Healthy Pregnancy in Teens: Care Instructions
Your Care Instructions
Your health in the early weeks of your pregnancy is very important for your baby's health. Take good care of yourself. Anything you do that harms your body can also harm your baby.
Eating right is especially important while you're pregnant. Follow the healthy eating and lifestyle guidelines your doctor or midwife gives you. Dieting is never a good idea while you're pregnant.
You may have a lot of different feelings about being pregnant and about dealing with pregnancy symptoms, like gaining weight and seeing your body change. You might feel isolated and alone sometimes. Talk with your doctor or midwife about getting the help you need through teen counselling or a support group.
Make sure to go to all of your doctor or midwife appointments. Regular checkups will help keep you and your baby healthy.
Follow-up care is a key part of your treatment and safety. Be sure to make and go to all appointments, and call your doctor or nurse advice line (811 in most provinces and territories) if you are having problems. It's also a good idea to know your test results and keep a list of the medicines you take.
How can you care for yourself at home?
Diet
- Eat a balanced diet. Make sure your diet includes plenty of beans, peas, and leafy green vegetables.
- Do not skip meals or go for many hours without eating. If you feel sick to your stomach, try to eat a small, healthy snack every 2 to 3 hours.
- Limit how much high-mercury fish you eat.
- Do not eat more than 150 grams (5.3 ounces) of high-mercury fish in a month. These include fresh or frozen tuna (not canned "light" tuna), shark, swordfish, marlin, orange roughy, and escolar.
- Do not eat more than 300 grams (10.6 ounces) of canned (white) albacore tuna each week.
- Choose fish that are lower in mercury. These include salmon, rainbow trout, pollock, herring, shrimp, mussels, clams, oysters, and canned "light" tuna.
- Drink plenty of fluids. If you have kidney, heart, or liver disease and have to limit fluids, talk with your doctor or midwife before you increase the amount of fluids you drink.
- Cut down on caffeine, such as coffee, tea, and cola.
- Take a multivitamin that contains folic acid to help prevent birth defects. Fortified cereal and whole wheat bread are good additional sources of folic acid.
- Increase the calcium in your diet. Good choices include skim or low-fat milk, yogurt, and cheese. If you cannot eat milk products, you can get calcium from calcium-fortified products such as orange juice, soy beverage, and tofu. Other non-milk sources of calcium include leafy green vegetables, such as broccoli, kale, mustard greens, turnip greens, bok choy, and Brussels sprouts.
- Do not eat raw or undercooked eggs, meat, poultry, or seafood. Heat all deli meats, hot dogs, refrigerated meat spreads, and refrigerated smoked seafood to 74° C (165° F) before eating. Do not eat or drink raw or unpasteurized dairy products and fruit juices. Thoroughly wash all fruits and vegetables. Thoroughly cook all sprouts.
- Limit how much liver and liver products (such as liverwurst or liver sausage) you eat. Liver is high in iron, folate, and vitamin A. Too much vitamin A may cause birth defects. If you eat liver, ask your doctor or midwife about how much is right for you.
- Do not eat raw (unpasteurized) milk and cheeses made with raw milk.
Lifestyle
- Do not smoke. If you need help quitting, talk to your doctor or midwife about stop-smoking programs and medicines. These can increase your chances of quitting for good.
- Get plenty of rest. You may be very tired while you are pregnant.
- Get at least 2½ hours of exercise a week. Walking is a good choice.
- Do not touch cat feces or litter boxes. Also, wash your hands after you handle raw meat, and fully cook all meat before you eat it. Cat feces and raw or undercooked meat can cause an infection that may harm your baby or lead to a miscarriage.
- Avoid things that can make your body too hot and may be harmful to your baby, such as a hot tub or sauna. Or talk with your doctor or midwife before doing anything that raises your body temperature. Your doctor or midwife can tell you if it's safe.
- Avoid chemical fumes, paint fumes, and poisons.
- Do not drink alcohol, such as beer, wine, or hard liquor. Don't use illegal drugs or cannabis.
Medicines
- Tell your doctor or midwife about any medicines you are taking. Some of your routine medicines may need to be changed to protect your baby.
- Use acetaminophen (Tylenol) to relieve minor problems, such as a mild headache or backache or a mild fever with cold symptoms. Do not use non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or naproxen (Aleve), unless your doctor or midwife says it is okay.
- Be safe with medicines. Take your medicines exactly as prescribed. Call your doctor, midwife, or nurse advice line if you think you are having a problem with your medicine.
To manage morning sickness
- If you feel sick when you first wake up, try eating a small snack (such as crackers) before you get out of bed. Allow some time to digest the snack, then get out of bed slowly.
- Do not skip meals or go for long periods without eating. An empty stomach can make nausea worse.
- Eat small, frequent meals instead of three large meals each day.
- Eat foods that are high in protein but low in fat.
- If you are taking iron supplements, ask your doctor or midwife if they are necessary. Iron can make nausea worse.
- Avoid any smells, such as coffee, that make you feel sick.
- Get lots of rest. Morning sickness may be worse when you are tired.
When should you call for help?
Call 911 anytime you think you may need emergency care. For example, call if:
- You passed out (lost consciousness).
- You have sudden, severe pain in your belly or pelvis.
Call your doctor, midwife, or nurse advice line now or seek immediate medical care if:
- You have severe vaginal bleeding.
- You are dizzy or light-headed, or you feel like you may faint.
- You have new belly or pelvic pain.
- You have vomiting that gets worse or continues despite home treatment.
- You have symptoms of a urinary infection. For example:
- You have blood or pus in your urine.
- You have pain in your back just below your rib cage. This is called flank pain.
- You have a fever, chills, or body aches.
- It hurts to urinate.
- You have groin or belly pain.
Watch closely for changes in your health, and be sure to contact your doctor, midwife, or nurse advice line if:
- You have any new symptoms, such as a fever.
- You have vaginal discharge that smells bad.
Where can you learn more?
Go to https://www.healthwise.net/patientEd
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Current as of: November 9, 2022
