The Pregnancy Wisdom Encyclopedia: pregnancy preparation hacks & a book guide of fitness workouts, wellness, diet and nutrition for a teen pregnant girl, men & women over 40 & first time moms & dads

By Gertrude Swanson

The only book couples need to prepare and deal with pregnancy.

Pregnancy is an amazing time in a couple's life, but it can also be quite overwhelming. That's where The Pregnancy Wisdom Encyclopedia comes in! This book is designed to help couples who are expecting a baby, and it covers everything from the first trimester all the way to post-partum. Weekly updates make it easy for you to keep up with everything that's happening, and the comprehensive sections on nutrition, exercise, mental health, and sleep make sure that you're getting the best possible care. Whether you're new to pregnancy or you've been pregnant before, this book is perfect for you!

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• Language: English
• Publisher: Z Media
• Release date: May 21, 2022

Book preview

Introduction

Welcome to the wonderful world of pregnancy! Becoming pregnant is an amazing experience that will change your life forever. Pregnancy is a time that can be both exciting and challenging. It is a wonderful period, during which you will go through a variety of emotions.

Pregnancy occurs when a female's uterus expands to accommodate a developing fetus. It's a moment of promise and potential and fast physical and psychological development. It is the most exciting and beautiful time in a woman's life. This is also a very emotional stage that every woman goes through in her life. Imagine how amazing it would be to discover that another life is developing within you.

You are bringing this world a new life. You are growing into another human being who can talk, walk, and do everything within you. It is something that only God can do, as we were told as children. It's filled with anxiety and uncertainty, but it's not necessary to endure restless nights.

Here are a few facts about pregnancy that you should be aware of:

1. Pregnancy is a time of tremendous physical and emotional transformation. You will grow and develop quickly, and your body will go through a series of remarkable changes.

2. Being pregnant provides an excellent opportunity to meet new people. You will be joining an incredible community of women who are going through the same things you are.

3. Pregnancy is a time of hope and joy. Every day is a new chance to try something new and fascinating.

4. Pregnancy is an opportunity for introspection. You will be reflecting on the one-of-a-kind and remarkable journey you are embarking on with your unborn child.

5. Pregnancy is a time for bonding and affection.

6. You are not alone; everyone goes through different stages of pregnancy, and there is no right or wrong way to go through them. Don't hesitate to seek advice from friends, family, or even on internet forums.

7. Prepare for mood swings - your hormones will be raging, and you may experience a wide range of emotions ranging from happy to melancholy to anger. Be kind to yourself and keep in mind that all of these emotions are natural and reasonable.

8. Prepare for sleepless evenings - your body will be working hard to create a new life, and you may find it difficult to relax or fall asleep.

THE PREPARATION (BEFORE PREGNANCY)

How to Get Pregnant Faster

You are now ready to become pregnant. When you're ready to start a family, waiting is the last thing you want to do.

Despite Mother Nature's role in timing, there are some things you can do or not do to help improve your chances of becoming pregnant.

When you're trying to conceive, make sure you take the time to prepare your body and mind. This includes dealing with any mood swings or issues that might come up before pregnancy occurs. Many women experience anxiety and mood swings, but these can be especially intense during pregnancy. Pre-pregnancy preparation will help you healthily handle these emotions.

When it comes to pregnancy, planning ahead of time can provide you and your baby with the best possible start. You can prepare yourself for pregnancy by doing some of these things before you get pregnant:

1. Visit your doctor before you conceive.

Making a preconception visit with your doctor, nurse-midwife, or other medical health care professional is a smart idea. If you've been using birth control pills, your doctor may advise you to use another type of birth control for the first month or two after you stop taking them. If you are susceptible to infectious diseases such as chickenpox and German measles, your doctor may advise you to get vaccinated at least one month before trying to conceive.

You may want to ask your doctor about taking prenatal vitamins that contain folic acid, which helps prevent some birth defects, such as spina bifida. Folic acid has properties that help increase folic acid levels during early pregnancy, and that's why it's important to ensure that you're getting enough folic acid even before you become pregnant.

If you have a chronic medical condition, such as diabetes, asthma, or high blood pressure, you should ensure that it is under control. Even if you've had no trouble keeping your health for a long time, chronic diseases may necessitate extra attention during pregnancy. Inform your doctor if your or your partner's family medical history puts you at a higher risk of having a child with a birth defect. Before becoming pregnant, your doctor may advise you to discontinue or change the dosage of some prescription medications.

It is important to do this cycle before you start trying to conceive. If you have any underlying medical problems, then you need to get them under control before you can get pregnant.

2. GET HEALTHY BEFORE GETTING PREGNANT

A healthy pre-pregnancy weight

If your BMI does not fall within the Healthy Weight range, the next step is to determine your ideal weight. Choose a BMI in the Healthy Weight category that is closest to your current BMI to set your target weight. Keep in mind that this is only a guideline for a healthy weight.

