Prevention

It is important to make healthy lifestyle choices to lower your chance for serious problems during pregnancy. Learn about healthy lifestyle choices before, during, and after your pregnancy.

• Have a healthy pregnancy. Eat well, exercise regularly, get plenty of rest, avoid hot weather temperatures, and do not do activities that could lead to a fall or belly injury.
• Pay attention to your nutrition and weight gain during pregnancy. Be sure to get the right amounts of folic acid, iron, and calcium. Try for slow, gradual weight gain.
• Limit your use of caffeine.
• Eat a nutritious diet. Get enough protein, vitamin B12, vitamin D, and zinc. These nutrients are vital to your baby's growth, development, and weight gain.
• Exercise safely during pregnancy. Try to get 30 minutes of exercise on most, if not all, days of the week.
• Do pelvic floor (Kegel) exercises to prevent urine control problems (incontinence) after childbirth.

Things to avoid when you are pregnant

• Alcohol
• Smoke or use tobacco
• Illegal drugs or misuse of medicines
• Hot tubs and saunas
• Things that cause toxoplasmosis. This includes raw meat, poultry, or seafood; unwashed fruits or vegetables; and cat feces or outdoor soil that cats commonly use.
• Fish that may have mercury. This includes shark, swordfish, king mackerel, tilefish, more than of white albacore tuna a week, or fish caught in local waters that have not tested as safe.
• Hazardous chemicals, certain cosmetic products, or radiation