Expert: Dorothy H, LCCE - 7/20/2009

Question
I am about 25 weeks pregnant and I was wondering what are good healthy things to eat, drink, and do to have a good outcome for my delivery? thanks

Answer
Hi Alexandria,

Congratulations on your pregnancy!

There are many things you can do to prepare for your birth! Here are a few recommendations:

*Read some good books on Pregnancy and Birth - my suggestions would be:

"Your Best Birth" by Abby Epstein and Ricki Lake
"Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Newborn" by Penny Simkin (and others)
"The Lamaze Guide" by Judith Lothian

All three of those will give you good suggestions and help you to build confidence.

*Healthy Eating: make sure you are getting plenty of protein, fruits, and vegetables. Make sure you are getting adequate amounts of Vitamin D (being outside helps you with Vitamin D production) - a recent study showed that women who did not have enough Vitamin D had more of a tendency to have abnormal labors. There was another recent study that showed that women who had an extra 100 mg a day of Vitamin C had a stronger amniotic sac, which lessens the chance of your water breaking before labor starts. Also, especially with the warm summer months, make sure you are getting enough water to avoid dehydration.

*Activity:  get some exercise every day (or as many days as you can!) even if it's just taking a 1/2 hour walk every night.  It helps build up your stamina and makes it easier for you to cope with labor.

*Take a good childbirth class.  You can go to www.lamaze.org for recommendations of childbirth educators and classes in your area.  The classes that the hospital offers may not be your best option - many times they don't allow adequate time in class, and the caliber of instructor can vary.  If you take an independent class series, ask for recommendations from previous class members, and find out from them what they thought of the class.

The Lamaze site (www.lamaze.org) also has a lot of good information to help you as you prepare for the birth of your baby.

I wish you the best with the rest of your pregnancy and your upcoming birth!