Pregnant at a young age, here are 5 tips to protect you that you need to know

Married at a young age, allows women to get pregnant at a young age. In fact, this pregnancy is quite risky, one of which is in the health aspect. Therefore, mothers who get pregnant at a young age must maintain their health so that the delivery is smooth and the baby is born healthy. What are some healthy tips for expectant mothers to be pregnant at a young age? Come on, see the following reviews.

Health risks for mothers who get pregnant at a young age

Pregnancies that occur under the age of 20 are included in the category of pregnancy at a young age. According to the British Nutrition Foundation, getting pregnant at this age increases the risk of preterm and low birth weight babies. In addition, the mother-to-be is also at risk for health problems, for example hypertension and preeclampsia.

It turns out that there is a reason why pregnancy at a young age is so risky. Usually, young women tend to choose fast food and high sugar so that the nutrients they and the fetus should get are not fulfilled when pregnant.

Tips for maintaining the health of pregnant women at a young age

Maintaining the health of pregnant women under the age of 20 is actually not much different from women who are pregnant at a mature age. However, mothers need to get a deeper understanding of health during pregnancy so that they are no longer arbitrary in choosing food and doing activities.

The following are guidelines for maintaining health for pregnant women who are still young, including:

1. Fulfill nutrition for yourself and the fetus

The fetus in your stomach also needs nutrients from food. However, that doesn't mean you can eat 2 servings at once. Babies in the stomach only need about 300 healthy calories per day.

So, you only need to add 300 calories a day, not double the portion of the meal. Maintaining a portion of food like this certainly prevents you from gaining weight or lack of nutrients.

Apart from calories, your body also needs iron, calcium, protein, folic acid, vitamins and zinc. You can get all of these nutrients from vegetables, fruit, whole grains, dairy products, chicken, fish and eggs.

However, to maintain the health of mothers who are pregnant at a young age, avoid eating raw meat, fish, milk or eggs and packaged foods.

Packaged foods are prone to contain bacteria which can be at risk of causing infection. Moreover, the additional chemicals in it are also not healthy for the body.

If you have trouble meeting your nutritional needs, consult your obstetrician and nutritionist.

2. Diligently drink water

Apart from food, the need for fluids must also be considered. Water content in the body helps the organs in the body to work optimally. Meeting the needs of body fluids also reduces the risk of dehydration, constipation, and other infections in pregnant women.

Apart from drinking water, you can also get fluid intake from soup or juice. However, limit the use of sugar to sweeten the juice you drink.

3. Sports

When nutrition is fulfilled, the health of mothers who are pregnant at a young age will be better if it is also balanced with exercise. Exercise allows pregnant women to stay active.

Apart from avoiding excessive weight gain, certain types of exercise can also avoid body aches, for example back pain, as well as creating mood become better.

The American Pregnancy Association recommends that pregnant women exercise for 30 minutes 3-4 times a week. Some of the safe sports to do include walking, swimming and yoga.

4. Avoid bad habits during pregnancy

Pregnancy can make some people lazy, aka lazy to move. In addition, some pregnant women who used to be very fond of drinking coffee may have to reduce this habit.

Some habits should even be stopped altogether, such as smoking and drinking alcohol. All of these habits can increase the risk of various diseases, such as hypertension, diabetes, and developmental disorders in babies.

5. Routine health checks to the doctor

The last step to maintain the health of pregnant women at a young age is routine health checks. Not only knowing the progress of pregnancy, this method allows pregnant women with certain health conditions to get treatment more quickly.