice.
 

Now you’re a mum-to-be it’s important to try and increase your intake of certain vitamins and minerals, such as folic acid and iron. If your diet is poor to begin with, it is even more important to make the transition to eating nutritious, well-balanced meals. Limit junk food, as it offers little more than empty calories, which means calories with few or no nutrients.

Your body becomes more efficient when you're expecting a baby and makes even better use of the energy you obtain from the food you eat. The average woman does not need any extra calories for the first six months of pregnancy and only about 200 extra calories per day for the last three months.
 

Food and Drink to avoid:

There are a number of foods and drinks that mums-to-be should avoid in order to be as healthy as they can be and avoid harming the baby in anyway by eating something that could be harmful.

During your pregnancy you should always steer clear of raw seafood, such as oysters or sushi that hasn’t been frozen before making.
Cheeses with a white, "mouldy” rind, such as Brie and Camembert, and blue-veined cheeses like Stilton. All these cheeses could contain listeria, bacteria that could harm your baby. 

Pate, raw or undercooked meat, poultry, and eggs (cook all meat until there are no pink bits left and eggs until they are hard). All are possible sources of bacteria that can harm your unborn child.

Many women sensibly choose to avoid alcoholic drinks during pregnancy, too. Drinking too much alcohol can cause physical defects, learning disabilities, and emotional problems in children, so many experts recommend that you give up alcohol completely while you are pregnant.

Crawling along in your first pregnancy is essential- not rushing around and making sure you have everything ready for the arrival of your baby. By following a few simple steps and pieces of advice will guarantee you are a yummy mummy all through your pregnancy.

-K.N-