Carrying a child and giving birth is one of the most wondrous and miraculous things in the entire world, and is something that should be cherished for the rest of your days. When it comes to the whole 9-month pregnancy journey however, things generally don’t tend to run smoothly sometimes. When you carry an unborn child, you are responsible for the life growing inside of you.
The choices you make during the course of your pregnancy will shape how your child develops, how healthy your child will be, and even how they turn out in life believe it or not. As well as playing a key role in the health and development of your unborn child, these choices you make will also shape your own health and fitness as pregnant women are generally far more vulnerable from illnesses, viruses, and other harmful influences that should be avoided at all costs.
Here are some of the reasons why healthy pregnancy is important:
1. It keeps your immune system strong
One of the main benefits of a healthy pregnancy is the fact that it keeps your immune system strong. Taking care of yourself, eating nutrient rich foods, and getting the right types of exercise during pregnancy is ideal because they all work in conjunction with one another ─ to keep your immune system as strong as possible. The immune system is the body’s natural defense against illness and disease, so the stronger the immune system is, the healthier you will be, which in turn helps to ensure your unborn child is as healthy as they can possibly be, too.
2. Labour and childbirth could be easier
If you keep yourself fit and healthy during the course of your pregnancy, when it comes down to the truly testing parts ─ labour and childbirth, both could be much easier as a result. Keeping yourself fit and healthy will help ensure that your muscles are strong, as well as your stamina and endurance. Labour and childbirth can last for hours, sometimes even days, so having a relatively impressive strength, stamina, and endurance will help ensure that the entire process of delivering your child runs as smoothly as it possibly can.
Read More: 5 Common Signs that Your Body is Getting Ready for Labour
3. Gestational diabetes risks are lowered by nearly 30%
Because of hormonal changes and fluctuations during pregnancy, increases in blood sugar levels put new mothers at a much higher risk of contracting Type 2 Diabetes up to 10 years after giving birth. Keeping your body healthy via eating a healthy diet and regular exercise helps to reduce the risk of you contracting Type 2 Diabetes, and can also help to prevent your baby from being born overweight or prematurely.
Read More: Guide to Gestational Diabetes Screening During Pregnancy
4. It improves your mood
Finally, another fantastic benefit of keeping yourself fit and healthy during pregnancy is the fact that it can improve your mood, which will be a welcome relief when you consider the hormone-related mood swings that pregnant women tend to suffer. Vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants all help to reduce serotonin which causes stress, and good exercise helps to promote the release of dopamine and endorphins, which makes you feel happy and relaxed.
Read More: 8 Ways to Take Care of Yourself During Pregnancy
{{cta(‘bd560185-b131-47ba-aad0-b718036a8f76’)}}
* * * * * *
Did you know that one of the very best things you can do to ensure the future health of your child is actually a decision you can make at birth? Click here to learn more »