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9 Tips for a Fit Pregnancy
A Guide to Nine Months of Healthful Habits
By Jennifer Lacey
So, you've just taken the test and it came back with those unmistakable lines. Congratulations, you're pregnant! Whether you've been trying to conceive for months and months or if you and your partner have been given a surprise, you may think your job is over now that you have become pregnant. Think again.
Pregnancy takes each mother-to-be on an emotional and physical journey filled with ups and downs, so it is of the utmost importance for Mom to keep herself healthy. Here are a few tips to help achieve a fit and healthy pregnancy:
The March of Dimes and the United States Public Health Service both recommend that a pregnant woman consume approximately 400 micrograms of folic acid every day prior to and during pregnancy.
Folic acid supplements have been shown to significantly decrease the incidence of neural tube defects (such as spina bifida). Natural sources of folic acid include orange juice, peas and green leafy vegetables.
"Folic acid is a water soluble vitamin and does not build up in tissues," says Dr. Marguerite Lisa Bartholomew, maternal-fetal medicine specialist at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, Calif. She says that folic acid should be in the woman's system prior to pregnancy, at conception and during the first three to four weeks of gestation.
"A well-balanced diet and a daily prenatal vitamin are usually sufficient to supply the extra nutrients required for pregnancy," says Dr. Bartholomew. "The Food and Drug Administration recommends between 6 to 11 servings of complex carbohydrates (whole grain bread, sugar-free cereal, pasta), three to five servings of vegetables, two to four servings of fruit, three servings of dairy and two to three servings of proteins per day. Fats, oils and sugars should be used sparingly."
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