Being pregnant is a life-altering event, whether it’s the first baby or not. You may be filled with fears or dealing with aches and pains you weren’t expecting. However, bringing your child into the world can also be a time of great joy. These five tips will help ensure that you have the healthiest and happiest pregnancy possible.

Taking Time to Relax

It’s natural to want to spend time preparing for the baby and doing all of the other things you want to do before baby comes. However, it’s also important to take some time to relax. Growing a baby is taxing on the body, and you may find that you’re more tired than usual or can’t do all of the things you usually can. This is fine and you need to learn to take time for yourself. Remember that it will be a lot harder to take this time once the baby arrives, so it’s smart to do as much relaxing as possible while pregnant.

Staying Active

Maintaining a moderate level of activity throughout the pregnancy has a lot of benefits, according to the Mayo Clinic. It can reduce some of the aches and pains associated with a normal pregnancy and help keep your weight gain at the proper amount. This doesn’t mean you should be running a marathon. Taking walks around your neighborhood or hopping on the elliptical machine are both ways to stay fit. Pregnancy yoga or water aerobics classes are also a great choice.

Clicking with Your Doctor

It’s important to have a good relationship with the doctor who will be delivering your baby. Don’t be afraid to change doctors if you aren’t happy with your current doctor. If you have a high-risk pregnancy, you should seek out a physician like Dr. Gilbert Webb, who has experience with complicated pregnancies and can detect potential problems with either the baby or mother.

Feeling Prepared

Learn as much as you can about your pregnancy and what it will be like to have a baby, whether it’s by reading books or websites or talking to people who have been there. Consider taking a birthing class, and plan to tour the hospital where you’ll give birth. You’ll feel so much more confident if you’re prepared with knowledge about what you should expect, what could go wrong and what the hospital is ready to do if things stray from the original plan. People are often eager to tell you horror stories, and you can listen to them, but remember that bad things don’t happen all the time, and they’re unlikely to happen to you.

Going with the Flow

You never know what’s going to happen during your pregnancy. For example, you may have planned to work up until the day you go into labor, but a medical condition may force you on bed rest, or you may have planned to have a natural birth, but end up with a cesarean section. Pregnancies may not go according to plan, so try to be flexible. This way, you’ll be able to appreciate the good things that happen and shake off some of the challenges.

A pregnancy only lasts about nine months, so it’s best to make the most of it while you can. Think about the beautiful new baby you’re growing inside you and make a promise to stay as healthy and happy as possible. Your positive attitude can translate into a positive pregnancy.