Pregnancy can be one of life's most exciting and fulfilling adventures. A healthy mom and healthy baby--that's the goal for every pregnancy. Sometimes this is easy, sometimes it requires intensive efforts by the mother, her physicians, her nurses, other health care givers, family members and newborn child's physicians.
Prenatal (before birth) health depends partly on Mom's health prior to pregnancy. Ideally, a woman achieves the ideal weight for her height before attempting to conceive. Women who are overweight during pregnancy risk diabetes and hypertension and are also more likely to suffer minor discomforts during pregnancy. Underweight women tend to have smaller babies. These infants are more likely to have difficulty during labor, delivery and the immediate newborn period. Recommended weight gain for pregnancy varies depending on the woman's pre-pregnant weight. A woman who is at her ideal weight at the beginning of pregnancy need only take in about 300 additional c
alories per day for a weight gain of about 30 pounds for the entire pregnancy (Healthy Pregnancy).
Women with long-term medical conditions, especially those requiring daily medications, should discuss these with their physicians to determine if their medications need to be altered before conceiving or during pregnancy.
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