There Are Many Things That Can Be Done to Enhance Prenatal Care

For soon-to-be mothers, the thought of being pregnant can often cause dread and anxiety. While these women are excited and ready to be mothers, they find themselves spinning their wheels during the nine months leading up to the birth. When these women sit down and write out an actionable list of "to-do" items designed to keep themselves and their baby healthy, they become even more overwhelmed and confused.

What should they look for when searching for a doctor? Why can't they sleep as easily as before? Are vitamins important? If so, which ones? Can pregnant women exercise, and if they can, does it help? As anyone can see, being pregnant is challenging! However, moms around the world can rejoice knowing there are tried-and-true techniques and strategies to ensure a happy and healthy pregnancy. For readers caught in "limbo," here's what to keep in mind about prenatal care.

1 - Exercise

While the thought of exercising during pregnancy may seem like mild torture, it's a critical part of keeping a sane mind, healthy body and maintaining a productive pregnancy. More importantly, regular exercise releases "feel good" chemicals and hormones throughout the body, designed to elevate one's mood and reduce anxiety. For mothers struggling to control their hormonal fluctuations, maintaining a productive and low-impact exercise routine is a savior!

2 - Coffee Limitation

The scientific community just released a new finding: Mothers have a body composition consisting of 90% coffee and 10% water! Joking aside, mothers who want to have a smooth pregnancy should limit their coffee intake and use of stimulants. The reason for this is related to coffee's ability to raise the drinker's blood pressure, heart rate and increase the frequency of urination. If readers are going to the bathroom all the time and battling chronic headaches, their 12-cup-a-day coffee habit may be the reason. Most doctors recommend a daily limit of 200mg (2 cups) or less.

3 - Make Sleep a Priority

Sleeping and pregnancy go together like oil and water. While expecting mothers know their body needs sleep and rest for an optimal birthing experience, many put it on the backburner. For readers who don't want to fall into this category, here are some strategies to get started:

• Get a sleep routine.
• Remove smartphones and devices from the bedroom.
• Don't browse online social media from bed.
• Consider using a pregnancy pillow.
• Play soothing sounds, such as the ocean, white noise or gentle acoustics.

These steps will help mothers sleep like a baby -- no pun intended!

4 - Vitamin D

Limiting sun exposure during pregnancy is vital, so utilizing vitamin D supplementation is crucial for pregnant women. For adults, vitamin D helps elevate one's immune system to fight off sickness, stimulates their brain to focus and removes depression-like symptoms and side effects.

But what can vitamin D supplementation do for an unborn baby? For starters, it kickstarts the development of their bones, teeth and cardiovascular system. While some of these variables don't arrive until after the baby is born, a healthy dosage of vitamin D provides a foundation for a baby's future health and well-being.

5 - Prenatal Vitamins

Prenatal vitamins, like the aforementioned vitamin D, give mothers and unborn children the essential minerals needed for a healthy pregnancy. More importantly, mothers should read the back of each product to ensure folic acid and iron are part of the ingredients listed. These ingredients reduce the odds of an abnormality occurring in the neural tube and improve blood flow to the placenta and fetus.

6 - Good Communication With Doctors

Lastly, mothers must regularly visit with their prenatal-care doctor and receive frequent checkups along the way. For mothers who haven't found a doctor to assist them with their birth, here's what to look for in a good prenatal-care physician:

• Friendly, patient and approachable
• Knowledgeable and covers all pregnancy domains
• Understands the side effects women face
• Trustworthy, reliable and reputable

By keeping these thoughts and ideas in mind when looking for a doctor, mothers give themselves a chance to have a beautiful and stress-free pregnancy.