Follow these helpful hints to ensure your spouse a healthy pregnancy:



&bull Get all her essential vitamins and minerals every day. According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, women need a lot more iron when pregnant. And sometimes it's hard to get enough by eating alone. Ask your doctor if your spouse should be taking a daily prenatal vitamin or multivitamin.

&bull Get 400 micrograms (or 0.4 mg) of folic acid daily in her diet. According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, getting enough folic acid (or folate) reduces the chances of some birth defects. Some women eat lots of certain foods and others take multivitamins to get enough folic acid during pregnancy.

&bull Eat a healthy diet. Load her up on fruits, vegetables, and whole-grains (such as whole-wheat breads or crackers). Eat plenty of calcium-rich foods (such as non-fat or low-fat yogurt, milk, and broccoli) that your baby needs for strong bones and teeth. If you live in areas where fruits and vegetables aren't in season, frozen vegetables are a good option. Avoid giving her a lot of fatty foods (such as butter and fatty meats) to eat. Choose leaner foods when you can (such as skim milk, chicken and turkey without the skin, and fish).

&bull Let her gain a healthy, not excessive amount of weight. Research shows that women who gain more than the recommended amount during pregnancy have an elevated risk of obesity. On average, 25 to 30 pounds is a healthy weight gain over the 40 weeks of pregnancy. Check with your doctor to find out how much weight your spouse should gain during pregnancy

&bull Make sure she gets enough sleep (seven to nine hours every night). Aches, pains, anxiety and bathroom runs keep many pregnant women awake at night. To get some sleep, try getting your spouse to eat any large meals at least three hours before going to bed, get some easy exercise (like walking) and avoid long naps during the day. Make sure she sleeps on her left side and uses pillows between her legs and under her belly to help her get comfortable

&bull De-stress. If she can, your spouse should control the stress in her life. When it comes to work and family, she should figure out what she can really do. She should set limits with herself and others. Tell your spouse that she should not be afraid to say NO to requests for her time and energy

&bull Get Her Moving! Getting regular, low-impact exercise is good for your spouse and your baby. Talk to your doctor about what is safe. Get more guidelines on while pregnant.

&bull Get a handle on health problems. Talk to your doctor about how your spouse's health problems can affect her and the baby. If she has diabetes, make sure she controls her blood sugar levels. If she has high blood pressure, monitor it closely. If she is overweight, talk to the doctor about whether she should lose weight.

&bull Ask your doctor before taking any medicines. According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, prescription, over-the-counter, and herbal medicines all can harm your baby. Find out if your spouse should continue taking prescription medicines.

&bull See your doctor regularly. Prenatal care can help keep your spouse and the baby healthy, spot problems if they occur and prevent difficulties during delivery.

&bull Consider getting a flu shot. The flu can be dangerous for some moms-to-be. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests vaccinations for all women who are at least 14 weeks pregnant during the flu season. Ask your doctor if your spouse should get a flu shot.

&bull Make sure she wears her seat-belt correctly. Seat belts used correctly protect your spouse and your unborn baby during a crash. The American Academy of Family Physicians recommends that pregnant women use seat belts that have a lap belt and a shoulder strap (3-point restraint). Seat belt straps should never go across her belly. The lap strap should go under the belly, across the hips. The shoulder strap should go off to the side of her belly and between her breasts. If she are not driving, the back seat is the safest place for her to sit.

&bull Ease the aches and pains. Don't just accept discomfort as a necessary part of pregnancy. Your spouse can easily be helped with problems related to hemorrhoids, heartburn, and leg cramps.

The Don'ts

Help your spouse steer clear of these pregnancy no-nos to help keep her and the baby safe and healthy:

&bull Avoid fish with lots of mercury in her diet. Get correct information from your dietician on what fish to eat and what fish to avoid when she is pregnant.

&bull Don't disregard food borne illness. Eat, cook, handle and clean food safely! According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, food borne illness can cause serious health problems - or even death for both mother and baby.

&bull Protect her from using chemicals. Products including herbicides, pesticides, paint, stains, and some cleaning solutions may be harmful to your baby. If she must use these things, make sure she wears gloves, a mask, and keeps the room well-ventilated.

&bull Don't let her clean or change a cat's litter box. This could put her at risk for an infection called toxoplasmosis. Toxoplasmosis is caused by a parasite that cats can carry in their feces. Toxoplasmosis can harm a fetus.

&bull Don't let her take very hot baths, hot tubs, or saunas. According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, high temperatures can be harmful to the fetus, or causing the mother-to-be to faint.

&bull Discourage her from using scented feminine hygiene products. Pregnant women should avoid scented sprays, sanitary napkins, and bubble bath. These products might irritate your spouse's vaginal area, and increase her risk of a urinary tract infection or yeast infection.

&bull Don't let her douche. According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, douching can irritate the vagina, force air into the birth canal and increase the increase the risk of infection

&bull Avoid optional x-rays. X-rays are a form of radiation that is linked to a very small risk of cancer for an unborn baby. But x-rays are usually safe during pregnancy. So if your doctor says your spouse needs x-rays for a health problem you should follow her advice. But sometimes doctors can use other tests in place of x-rays. And other times, x-rays can wait until after the baby is born.

&bull Don't let her smoke tobacco. Tell your doctor if your spouse smokes. Quitting is hard, but she can do it. Ask your doctor for help. Smoking during pregnancy passes nicotine and cancer-causing drugs to your baby. Smoke also keeps your baby from getting needed nourishment and raises the risk of stillbirth and premature birth (a small baby born too early).

&bull Discourage her from drinking alcohol. Your spouse should stop drinking alcohol if she drinks it regularly. Experts are still unsure of the exact amount of alcohol needed to cause problems in your baby. But, both drinking every day and drinking a lot of alcohol once in a while during pregnancy can harm the baby.

&bull Don't let her use illegal drugs. Tell your doctor if your spouse is using drugs. Marijuana, cocaine, heroin, speed (amphetamines), barbiturates, and LSD are very dangerous for your spouse and the baby.

If you and your spouse are , an is an excellent tool to help you increase your chances of a successful conception.