A child needs a healthy environment for growth and development not just after birth but also before delivery. It is axiomatic that parents do everything they can to care for their children as they are growing up. But they must do the same to ensure their unborn Unborn Baby’s health. 

Many unborn children become victims of conscious and unconscious neglect by their parents. Habits like late-night partying, consuming unhealthy drinks, not going for regular doctoral visits, etc., are detrimental to the health of an unborn baby. Therefore, it is the responsibility of parents to tick all the boxes that ensure that the baby is developing healthily in the mother’s womb. 

If this is your first time, or you want to improve your care for your unborn child, you are at the right place. Below we list some unfailing ways to care for your unborn baby and keep them healthy throughout the pregnancy. 

Don’t miss your prenatal appointments

Once your pregnancy is confirmed through tests performed by your doctor; you will get a schedule for regular checkups. Attending these prenatal appointments is crucial for ensuring your unborn child’s health. 

Prenatal appointments aim to catch the problem before it snowballs into something more serious. During each visit, your doctor might suggest health screenings to catch potential concerns, reducing the risk of complicated pregnancy. 

Sometimes, healthcare providers fail to find or simply neglect the issues with the baby or the pregnant woman. This can lead to problems such as a birth injury diagnosis in an unborn child. Erb’s and cerebral palsy are the most prevalent birth injuries caused by medical negligence. The Erb’s and cerebral palsy diagnosis might occur right after birth or sometime later. Luckily you can take legal action against the transgressing party, in this case, medical practitioners and the hospital. 

However, the medical team’s negligence does not always lead to a birth injury in the unborn child. Parents might also be responsible if they don’t take the advice of their healthcare provider seriously, miss their appointments, and show lax behavior. 

Practice Mindfulness

The practice of mindfulness, rooted in the ability of a person to stay in the present moment and avoid negative thought patterns, is linked to greater cardiovascular health and mental wellness. However, practicing meditation is not limited to when you are not pregnant. 

You can meditate during your pregnancy and get the same benefits. You can picture yourself with your unborn child; tell them how loved and cared for they are and how eagerly you are waiting for them. The positive energy that emanates from your meditation session will surely reach your unborn child and make them consume it. Sending them thoughts of love will also develop your connection with your baby even before they are born. 

Studies have also shown that meditation helps pregnant women, especially those who have a stressful pregnancy. Stress and anxiety can lead to premature birth or babies with low birth weight. As meditation can enhance the inner peace of pregnant women and make them tranquil, it can lower the risk of unhealthy and complicated deliveries.  

The added benefits of practicing meditation during pregnancy include better sleep, lower blood pressure, and elevated mood. In short, being mindful of your present situation improves your physical health. Plus, it leads to greater benefits for your unborn child. 

Develop healthy habits 

Your habits directly affect the health and well-being of your unborn baby. Therefore, to keep them safe and healthy, you must look inward and locate the problems in your lifestyle. 

Analyze your habits, and be cognizant of the harmful ones such as late-night partying, relaxing in saunas and hot tubs, neglecting your diet, excessive caffeine consumption, etc. Replace them with healthier ones. Practicing healthier habits during pregnancy gives you a head start in life. Sticking to healthy ways of living during pregnancy helps you carry the same over to life after the baby’s delivery. 

Some habits you can adopt are the following:

• Avoid extreme weight loss: Mothers must maintain a good weight throughout the pregnancy; therefore, they cannot engage in extreme weight loss activities. Losing weight after four months of pregnancy can dispossess your unborn child of essential nutrients, affecting their healthy development. 
• Avoid exposure to harmful substances: Consuming harmful substances during pregnancy is detrimental to the health and development of your child. If you are on any particular medications, consult with your healthcare provider. 
• Stay away from the polluted environment: Besides consuming harmful substances, live in a cleaner environment too. Avoiding exposure to unsafe elements such as smoke, asbestos, chemical fumes, etc., is necessary for both parents in general. However, mothers, in particular, must breathe clean air so that no harmful particles reach their bodies and cause illnesses that ultimately affect their unborn child.

Don’t neglect your nutritional needs

Your baby gets the direct effect of what you eat. Because the child receives all its nutrition from the mother, whatever a mother eats reaches the child. Your unborn child will certainly feel the effect if you don’t eat enough during pregnancy. 

A lack of nutrition can cause issues like low birth weight, premature birth, underdevelopment of a child’s various body parts, etc. Therefore, you need to have a proper diet routine to ensure the adequate development of your child. 

On average, you must consume 300 more calories daily during pregnancy. Usually, healthcare providers recommend a weight gain of 23 to 30 kg during pregnancy. However, the exact weight gain depends on your weight before conceiving the baby and other aspects. 

Here is the nutrition you must consume during pregnancy:

• Folic acid: consuming folic acid during pregnancy is extremely important for the unborn child. It prevents the occurrence of brain and spinal cord-related congenital disabilities. 
• Calcium: It is common knowledge that calcium is essential for the healthy bone development of your child. During pregnancy, you can get calcium from food (yogurt, milk, broccoli, cottage cheese, etc.) and non-food (prenatal supplements). 
• Proteins: You can fulfill your protein needs by consuming legumes, meat, nuts, poultry, etc. 

Conclusion

Pregnancy is a very challenging time for the mother and the unborn baby. An unborn child is totally dependent on their mother. Therefore responsibility lies on them to ensure the health of their baby. The article above mentions ways to ensure the unborn baby’s health and safety. Adhering to these ways is not challenging if you make them part of your routine.