Welcome to pregnancy—your baby is growing, your body is changing and so is your life! Learn what you can do during pregnancy to help you have a healthy baby.
The best thing you can do for your baby is take good care of yourself. Your body will undergo a wide range of changes over the next several months and taking the proper steps during your pregnancy will allow for a healthy pregnancy and healthy baby at the end of this journey.
General Resource:
If you need assistance locating a health care provider during your pregnancy and assistance with receiving pregnancy care services, please contact MCH MOMS Helpline (1-844-MCH-MOMS or 1-844-624-6667).
RESOURCES
BEFORE OR BETWEEN PREGNANCIES
If you’re thinking about getting pregnant, the best thing you and your partner can do for your baby is to plan ahead. Having a healthy baby begins well before you get pregnant, so start making healthy choices now!
Learn about preconception and interconception care here: https://www.marchofdimes.org/pregnancy/before-pregnancy.aspx. Topics include birth control, getting health insurance, getting pregnant, ovulation calendar, planning your pregnancy, pregnancy after a premature birth, and fertility treatments.
PRENATAL CARE
Prenatal care is medical care you get during pregnancy. Schedule your first prenatal care checkup as soon as you think you’re pregnant. Your provider can make sure you’re healthy and you can find out your due date. Go to all your prenatal care checkups, even if you’re feeling fine. At each prenatal care visit, your health care provider checks on you and your growing baby.
Learn about prenatal care here:
https://www.marchofdimes.org/pregnancy/prenatal-care.aspx. Topics include common discomforts during pregnancy, morning sickness, prenatal tests, vaccinations, prenatal care checkups, and your pregnancy week-by-week.
IS IT SAFE?
Your growing baby depends on you to keep them healthy and you may have lots of questions about what’s safe during pregnancy.
Learn about what’s safe during pregnancy here: https://www.marchofdimes.org/pregnancy/is-it-safe.aspx. Topics include over-the-counter medicines, smoking/illicit drugs/alcohol during pregnancy, prescription medicine, being pregnant at work, and travel during pregnancy.
NUTRITION, WEIGHT, & FITNESS
Eating healthy foods, staying active and gaining the right amount of weight during pregnancy can help keep you and your baby healthy.
Learn about nutrition, weight, and fitness during pregnancy here: https://www.marchofdimes.org/pregnancy/nutrition-weight-and-fitness.aspx. Topics include caffeine during pregnancy, foods to avoid or limit, eating healthy during pregnancy, being overweight, and vitamins and other nutrients needed during pregnancy.
PREGNANCY COMPLICATIONS
Pregnancy complications are health conditions that may need special care. If you have one of these conditions, work with your provider to keep them under control. And if you had certain health complications before pregnancy, like preexisting diabetes or depression, find out what you can do to help you stay healthy during pregnancy.
Learn about pregnancy complications, including anemia, gestational diabetes and high blood pressure here:
https://www.marchofdimes.org/complications/pregnancy-complications.aspx.
LABOR AND BIRTH
If your pregnancy is healthy, wait for labor to begin on its own. Babies aren’t fully developed until at least 39 weeks. You may feel nervous about labor, but learning all about contractions and the signs of labor can help you get ready. Use the March of Dimes birth plan to help make decisions about your baby’s birth.
Learn more about what to expect with labor and birth here: https://www.marchofdimes.org/pregnancy/labor-and-birth.aspx. Topics include contractions and signs of labor, inducing labor, having a c-section, stages of labor, and the birth plan.
POSTPARTUM CARE
Caring for a new baby while feeling sore, tired and stressed can be a lot to handle. Taking care of yourself is one of the best things you can do for your baby.
Learn how you can stay healthy as your body heals and you adjust to your new life: https://www.marchofdimes.org/pregnancy/postpartum-care.aspx. Topics include postpartum depression, postpartum hemorrhage, warning signs of health problems after birth, and postpartum checkups.
NEWS MOMS NEED BLOG
March of Dimes created the News Moms Need blog to give moms the information they need to help them have healthy pregnancies. They cover topics on pre-pregnancy and prenatal care, pregnancy complications, and premature birth. They blog about caring for your baby, as well as “hot topics” in the news that affect moms and babies.
Find the News Moms Need blog here: http://newsmomsneed.marchofdimes.org/
Your growing baby depends on you to keep them healthy and you may have lots of questions about what’s safe during pregnancy: https://www.marchofdimes.org/pregnancy/is-it-safe.aspx
Eating healthy foods, staying active and gaining the right amount of weight during pregnancy can help keep you and your baby healthy: https://www.marchofdimes.org/pregnancy/nutrition-weight-and-fitness.aspx
Pregnancy complications are health conditions that may need special care.
Learn about pregnancy complications, including anemia, gestational diabetes and high blood pressure here: https://www.marchofdimes.org/complications/pregnancy-complications.aspx. If you have one of these conditions, work with your provider to keep them under control. And if you had certain health complications before pregnancy, like preexisting diabetes or depression, find out what you can do to help you stay healthy during pregnancy.
March of Dimes created this blog to give moms the information they need to help them have healthy pregnancies. We cover topics on pre-pregnancy and prenatal care, pregnancy complications, and premature birth. We blog about caring for your baby, as well as “hot topics” in the news that affect moms and babies. http://newsmomsneed.marchofdimes.org/
CineMama is a tool created by March of Dimes to document your pregnancy, track your belly’s growth and find out whether you are gaining a healthy amount of weight. Celebrate your progress week after week while staying a healthy CineMama for the healthiest baby: https://www.marchofdimes.org/cinemama