5 Ways to Ensure a Healthy Birth

The best way to guarantee that your baby is healthy at birth is to ensure that the surrogate follows a set of careful protocol with help from her Intended Parents. The sooner both parties commit to agreed terms, the greater the chance for a healthy delivery.

 The following five methods are great ways to ensure a healthy birth:

Prenatal Vitamins

Your baby needs a lot of vitamins and minerals while he/she develops, so prenatals are an absolute must when carrying a child. There are different options for surrogates, including a prescribed prenatal from the surrogate's OB or prenatals purchased at the local health food store.

Determining which prenatals to take is a matter of preference. Some women have adverse reactions to certain prenatal vitamins, while other surrogates might prefer whatever ones they used while carrying their own children. Whichever are selected, it's wise to have the OB review the information chart to verify the baby will be getting the necessary vitamins and minerals.

Eat Healthy

The saying "You are what you eat" couldn't be more true than when a woman is carrying a child. The baby needs lots of nutrients derived from the food the surrogate eats.

Eating healthy all comes down to one simple rule: Eat plenty of the right foods and avoid all the wrong ones.

Right Foods: Vegetables, lean protein, calcium, vegetables, fruit (in moderation), and good fats.

Wrong Foods: Processed meats (i.e. hot dogs, liverwurst, sandwich meat), fish with high levels of mercury (tuna, swordfish, tilefish), caffeine, soft cheeses (brie, goat cheese). 

Live Healthy

Exercise! Remaining active throughout the pregnancy is incredibly important for both the child and the surrogate. Exercise choices should reflect the surrogate's activity level prior to becoming pregnancy. Whether it's a brisk walk or good run, the surrogate should be active throughout her pregnancy.

Avoid drugs and alcohol. Excessive alcohol consumption can permanently harm the baby during pregnancy, so surrogates should abstain while carrying the child. Illicit and recreational drugs also can cause irreversible harm to developing children and should never be used during pregnancy.

Steer clear of cigarettes and second-hand smoke. Smoking cigarettes while pregnant can harm the fetus and stunt development. Keeping the baby and the carrier away from cigarettes and smoke are crucial to ensuring a healthy birth.

Stay Stress Free

Stress is never good for the baby or the surrogate. Try not to engage in any known sources of drama. Remember to take moments to relax and destress. Prenatal yoga is a fantastic class to help keep the surrogate at peace and active while preparing her for childbirth. Yoga instructors also teach poses to relieve some of the aches and pains the surrogate is experiencing, further alleviating stress from her body.

Know Your Birth Plan

When both parties have hashed out the details of who will do what and when, they can wait for baby peacefully knowing they have a plan for the newborn's arrival. Generating a birth plan can ease the birthing process, thereby ensuring a safer and less stressful delivery for the child and surrogate mother.