Choices Women’s Medical Center designed its Prenatal Program to treat the whole woman and apply it to all aspects of your pregnancy, including how to maintain a well-balanced yet varied diet of meat, dairy products, fruit, vegetables and grain, and how to safely wash, prepare and store food to avoid food-born diseases such as Salmonella. Counselors offer information on foods to avoid, such as raw eggs, unpasteurized milk products, caffeine and artificial sweeteners, and what to consume on a limited basis such as fish or other seafood products. They help monitor your rate and amount of weight gain and address how to exercise during pregnancy to minimize risk to both mother and baby.
Alcohol, cigarette and drug use is addressed by Choices health care professionals and counselor/social workers who are experts in providing information on the risks associated with these substances, treatment and care on how to deal with the effects, if necessary.
Nutritional and Lifestyle counseling is extremely important throughout your pregnancy, after delivery and beyond. Your decisions must be based on a clear and concise understanding of the facts. You must address issues that might impact your pregnancy head-on and not put the life or health of you or your baby in jeopardy. Learning about these things will give you the ability to take control of your life and give your baby the best start possible.
