General guidelines for a healthy pregnancy to prevent preterm labour
Take these measures to help you and your developing fetus stay healthy during pregnancy:
- Visit your doctor or registered midwife as soon as you suspect you are pregnant. Keep regular appointments for prenatal checkups and care.
- Tell your doctor or registered midwife right away if you notice any symptoms of an infection, such as:
- Burning during urination.
- A foul-smelling discharge from your vagina or vaginal itching.
- Unexplained fever.
- Tenderness in the pelvis or uterus.
- Do not smoke tobacco, drink alcohol, or use recreational drugs during pregnancy. Some can cause preterm labour, and all are dangerous to you and your developing fetus.1
- Eat a healthy diet that is low in saturated fat. Use olive or canola oil in place of other fats or oils. Get lots of whole grains, low-fat dairy, fruits, vegetables, and low-mercury fish and shellfish. These include canned light tuna, wild salmon, pollack, shrimp, and catfish.
- Get regular physical activity.
Take the following precautions to avoid injury during pregnancy:
- Take care to avoid falling. Unstable joints, your expanding abdomen, and your altered centre of gravity can make you more unstable on your feet. As your pregnancy progresses, your uterus grows out of the protective circle of the pelvic bones. Some activities, such as bicycling or in-line skating, can increase your risk of falling.
- Do not participate in dangerous sports like horseback riding or motorcycle riding, waterskiing, diving, parachute jumping, or scuba diving.
| Author: | Kathe Gallagher, MSW Carrie Henley | Last Updated: April 10, 2007 |
| Medical Review: | Joy Melnikow, MD, MPH - Family Medicine Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine Gregory A L Davies, MD, FRCSC, FACOG - Maternal-Fetal Medicine William Gilbert, MD - Perinatology | |
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