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Pregnancy can be an exciting time in your life, but it can also be something people are nervous about experiencing or that they want to learn more about to prepare for. Here are four common questions about pregnancy.
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What Are My Next Steps?
Once you know you’re pregnant, you may want to know what you should do next. You should talk to your doctor about whether you need to see any specialists, what lifestyle changes you should make and how to deal with various symptoms or manage other conditions you have. Keep in mind, while pregnancy is generally thought of as a joyous time, sometimes people aren’t able to go through pregnancy, or don’t want to. There are various reasons for this, but you do have the option to get an abortion. For example, if you live in Chicago, you can find providers who will perform an abortion Illinois for you.
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Should I Take Prenatal Vitamins?
Many pregnant people want to make sure they take care of their fetuses to the best of their abilities. One of your early questions may be whether or not you should take prenatal vitamins. The need for prenatal vitamins will largely depend on your diet. Common prenatal vitamin recommendations include Vitamin D and folic acid. Generally, doctors tend to recommend that you continue taking any supplements you were already taking before you knew you were pregnant. However, they will also typically advise you to stop taking supplements containing Vitamin A, which can harm fetuses.
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How Can I Exercise Safely?
Pregnancy can change many things about your life, including exercise. Many active people are unlikely to want to stop exercising when they discover that they’re pregnant, and there’s no reason they have to. Instead, your doctor will be able to help you develop an exercise regimen that will be safe for your fetus and still allow you to stay active. The general guidance involves switching from high-impact exercise to low-impact. Instead of jumping, kickboxing, dancing or participating in martial arts, you can try swimming, yoga, running or jogging and pilates. Modify any strength training exercises you do and make instructors of any exercise classes you take aware of your pregnancy. Above all, go easy on yourself and try to avoid overexertion.
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How Will I Know When I Go Into Labor?
This is an especially common question for people who are experiencing their first pregnancies. Unless you’ve already experienced labor, it can be difficult to know for sure when it’s begun. Your doctor can advise you about the differences between Braxton Hicks, or false labor, contractions and true labor. The easiest way to differentiate the two is by checking whether your contractions are regular and keep happening when you change positions. If they do, then you’re probably in labor.
When you’re trying to conceive or are pregnant, you should always talk to your doctor first about any questions you have. You can also find answers from friends and peers, but your doctor will most likely have the best clinical knowledge and access to more resources for you.
