As an expecting mother it is very important to understand prenatal care and how to take care of yourself and the baby. Here are a few tips to stay healthy and make sure you have an excellent pregnancy. 
1. As soon as you know you are pregnant contact your doctor and make an appointment to make sure you start your regular doctor appointments.
2. make sure you go to all of your Doctor appointments, babies of mothers who do not get prenatal care are three times more likely to have a low birth weight and five times more likely to die than those born to mothers who do get care.
3. It’s important to take a multivitamin or prenatal vitamin with 400 micrograms (mcg or 0.4 mg) of folic acid every day.
4. Make sure that you talk to your Doctor about the medicines you take. Keep in mind that even over-the-counter medicines and herbal products may cause side effects or other problems. But not using medicines you need could also be harmful.
5. During flu season make sure you get a flu shot if your baby’s due date is between March and July. Pregnant women can get very sick from the flu and may need hospital care. This is very important.
6. Make sure you eat a variety of healthy foods. Choose fruits, vegetables, whole grains, calcium-rich foods, and foods low in saturated fat. Also, make sure to drink plenty of fluids, especially water.
7. Make sure you stay hydrated if you are pregnant during the hot summer months.
8. Don’t eat fish with lots of mercury, including swordfish, king mackerel, shark, and tilefish.
9. Don’t take very hot baths or use hot tubs or saunas.
10. It’s important to stay active during your pregnancy. Unless your doctor tells you not to, try to get at least 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity a week. It’s best to spread out your workouts throughout the week. If you worked out regularly before pregnancy, you can keep up your activity level as long as your health doesn’t change and you talk to your doctor about your activity level throughout your pregnancy.
This is a very exciting time in your life and it’s important to know about prenatal care not only for the baby, but for yourself.
