The five basic tips I am about to mention are the specific suggestions of the "March of Dimes" for you to adhere to, in order to have a healthier, happier baby. Of course, there are many details included in these basic instructions that must be paid closer attention to. Nonetheless, when seeking information on how to care for your infant, and of course your unborn child, "March of Dimes" is a great source to trust in for the safety of your infant and and the overall health of your child as he or she grows. You want to do the right thing in order to avoid any possible birth defects, low birth weight, malnutrition, disabilities and, most importantly, to reduce the risk of having a miscarriage.
The March of Dimes has a positive reputation for saving babies, and they (quite rightly, in my opinion) pride themselves on the provisions and care they make available to expecting mothers, women with infants, and special needs babies. I believe that it is very important to promote this (the March of Dimes) and many other programs like it. In this article I will briefly describe the latest, general recommendations that the March of Dimes has made available to their many donors as well as to the general public.
These five recommendations, essential for your baby's health, are not mentioned in this article, nor are they presented by the March of Dimes in order of importance. Each and every piece of advice that I am about to pass on to you is just as significant as the next. Each should be, by any mother who is breastfeeding, any expecting mother, or any woman trying to become pregnant should carefully digest. I will add some of my own insight to these basic guidelines as well.
Firstly, the March of Dimes instructs expecting mothers to get early and continuous pre-natal care. In my opinion, as much as prenatal care is important, having the right physician is very important. I recommend that if experience any uneasiness, or feel in any way hesitant with your current doctor - seek a second opinion at least, but most often, find another one. Follow your pre-natal care doctor's instructions. Be sure to make this top priority. Mostly, the March of Dimes suggests, that prenatal care is essential to preventing the risk of low birth weight.
Although these are basic and absolutely logical measures for any pregnant woman to take, this top five list of guidelines sent to me by the March of Dimes can not be over-emphasized. Believe it or not, some people really do not realize the full extent of the dangers of breaking these general rules of pregnancy, if you will. The second on the list is to eat nutritious foods! Yes, you do need to gain weight while you are pregnant - but if all you do, for instance, is eat extra amounts of fast foods. When you are not eating right while pregnant, you are getting the extra calories, but not the extra vitamins and minerals required from the calories consumed. Everything you eat goes straight to the baby too, therefore, if you are not getting enough vitamin C, the baby is also not getting enough vitamin C, and so on.
Next, it is very important that a pregnant woman does not smoke. In addition to increasing the risk of low birth weight, a woman who smokes while she is pregnant increases the risks of having a miscarriage. Many women who are smokers and are trying to become pregnant can miscarry right away. And, believe me, if a miscarriage happens (no matter when it happens) it is always very saddening, unfortunate and sometimes even tragic for the expecting parents.
Fourthly, the March of Dimes foundation wants you to know not to use drugs while pregnant. Taking drugs can cause birth defects, and even the death of your baby, often however, this piece of advice is misinterpreted. When professionals such as pre -natal doctors, OBGYN and other specialists say not to use drugs (while pregnant) they do not simply mean illegal, mind and / or mood altering chemicals. Prescription drugs, as well as drugs that are sold over the counter are often potentially dangerous for your baby - especially with frequent use.
As a matter of fact, (I will add) there have been many drugs previously approved by pre-natal physicians that have proven to cause severe birth defects. For example: the prescription drug called Paxil. If I were an expecting mother, I would avoid any and all medications possible, because sometimes science figures out the dangers after assessing the benefits of certain drugs. This is especially detrimental when considering the use of such drugs by women who are trying to become pregnant, expecting a baby, or caring for her infant. I feel very strongly about this subject. It must be extremely frightening to realize that your child has suffered any kind of birth defects, to have a miscarriage, or worse. Therefore, it is essential to do everything in your power to avoid any of the above problems.
Lastly, the March of Dimes emphasizes the rule of thumb for pregnant women that you should not drink while pregnant. The devastating effects of fetal alcohol syndrome or, FAS, have been widely recognized for a long time now. Fetal alcohol syndrome can develop in your baby even if you only drink a tiny bit while pregnant. As a matter of fact, I would recommend that if you are simply trying to become pregnant and are taking pregnancy tests on a regular basis you should still avoid alcohol as much as possible. In correlation with the fourth of these pregnancy guidelines, many over the counter drugs contain alcohol. These include medications for colds, for allergies, for sleep aids, and more which may contain some alcohol, as well as other active ingredients that can be harmful to your baby.
Find out what will be best for you and your baby - even if you are just trying to become pregnant. Often, a woman will not know that she is pregnant right away. It is virtually always at least a few weeks into her first trimester before a woman discovers her, quite happy condition. To have the happiest, healthiest baby you possibly can, seek information from foundations and sources such as the March of Dimes for the very best advice you can get. I would encourage you to expose anyone you know to whom this information is relevant as much of this kind of advice (as well as various resources they can check out on their own) as you can.
Many medical professionals and researchers are dedicated to bringing as many healthy babies into this world as possible, and continuing to reduce the number of birth defects that occur. In other words, your goals for your baby are also their goals for your baby. Thank you for seeking information to take care of your baby as soon as possible for the very best health benefits possible.
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