Healthy Pregnancy

Having a healthy pregnancy means more than just staying away from smoking, alcohol and other similar substances. It means knowing your body and how it's going to react to pregnancy as well as the signs of an unhealthy pregnancy.

With a baby growing inside you, your body is going to require larger amounts of nutrients and vitamins than before. The Mayo Clinic website suggests increasing the following for your and the baby's development and health: folate and folic acid, calcium, vitamin D, protein and iron.

In addition to watching you nutrients, you should also be watching your weight. Understanding healthy weight gain is also important. For the most part, a woman isn't expected to gain much more than 25 or 30 pounds while pregnant. According to the Mayo Clinic website, women who are already overweight or obese when they get pregnant shouldn't gain more than 15 pounds and should monitor their consumption so as to avoid developing gestational diabetes. For twins, the average weight gain numbers are doubled.

Because of the relatively rapid weight gain, pregnant women are prone to back pain and other joint issues. Simple exercise and stretching can help relieve joint pain and the likes.

If you're a teenager, you're more susceptible to early deliveries and other complications, so getting the level of prenatal care you need is better for you and the baby.