How You Can Stop Pregnancy Complications

Many women are told that pregnancy complications like pre-term labor, gestational diabetes, low-birth weight babies, and pre-eclampsia are just bad luck. They're led to believe that there's really no way to avoid these, and if your genetics determine that you'll have those problems then you will. Is this true? Or is there something you can do to help your pregnancy stay healthy -- and help you to have a strong, healthy baby?

You Make a Difference

There are pregnancy complications that sometimes happen and nobody can figure out exactly why. These, however, are rare. There are many steps you can take to enjoy a healthy pregnancy and give birth to a healthy baby.

Your baby is counting on you from the moment of conception for everything. You've probably heard that your baby will take what he or she needs from your body, but that's not true. You need to take care of yourself so that your body has enough for itself as well as for building a baby.

Sometimes it feels like a lot of work and responsibility to be taking care of a new life, but the good news is that you can make a difference in your baby's future. You also help your own body to stay healthy and ready to bounce back after your baby is born. Your good pregnancy health makes childbirth safer and prevents depression and other emotional issues.

Pregnancy Diet is Your Ticket

Your pregnancy diet is a ticket to a healthy, enjoyable pregnancy. You'll still experience some pregnancy discomforts, and good diet is no guarantee to a pain-free birth. But if you eat well your baby grows well. Your body has plenty of energy to take care of itself. Your uterus is strong and your body can labor efficiently (as well as recover quickly).

Getting enough to eat, and enough of the right foods makes a difference. You can actually prevent pregnancy complications. A well-nourished mother and baby are far less likely to have problems with premature labor. Issues like pre-eclampsia and gestational diabetes are rare in mothers who are eating plenty of good foods.

You need to eat plenty of protein and the right kinds of fats. Your baby's body is built on protein. Your baby's brain is built on fat. Getting too little of either starves your baby -- and again, your baby can't "steal" it from your body. You need to eat high quality protein, especially animal proteins (meat, fish, dairy, etc). You also need high quality fats like coconut oil, olive oil, and butter. These fats are minimally processed and much better for you and your baby than other fats like soybean oil and corn oil (which may actually be dangerous to your child's brain).

Carbohydrates from vegetables and fruits help provide the massive amounts of energy it takes to grow your baby, but eat them with your protein and fats. Eating too many carbohydrates cause blood sugar swings that make you feel nauseated and fatigued. It can also lead to gestational diabetes. Eat plenty of green vegetables, some fruits, and some starchy vegetables with your meals.