Staying Healthy Before, During and After Pregnancy

Taking care of your health is always important. But it takes on a new level of importance when a baby enters the picture. It’s important to step up your self-care while you’re trying to get pregnant, during your pregnancy and after you give birth.

Make a before, during and after pregnancy wellness plan. There are a lot of steps you can take, and there are ways your family and friends can help.

Preventive care services are available for you and your baby at no added cost to you when you use in-network providers.* Find out more about your maternity preventive care services. And get a list of preventive care services for your baby and the rest of your family.

Before Pregnancy

Some things are important from preconception until after the baby is born:

• Good eating habits
• Regular activity
• Taking care of your mental health

By focusing on good health, you can prepare for a healthy pregnancy. These steps can help while you’re trying to get pregnant:

• Make sure any health issues you have are under control.
• Avoid being around chemicals like pesticides or heavy metals.
• Don’t smoke or drink alcohol.
• Talk to your doctor about supplements you may need. If you take any OTC or prescription medicines, ask your doctor if they’ll be safe to take during pregnancy. 

Download our Perinatal Wellness Guidelines   for more information about staying healthy during pregnancy.

During Pregnancy

Your Health
Living a healthy life and visiting the doctor regularly are key while you’re pregnant. You’re more likely to have a healthy birth if you have a healthy pregnancy, says the American Academy of Family Physicians.  Some things to talk to your doctor about:

• Healthy weight gain
• What you eat, and what to avoid
• How much and what types of exercise you can do
• What drugs and vitamins you take
• The impact of your job on your health
• How to safely mange stress and anxiety

Pay Close Attention to Your Blood Pressure
Many women have high blood pressure during and after pregnancy. If you have high blood pressure, it is critical to get treatment for it. It can put both you and your baby at risk. It can also cause problems during birth. High blood pressure and its complications are among the leading causes of maternal death. 

High blood pressure can cause serious problems during pregnancy, including preeclampsia and stroke. Preeclampsia happens when a woman suddenly develops high blood pressure and signs of liver or kidney damage after the 20th week of pregnancy. Signs of preeclampsia  include:

• A headache that doesn’t go away
• Changes in eyesight, like blurry vision or seeing spots
• Pain in your upper stomach area
• Nausea or vomiting
• Swelling in your hands or face
• Sudden weight gain
• Trouble breathing

High blood pressure also puts the baby at risk for early delivery (before 37 weeks) and low birth weight.

Baby’s Health
Your doctor will track your baby at all stages during your pregnancy. This may include:

• Ultrasound exams to track your baby's growth and organs with images made from sound waves.
• Nonstress test to electronically track the baby’s heart rate and movements. 

Other tests may be needed based on your own health and family health history. That can include checking for high blood sugar levels, which could be a sign of gestational diabetes.  

After the Baby Comes: Mom’s Mental and Physical Health

The postpartum period is the first six weeks after your baby is born. It’s important to make an appointment with your doctor for a health check during this time. It’s your chance to make sure you’re healing well and to talk your doctor about your physical and mental health. It’s a good idea to bring a list of any questions you have.

New moms worry about many things. Being responsible for a baby can be stressful and overwhelming.

“Disrupted sleep and being overtired can amplify these feelings. The best thing you can do is accept help from your partner, family and friends … and then rest and recharge while someone else is caring for your baby,” says Betty Chou, MD, assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Johns Hopkins Medicine.

Cho suggests these tips  for feeling better mentally and physically:

• Get plenty of rest. Allow others to help so that you can rest.
• Be reasonable about your weight loss expectations. It takes time to get your body back to where it was before pregnancy.
• Ease back into working out, focusing on your core. And try Kegel exercises to help strengthen your pelvic floor muscles.
• Continue your prenatal vitamins. It’s important to restore the nutrients you may have lost during pregnancy, especially if you’re breastfeeding. Your doctor may also suggest an iron supplement and vitamin C.

You may have heard of the “baby blues.” If you’re feeling very sad and anxious, and it doesn’t go away, you might have post-partum depression.  If you think you may have post-partum depression, it’s important to get help. Talk to your doctor about how you’re feeling and what kind of help you may need.

*If you have a grandfathered plan (a plan that was in existence on or before March 23, 2010), preventive care without out-of-pocket costs may not apply to you.

Sources: Pregnancy,  American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists; Postpartum Depression,  ACOG, 2024; Prenatal Care,  U.S. Health and Human Services, Office of Women’s Health, 2021; Taking Care of You and Your Baby While You’re Pregnant,  American Academy of Family Physicians, 2022; What Really Helps You Bounce Back After Pregnancy,  Johns Hopkins Medicine; High Blood Pressure During Pregnancy,  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2024; Gestational Diabetes,  CDC, 2024; Autism and Vaccines,  CDC, 2024; Your body after baby: The first 6 weeks,  March of Dimes, 2023; Routine Tests During Pregnancy,  American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 2024; Preeclampsia,  National Institutes of Health, 2024