The Womb Environment

What can you do during pregnancy to give your baby the best possible start in life? Before looking at how parents can enjoy interacting with their baby, the very first thing to pay attention to is Mom's health. Naturally, the physical environment of the womb – and the whole of the mother's body – is critical to a baby's growth and development.

Mom, now is the time to look after your health as never before. Here's how…

Get plenty of rest

Don't be surprised if your need for sleep increases exponentially, particularly during early pregnancy. Your body is after all building another person! Get as much rest as you can, and make the most of the chance to sleep well during the first two trimesters, as you may become physically uncomfortable – and therefore find it hard to sleep – during the third trimester.

Eat healthily

Eat a balanced diet, with plenty of fresh vegetables and fruit. Eat fish, but avoid fish known to be high in mercury (such as shark, swordfish and marlin). Fish contains essential fatty acids, which are known to boost brain growth. Avoid fast food, processed food, and foods high in sugar and saturated fats. This doesn't mean that ice cream and potato chips are off the menu (especially not if they're your favorite foods) – but make them an occasional indulgence. Not only is junk food bad for your baby, but piling on the pounds will only make it more challenging for you to continue exercising, as well as have a comfortable delivery and recovery (including shedding the pregnancy weight).

The Womb Environment

Take supplements

You may want to take an all-round supplement for pregnancy – ask your obstetrician for a recommendation. Alternatively, you may want to take only the most important supplements, which are as follows:

• Folic acid – A form of vitamin B9, folic acid is the most important pregnancy supplement. Its use has been shown to reduce the risk of babies developing neural tube defects (deformities of the spinal cord and brain) by up to 70 percent. You should preferably take 0.6-0.8 mg of folic acid daily from one month prior to conception until the end of the first trimester. If your pregnancy was unplanned, start taking folic acid as soon as possible. Chances are your baby will be fine, but in any case, screening for neural tube defects is a standard part of obstetric care.

• Calcium – A woman's need for calcium does not increase during pregnancy (instead, her body absorbs more calcium from the food she eats). However, it is vital that you get enough calcium at this time, as otherwise your body will take calcium from your bones to give to your baby. The recommended daily intake is 1,000 mg – how much you take in supplement form will depend on how much you get from your food. The body can only absorb around 600 mg of calcium at a time though, so if you need more than 600 mg, take your supplement twice a day.

• DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) – An omega-3 essential fatty acid, DHA has been shown to produce a number of beneficial effects – in mothers as well as babies. High DHA levels in pregnancy (particularly in the third trimester) are associated with increased attention span and higher intelligence in children at age one and four respectively. DHA supplementation is also linked with longer pregnancies (which benefit babies), while significantly low levels of DHA have been found in women suffering from postpartum depression.

• Iron – Some doctors recommend that all pregnant women take iron. Others only recommend it when the mother is suffering from anemia (which is more common during pregnancy than at other times). Speak to your doctor about whether you should take iron supplements. If you do decide to take them, you may be more prone to constipation (which is in any case more common during pregnancy), and so will need to increase your fiber intake. If you decide not to take them, then look out for signs of anemia starting from the second trimester. Symptoms include dizziness, exhaustion, pale skin, labored breathing, and heart palpitations.

The Womb Environment

Be happy!

It's a fact: happy mothers produce happy babies! High levels of cortisol (the stress hormone responsible for the body's fight-or-flight response) in pregnancy are associated with babies who cry more and sleep less after birth. Chronic stress in pregnancy has also been linked with low-birth weight in babies. It's therefore in everyone's interests for Mom to pay extra attention to her emotional state, making relaxation and stress reduction her top priorities.

Sometimes, despite our best efforts, life is stressful during pregnancy. If this is the case for you, then be sure to take time out regularly to do something that soothes you – be it yoga, meditation, listening to your favorite music, watching your favorite TV show, or taking a warm bubble bath (but avoid very hot water, which is bad for the baby). The importance of the physiological effects brought on by such activities can hardly be overstated. The simple act of relaxing deeply will alter the chemical composition of your blood, reducing cortisol levels and improving immune function. Not only is this good for your baby's developing nervous and immune systems, but you will feel stronger and less frazzled, too – particularly as you contend with the dramatic physical changes of the third trimester.

Mom will of course also want to keep her energy levels up in preparation for the birth (not to mention the job of looking after a newborn!). Now is the time for the whole family to pull together and help Mom and the baby be as healthy and happy as possible – by encouraging Mom to get plenty of rest, eat well, remember to take her supplements (pregnant women can be very forgetful!), and remain as calm and relaxed as possible.

Now, read on to find out how you can stimulate your baby in the womb!