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The more you read, watch and hear about pregnancy, the more confused and overwhelmed you're likely to become. We're here to help, with expert advice on the only 10 things you really need to do to ha ve a healthy pregnancy and baby.

1. Plan if you can

"Start getting healthy even before you become pregnant," advises Siobhan Dolan, M.D., M.P.H., associate medical director of the March of Dimes. (Already pregnant? Just do all these things as early as possible, and try not to worry.) On your must-do-first list: Begin taking a daily multivitamin with at least 400 micrograms of folic acid, a B vitamin that helps prevent certain neural-tube defects, such as spina bifida; quit smoking, drinking alcohol or using recreational drugs; and see your dentist.

2. Find the right caregiver

"Choose someone who respects you and sees birth as a healthy process and not a disease," says Raymond De Vries, Ph.D., president of Lamaze International and member of the Bioethics Program at the University of Michigan Medical School.

3. Watch the weight gain

Women who gain either too little or too much weight during pregnancy are at increased risk for preterm delivery, regardless of their weight before pregnancy. Overweight moms are at greater risk, too, for pregnancy complications, including gestational diabetes, high blood pressure and preeclampsia. They're also more likely to give birth to larger babies, go through more complicated labors, and have C-sections, and are more prone to surgical complications when having them.

4. Surround yourself with support

Practical and emotional support can be crucial in helping you stay healthy and avoid prenatal anxiety and depression, both common but underreported problems. Your circle could include your partner, family members, friends and co-workers, a childbirth instructor and fellow students, a La Leche League leader, your doctor or midwife, and the doula you hire to help you through labor, delivery and afterward.

5. Know the red flags During pregnancy, seemingly mild symptoms may signal something serious, so never be embarrassed about calling your doctor if anything is worrisome. That includes persistent dizziness, fainting, shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat, constant nausea and vomiting, trouble walking, pain or burning during urination, blurry vision, pronounced swelling or decreased fetal activity for more than 24 hours. "About one in every eight babies is born prematurely, so contact your care provider immediately if you havesuch symptoms as uterine cramping that gets stronger, gripping backache, leaking amniotic fluid and vaginal bleeding,"says March of Dimes medical director Nancy Green, M.D.