Tips for Weight Loss Before Pregnancy

Depending on your current weight and the time when you intend to conceive, losing enough weight to be in a healthy weight range may not be realistic or safe for you. You should drink plenty of water and ensure that your meals are balanced with a variety of foods in appropriate portions. It may be helpful to keep a food journal so that you can keep track of exactly how much you’re eating and watch out for areas where you need to optimize your diet.

Tips for Weight Gain before Pregnancy

Make sure you incorporate healthy foods into your diet to keep your diet balanced and interesting. You can increase your daily calorie intake as well as healthy fats by eating foods such as nuts, seeds, oils, and avocado. Ideally, you should aim to eat a meal consisting of approximately 450 – 500 calories each meal.

3. MAKE EVERY BITE COUNT WHEN IT COMES TO NUTRITION

Good nutrition is essential at any age, not just during pregnancy. Even if you aren't pregnant yet, eating a healthy, well-balanced diet is one of the finest things you can do for yourself and your future child. When you're pregnant, you'll be eating for two, but if you expect to eat twice as much, you'll be disappointed. During your pregnancy, you should increase your consumption of iron, calcium, folic acid, and other critical vitamins and nutrients, as these are important for your baby's development.

You must include healthy eating habits throughout your pregnancy.

Key nutrients to eat when you're trying to conceive

If you are trying to conceive, your diet is crucial to your success. A nutritious diet is not only helpful in promoting a healthy pregnancy outcome, but it also improves your overall health. 

It is a good time to focus on healthy eating habits now that you are trying to conceive. Here are some foods and nutrients that you must consume at this time.

Folic acid/folate

It is one of the most important nutrients you can consume before (and during) pregnancy. There is a B vitamin called folate found naturally in foods such as fruits, vegetables, and fortified grains, which the body uses to synthesize new and healthy hemoglobin in the body. As a component of the blood cells, hemoglobin transports oxygen from the lungs to all parts of the body, including the babies and the mothers. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), women should take 400 micrograms of folic acid daily for at least one month before becoming pregnant. The first signs of pregnancy usually occur early on, before you even realize that you are pregnant.

To protect against birth defects, particularly neural tube defects, such as spina bifida and anencephaly it is recommended that women consume adequate amounts of folate one month before conception and in the first trimester of pregnancy.

Since folate is difficult to locate in whole foods, you should ensure that your prenatal vitamin contains 400 to 600 micrograms. Additional sources of folate include:

Leafy green vegetables - Spinach, broccoli, bok choy, Swiss chard, and kale are all good options.

Fortified cereals -breakfast cereals

Oranges and strawberries

Beans and nuts

Calcium

Everyone needs this essential mineral daily. Calcium not only builds teeth and bones but also keeps blood and muscles moving and helps your nerves send messages from your brain to the rest of your body.  

Calcium is not something your body can produce, so you must get it from food or supplements. It is important to take at least 1,000 mg of calcium every day while you are pregnant. If you are 18 or younger, then you must consume at least 1,300 mg of calcium every day.

It is recommended for women over the age of fifty to consume at least twelve hundred milligrams of vitamin D each day. Consuming enough calcium can prevent osteoporosis in the future.

Calcium maintains the smooth operation of your reproductive system and may even assist in conceiving faster. Stocking up now is necessary to ensure the health and development of your baby's teeth and bones in the future.

If your calcium stores are low during pregnancy, your body will remove calcium from your bones so that the developing baby can absorb it, which will increase your risk of osteoporosis (brittle bones) in the future. You should aim to obtain about 1,500 milligrams of calcium every day from sources such as:

Milk - One cup of 1 percent milk contains 305 milligrams (mg), or one-third of the daily recommended intake of calcium. Plus, it contains vitamin D. There's also calcium-fortified milk, soy milk, and almond milk.

Yogurt - low-fat yogurt contains about 415 mg or about 40 percent of your daily recommended intake.

Cheese - mozzarella, cheddar, cottage cheese

Kale and broccoli -Iron

The mineral magnesium which carries oxygen throughout your body is also crucial to delivering oxygen to your newborn. As part of your preconception checkup, ask your doctor whether you should be tested for iron deficiency, as too little iron could increase your baby's risk of being underweight or premature. The average woman requires about 18 mg of iron per day, but once she becomes pregnant, her daily iron requirement increases to 27 mg per day.

It is important to remember that your body absorbs iron more readily from food. Some good food sources are:

Fortified breakfast cereals - fortified breakfast cereal contains 18 mg of iron. 

Lean meats - Beef, chicken, and turkey all contain about 1 mg of iron per 3 oz. serving.

Spinach - A good source of iron, ½ cup of boiled, drained spinach contains 3 mg per serving — about 17 percent of your daily recommended intake.

