Being Healthy in Pregnancy

Keeping active during pregnancy has health benefits for you and baby. It could reduce your risk of operative birth and improve your birth experience. Find out what is safe and recommended during pregnancy: Exercise | Pregnancy | Start4Life (www.nhs.uk)

There is no safe level of alcohol during pregnancy. Drinking alcohol in early pregnancy can cause foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) causing physical and mental disability in the child. If you are finding it difficult to give up alcohol, we can offer you extra support. Drinking alcohol while pregnant - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

If you are under 18 or on a low income find out whether you qualify for free healthy start vitamins & vouchers for fruit & veg here: https://www.healthystart.nhs.uk/

If you are taking prescribed medication at the start of pregnancy it is advised to contact the prescriber for a review but continue taking your medication for now. Find out more about drugs and medicines in pregnancy here :

https://www.tommys.org/pregnancy-information/im-pregnant/drugs-and-medicines-pregnancy

Use BUMPS to look up specific medicines: bumps - best use of medicine in pregnancy (medicinesinpregnancy.org)

What you eat to nourish your baby is just as important as the foods you need to avoid. If you are affected by nausea in early pregnancy, don’t worry so long as you can keep some fluids down - anything that you can eat is ok. Later in pregnancy you should eat as normal but choose healthy options. “Eating for two” is a myth. Consuming too many processed and sugary foods will lead to excessive weight gain and poorer long term health for you and your baby. Pregnancy and diet (bda.uk.com)

Smoking is associated with fetal growth restriction, premature birth, stillbirth, miscarriage and sudden infant death syndrome. If you smoke in pregnancy we will refer you for free support and nicotine replacement therapy to help you to quit smoking, as part of our ‘Saving Babies Lives’ care bundle. If you and your family want to give your baby the best start in life, get help to quit smoking now.

Smoking | Pregnancy | Start4Life (www.nhs.uk)

Vaping or e-cigarettes are considered 95% safer that smoking tobacco, however there is a lack of evidence that they do no harm. Vaping is preferable to smoking as it reduces the proven risks to baby caused by smoking tobacco. Electronic cigarettes and vaping | Tommy's (tommys.org)

Start taking Folic acid and Vitamin D as soon as you are pregnant. Some people need a higher dose, find out if that applies to you: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/vitamins-minerals-supplements-pregnant/

Everyone is different, but the amount of weight you should gain depends on how much you weighed before you became pregnant. Women who are overweight in pregnancy have a higher chance of developing gestational diabetes, high blood pressure, pre-eclampsia, blood clots. There is also an increased risk of interventions during birth and problems in the post-natal period. How much weight should I gain in pregnancy? | Tommy's (tommys.org)