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Learning About Pregnancy

Your Care Instructions

Your health in the early weeks of your pregnancy is particularly important for your baby's health. Take good care of yourself. Anything you do that harms your body can also harm your baby.

Make sure to go to all of your appointments. Regular checkups will help keep you and your baby healthy.

Follow-up care is a key part of your treatment and safety. Be sure to make and go to all appointments, and call your doctor or nurse advice line (811 in most provinces and territories) if you are having problems. It's also a good idea to know your test results and keep a list of the medicines you take.

How can you care for yourself at home?

Nutrition

Choose healthy foods like vegetables and fruits, whole grain foods, protein foods.
Choose foods that are good sources of folate. You can try dark leafy greens, fortified cereals, broccoli, lentils, chickpeas, and black or kidney beans.
Do not skip meals or go for many hours without eating. If you are nauseated, try to eat a small, healthy snack every 2 to 3 hours.
Limit or avoid high-mercury fish. These include fresh or frozen tuna, canned “white” albacore tuna, shark, swordfish, marlin, orange roughy, and escolar.
Choose fish that are lower in mercury. These include salmon, rainbow trout, pollock, herring, shrimp, mussels, clams, oysters, and canned "light" tuna. Learn more about eating fish in pregnancy.
Drink plenty of fluids. If you have kidney, heart, or liver disease and have to limit fluids, talk with your doctor or midwife before you increase the amount of fluids you drink.
Limit caffeine to less than 300 mg per day. This is about 2 cups of coffee.
Do not drink alcohol, such as beer, wine, or hard liquor.
Take a multivitamin that contains at least 400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid to help prevent birth defects.
Increase the calcium in your diet. Good choices include skim or low-fat milk, yogurt, and cheese. If you cannot eat milk products, you can get calcium from calcium-fortified products such as orange juice, soy or other plant-based beverages, and tofu. Other non-milk sources of calcium include leafy green vegetables, such as broccoli, kale, mustard greens, turnip greens, bok choy, and Brussels sprouts.
Limit how much liver and liver products (such as liverwurst or liver sausage) you eat. Liver is high in iron, folate, and vitamin A. Too much vitamin A may cause birth defects. If you eat liver, ask your doctor or midwife about how much is right for you.
Do not eat raw or undercooked eggs, meat, poultry, or seafood. Know the safe cooking temperatures for foods. Heat all deli meats, hot dogs, refrigerated meat spreads, and refrigerated smoked seafood to 74° C (165° F) before eating. Do not eat or drink raw or unpasteurized milk and dairy products and fruit juices. Thoroughly wash all fruits and vegetables under cold running water. Avoid all cooked and raw sprouts, including alfalfa, radish, and mung bean sprouts.
Learn more about food safety in pregnancy.

Lifestyle

Make sure you go to your follow-up appointments.
Get plenty of rest. You may be unusually tired while you are pregnant.
Get at least 2½ hours of exercise a week. Walking is a good choice. If you have not exercised in the past, start out slowly. Take several short walks each day.
Do not smoke. If you need help quitting, talk to your doctor or midwife about stop-smoking programs. These can increase your chances of quitting for good.
Do not touch cat feces or litter boxes. Also, wash your hands after you handle raw meat, and fully cook all meat before you eat it. Wear gloves when you work in the yard or garden, and wash your hands well when you are done. Cat feces, raw or undercooked meat, and contaminated dirt can cause an infection that may harm your baby or lead to a miscarriage.
Avoid things that can make your body too hot and may be harmful to your baby, such as a hot tub or sauna. Or talk with your doctor or midwife before doing anything that raises your body temperature. Your doctor or midwife can tell you if it's safe.
Avoid chemical fumes, paint fumes, or poisons.
Do not use drugs, cannabis, or alcohol.

Medicines

Review all of your medicines with your doctor or midwife. Some of your routine medicines may need to be changed to protect your baby.
Use acetaminophen (Tylenol) to relieve minor problems, such as a mild headache or backache or a mild fever with cold symptoms. Do not use non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or naproxen (Aleve), unless your doctor or midwife says it is okay.
Do not take two or more pain medicines at the same time unless the doctor or midwife told you to. Many pain medicines have acetaminophen, which is Tylenol. Too much acetaminophen (Tylenol) can be harmful.
Take your medicines exactly as prescribed. Call your doctor or midwife if you think you are having a problem with your medicine.

To manage morning sickness

An empty stomach can make nausea worse. Try to eat small meals and snacks throughout the day.
For nausea when you wake up, eat a small snack, such as a couple of crackers or pretzels, before rising. Allow a few minutes for your stomach to settle before you slowly get up.
Try to avoid smells and foods that make you feel nauseated. High-fat or greasy foods and coffee may make nausea worse. Some foods that may be easier to tolerate include cold, sour, and salty foods.
Drink enough fluids. Water and other caffeine-free drinks are good choices.
Take your prenatal vitamins at night on a full stomach.
Try foods and drinks made with ginger. Ginger may help with nausea.
Get lots of rest. Morning sickness may be worse when you are tired.
Ask your doctor or midwife about medicines that may help with morning sickness.
Try a P6 acupressure wrist band. These anti-nausea wristbands help some people.
Learn more about managing nausea and vomiting.

Where can you learn more?

Go to https://www.healthwise.net/patientEd

Enter E868 in the search box to learn more about "Learning About Pregnancy".

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