Omega-3 fatty acids

In your pre-pregnancy diet, you should include more of this type of fat. It is thought that omega-3 fatty acids may help regulate key ovulation-inducing hormones and increase blood flow to the reproductive system. Furthermore, it is a good time to reduce the consumption of saturated fats, found in foods such as butter and red meat, and to avoid trans fats (found in foods such as chips and cookies).

While many prenatal vitamins contain omega-3s, it is also important to consume omega-3s in whole foods. They can be found in:

Seafood - Fish that are high in fat, including salmon, anchovies, sardines, and herring

Grass-fed beef - Beef from grass-fed cows contains higher levels of omega-3s than beef from grain-fed cows.

Nuts and seeds - Walnuts, flaxseed, chia seeds, soybean, and canola oils.

Fiber

A diet rich in complex, slow-digesting carbohydrates, like fiber, will keep you feeling fuller for longer. A 2006 study found that increasing your fiber intake by 10 grams per day may lower your risk of developing gestational diabetes by 26 percent.

Among the best sources of fiber are:

Whole grains - Wheat bread, bulgur, oats, and quinoa 

High-fiber cereals - one serving for breakfast

Fruit and vegetables - Peas, corn, broccoli, peas, blueberries, raspberries, and peaches. Eat the skins or peels for an extra dose.

Beans and legumes - Lentils, black beans, kidney beans, lima beans, split peas, and chickpeas

Protein

The protein in your baby's diet will help provide them with essential nutrients. However, some proteins are more beneficial than others. When you are trying to conceive, stick to two to three servings a day, of which one should be plant-based (nuts, seeds, legumes). 

High-protein foods include these:

Fish - High-fat fish like salmon

Lean meats - Poultry (chicken or turkey), lean beef, and bison

Black beans - One cup contains 15 grams of protein.

Here's what you should eat if you're trying to get pregnant:

It is never too early to make dietary changes. The following foods should be included on your plate when you are trying to conceive:

Spinach 

Oranges

Milk

Fortified cereals

Chickpeas

Salmon

Pregnant Moms Lingo

Are you an expectant mom and wondering what all the lingo and terminology mean like TTC or trying to conceive? Get to know most of the common terms and lingo that mothers would use. Let us have a look at a few of them. 

AF: Aunt Flow (a.k.a. your period)

BC or BCP: Birth control or birth with the goal of baby-making

IF: Infertility

PCOS: Polycystic ovary syndrome (a condition in which the female sex hormones are out of balance, which can prevent ovulation from occurring regularly and make it more difficult for a woman to get pregnant)

Testing

BFN: Big fat negative (a negative pregnancy test)

BFP: Big fat positive (baby’s onboard!)

EPT: Early pregnancy test

HCG: Human chorionic gonadotropin (a hormone produced during pregnancy; elevated levels result in a positive pregnancy test)

HPT: Home pregnancy test

PG: Pregnant

POAS: Pee on a stick (take a home pregnancy test)

TWW: Two-week wait (the two weeks between ovulation and when you can test for pregnancy)

Doctors and specialists

CNM: Certified nurse-midwife (a nurse — usually an R.N. — who has completed graduate-level programs in midwifery and is licensed by the state and usually has a collaborative relationship with a physician)

OB or OB/GYN: Obstetrician or obstetrician/gynecologist

PCP: Primary care physician

RE: Reproductive endocrinologist (a doctor who specializes in treating reproductive disorders and infertility in women and men)

Fertility charting

BBT: Basal Body Temperature (the body's temperature upon first waking up in the morning; it’s tracked using a special thermometer and rises sharply around the time of ovulation, helping a woman to determine when she’s fertile)

CD: Cycle Day (usually followed by a number, the cycle day is when a woman is at in her menstrual cycle; if the average cycle is 28 days, CD1 is the first day of your period, and ovulation usually occurs at the midpoint of the cycle, though timing varies)

DPO: Days post-ovulation (the number of days since ovulation — e.g., 4 DPO; the term is usually used when someone is waiting to take a pregnancy test)

EWCM: Egg white cervical mucus (the clear, slippery egg white-like discharge that occurs near ovulation)

O: Ovulation (or ovulated)

OPK or OPT: Ovulation predictor kit or ovulation predictor test (urine or saliva tests that can detect upcoming ovulation 12 to 24 hours before it happens)

Pregnancy

EDD: Estimated due date (the estimated date a baby might be born), determined based on the first day of a woman's last menstruation or estimated date of conception)

LMP: Last menstrual period (the first day of your last period)

MC or M/C: Miscarriage

US: Ultrasound

Tips for a healthy diet if you are trying to conceive

Feeling overwhelmed? Do not worry. Don't worry about eating the perfect diet - just do the best you can - that's what you'll tell your child one day. Furthermore, by establishing healthy eating habits now, it will be easier to stick to a healthy diet during pregnancy.

When in doubt, consider the following strategies:

Consume more fruits and vegetables.

Fruits and vegetables are a great source of vitamin A, vitamin