Getting ready to have a baby is an exciting time. But it can also be overwhelming. There are so many people who will tell you what you should do; it’s hard to know which advice to take. With a few easy steps, you can have a healthy pregnancy and birth.

1. Diet And Exercise

The most important thing you can do to have a healthy pregnancy and birth is pay attention to your diet. You’ll want to make sure you are eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, drinking milk, and eating a well rounded diet. You should also take a pre-natal vitamin every day to ensure that you are getting enough folic acid (which has been shown to prevent birth defects). Drink plenty of water – at least eight to ten glasses a day. Make sure, too, that you have cut alcohol out of your diet, and are not smoking or doing other drugs. Another component to having a healthy pregnancy and birth is exercise. Daily moderate exercise, such as a thirty-minute walk, can make birth easier and reduce the risk of miscarriage. Another popular choice is pre-natal yoga, which can be done all the way through your pregnancy.

2. Get Smart

There are hundreds of well-written books on pregnancy and birth. Now is the time to choose a few and educate yourself about pregnancy, birth, and caring for a newborn. Some books are more fact based, while others take a more humorous tone. There are even books written to guide dads-to-be through pregnancy and birth. You should also sign up for a class or two. Most doctors will recommend a birthing class (such as Lamaze), as well as a parenting class.

3. Visit Your Doctor

Regular visits to your obstetrician are essential to a healthy pregnancy and birth. Regular prenatal visits can help catch any problems early, and treat them before they become an issue. It is at your prenatal appointments that your doctor will do regular ultrasounds, which will give you the first opportunity to see your child. Go to your appointments prepared with any questions you have. Some women keep a list of questions to bring with them to their regular appointments.

Pregnant women have it the worst when it comes to taking care of their bodies, even though they certainly get the sweetest reward in the end. Pregnant women have to take the best care of their bodies as they possibly can and their bodies are going through so much at that time as well that it can be rather difficult to keep up with. There are so many things to look out for that you might not otherwise have to deal with, and diabetes and pregnancy can put a woman in a precarious position as far as her health goes, as well as the health of her child.

Many times diabetes and pregnancy can occur at the same time. This is called gestational diabetes and is a condition of diabetes that occurs when a woman becomes pregnant and dissipates after the child is born. This is the type of diabetes in which the body resists the effects that insulin would normally produce on the body, as there are insulin blocking hormones in the body that prevent the body from processing insulin normally.

9 Months Pregnant Jess, shows a pre natal standing routine.

9 MONTHS PREGNANT Jess shows the routine she’s been doing every day.