You Are going to have a precious gift! A baby!

You're pregnant! Congratulations!

SOURCE: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, http://www.nyp.org

This is a wonderful experience that can be a bit scary, especially if this is your first pregnancy.

Having a baby means that in the next nine months you will be responsible for your baby's health and life.

This new life growing inside of you depends on you to be able to develop and grow strong and healthy before and after birth.

A healthy pregnancy is possible with prenatal care!

By educating yourself you'll be able to learn how to maintain a healthy pregnancy safe of the possible complications for you or your baby; this is why it is necessary that you start your prenatal care as soon as you find out that you're pregnant.

In the course of the nine months, the mother and baby's bodies undergo many changes. With each trimester there will be new experiences, tests and complication possibilities. The objective of prenatal care is to check and supervise your health and your baby's development. By following your prenatal care, your doctor will be able to identify the possible complications that might surge before they become a risk for you and your baby; in addition, your doctor will be able to answer your questions and give you advice on how to lessen the common pregnancy discomforts.

You will now have to be conscious of everything you eat and drink given that everything you intake will affect you and your baby. Alcohol, tobacco and illegal drug use can harm your baby's development. As part of prenatal care, your doctor will be able to recommend a dietician with whom you'll learn about your health foods needs, which will probably change during pregnancy. Your diet, weight and sugar levels will be checked also if you develop prenatal diabetes. To care for your nutrition, you also may qualify for the WIC program in which you will be provided with food coupons, nutrition classes and will have your weight and diet checked regularly.

The first trimester is the most important period in your baby's development. The most important organs begin to form. These organs are too tiny to be seen in this early period in your pregnancy, but they will continue to grow and develop and the baby will gain weight constantly during the rest of your pregnancy. During the second trimester you will notice that your body changes and grows to accommodate the baby that is growing inside of you. In this period it's possible for you to find out whether you will have a boy or a girl. You'll continue gaining weight and experiencing new feelings as you enter the third trimester. With the baby about to being born, there will be decisions and preparations that you'll need to make to receive the newborn.

All these changes and decisions might be overwhelming, but remember that your body will adapt to the pregnancy's demands. After giving birth, your body will begin to readjust to how it was before you became pregnant. Give yourself time; it took you nine months to have a baby and it will take time also to recover the body you had before.

To learn more about your pregnancy, your doctor can recommend that you take classes offered by hospitals in which you will be provided with resources and information for each trimester in your pregnancy, as well as education on fertility, contraceptives, preparations for receiving your baby, birth options, postnatal care basics, if you need a social worker to get financial aid, what to do in emergency situations, breastfeeding, in addition to many other recommendations and exercises for when you give birth.

Don't be afraid to ask your doctor questions, even if you are embarrassed to do so. Everything that you talk about with your doctor is confidential. Remember that your doctor needs to know everything about your lifestyle to ensure the best care for you and your baby.

Remember that the five basic recommendations are: Follow your prenatal care, follow your doctor's advice step by step, educate yourself as most as possible on how to take better care of yourself, eating healthy foods and exercising.

Help yourself and let professionals help you so you may enjoy a healthy pregnancy that progresses into a complications-free birth in which you'll be able to receive a strong and healthy little baby in your arms!

This article was made possible with a Community Award received from March of Dimes. The March of Dimes is a national voluntary health agency whose mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects and infant mortality. Founded in 1938, the March of Dimes funds programs of research, community services, education, and advocacy to save babies. For more information, visit the March of Dimes Web site at marchofdimes.com or its Spanish Web site at http://nacersano.org.