Pregnancy

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW:

Pregnancy means that a baby is growing inside of your uterus (womb). A normal pregnancy lasts about 40 weeks. Caregivers divide pregnancy into three blocks of time called trimesters. Each trimester lasts about three months. Your caregiver can estimate (guess) when you may have your baby. This estimate is called your due date. It is important to stay as healthy as possible during your pregnancy. Start prenatal care as early in your pregnancy as possible. Prenatal care can help prevent problems during your pregnancy and childbirth. It can also help find certain problems early, so they can be treated.

AFTER YOU LEAVE:

Medicines:

• Keep a current list of your medicines: Include the amounts, and when, how, and why you take them. Take the list or the pill bottles to follow-up visits. Carry your medicine list with you in case of an emergency. Throw away old medicine lists. Use vitamins, herbs, or food supplements only as directed.
  
  
• Prenatal vitamins: Even with a healthy diet, you may not get the amount of vitamins and minerals that your baby needs. Prenatal vitamins can help you get the right amount of vitamins and minerals. Prenatal vitamins may also decrease the risk of certain birth defects. Your caregiver will suggest the right kind and amount of prenatal vitamins for you. Take your prenatal vitamin every day. Do not skip days because you think your diet is good enough.

Ask for information about where and when to go for follow-up visits:

For continuing care, treatments, or home services, ask for more information.

Staying healthy during pregnancy:

• Eat a healthy diet: When you are going to have a baby, eating healthy is very important. During pregnancy, you need extra protein, vitamins, minerals, water, and calories. You need these to help you have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby. Eating healthy foods may also help you feel better and have more energy. It is important to eat a variety of foods every day. Healthy foods include fruits, vegetables, breads, dairy products, and protein such as meat and beans. Dairy products include milk, yogurt, and cheese. Avoid raw or undercooked meat and fish. Ask your caregiver for more information about an eating plan that is right for you.
  
  
• Drink plenty of liquids: Drink at least eight (8-ounce) cups of healthy liquids each day. Healthy liquids include milk, water, or juice. Avoid liquids that have caffeine in them such as coffee, tea, and soda pop. Do not drink liquids that contain alcohol. There is no known "safe" amount of alcohol that you can drink while pregnant. You should not drink beer, wine, liquor (like whiskey or gin), or any other mixed drinks. Alcohol can cause problems during your pregnancy such as a miscarriage (losing your baby). It can cause your baby to be born too small and have severe, lifelong learning problems.
  
  
• Do not smoke: You should not smoke cigarettes or anything else during pregnancy. Your baby may weigh less at birth if you smoke during pregnancy. Smoking increases the chance of your baby being born too early or your baby not growing well. Second-hand smoke (being around someone else who is smoking frequently) may be just as dangerous. Talk to your caregiver if you are having trouble quitting smoking.
  
  
• Exercise: Regular exercise during pregnancy is important. Talk with your caregiver about your exercise program. Exercising will help you feel better and keep you in good physical shape. Your labor and delivery could be easier if you exercise. Start exercising slowly if you were not active before pregnancy. Walking and swimming are great choices. Do not choose any exercise that could put you or your baby at risk for injury, like mountain climbing, surfing, or racquetball. Do not use a hot tub or sauna while you are pregnant, especially during your first trimester.
  
  
• Sexual intercourse (sex): You can have sex until your labor starts, unless there are problems with your pregnancy. Ask your caregiver about ways and positions to have sex to adjust for your growing abdomen. Always use condoms during sex if you are at risk for getting a sexually transmitted disease (STD). STDs can be dangerous for you and your baby. Do not have sex if you are bleeding from the vagina or are having pain in your abdomen or vagina. Your caregiver may also tell you not to have sex if you have a history of preterm (early) labor. Ask your caregiver for more information about having sex during your pregnancy.
  
  
• Travel: Ask your caregiver for advice before taking a trip. Some common travel tips include the following.
  
  
  • By car: Wear your seat belt every time you drive or ride in a vehicle. Always wear both the lap belt and the shoulder harness, and wear them as snug as is comfortable. Wear the shoulder harness above your belly and below your neck. Fasten the lap belt under your belly and across your upper leg. Dress comfortably when going on long trips. Stop every hour to get out of the car and walk around. This will help blood flow to your legs, and prevent problems.
    
    
  • By airplane: Your caregiver may tell you to avoid flying during your first trimester. When flying at any time during your pregnancy, ask for an aisle seat. This will make it easier for you to get to the bathroom, and to walk around at least every hour. Talk to your caregiver about flying during the last several weeks of your pregnancy. Some airlines may require a letter from your caregiver saying it is OK for you to fly. Other airlines may not let you fly, even with your caregiver's OK. Call ahead to find out the policy of your airline.
    
    
  • Other travel tips: You may need to avoid traveling to high altitudes, especially later in your pregnancy. Avoid traveling to areas where medical care is poor and water is untreated. Talk to your doctor before traveling outside of the country while pregnant.
  
  
• Toxoplasmosis: Toxoplasmosis is an infection that can be dangerous for pregnant women. You can get toxoplasmosis from eating raw meat or being around infected cat feces (BMs). It can cause birth defects, miscarriages, and other pregnancy problems. If you get toxoplasmosis, caregivers may treat it with medicine. The best thing you can do is to avoid getting toxoplasmosis in the first place. The following are some ways to avoid toxoplasmosis.
  
  
  • Wash your hands after touching raw meat, and make sure the meat is well cooked before eating it. Avoid eating raw eggs and unpasteurized milk.
    
    
  • Someone else should clean your cat's litter box while you are pregnant. If you must change the litter yourself, wear latex or vinyl gloves, and wash your hands immediately afterwards. Do not garden in soil that cats use as a bathroom. Ask your doctor for more information about toxoplasmosis.

CONTACT A CAREGIVER IF:

• You have watery fluid leaking from your vagina.
  
  
• You have sudden swelling and puffiness of your face, fingers, arms, ankles, or feet.
  
  
• You have frequent headaches or headaches that will not go away.
  
  
• You vomit (throw up) more than three to four times daily.
  
  
• You have dizziness, fainting, or blurred or dim vision.
  
  
• You have chills or a fever.
  
  
• You have pain or burning when you urinate, are urinating less, or have pink or bloody urine.
  
  
• You are having frequent regular contractions. These pains may feel like menstrual cramps or labor pains.
  
  
• You have sharp lower back pain.
  
  
• You have upper chest pain.
  
  
• You have any questions about your pregnancy.

SEEK CARE IMMEDIATELY IF:

• You are 20 weeks pregnant or more, and you have any trauma, even if you are not hurt. For example, if you fall down a flight of stairs or are in a car accident. The force of the trauma may have caused problems with you or the baby without you knowing it.
  
  
• You feel part of the baby or the umbilical cord in your vagina.
  
  
• You have dull or sharp lower abdominal pain, spotty or heavy vaginal bleeding, or have back or right shoulder pain.

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The above information is an educational aid only. It is not intended as medical advice for individual conditions or treatments. Talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist before following any medical regimen to see if it is safe and effective for you.

Learn more about Pregnancy (Discharge Care)