In addition to taking anti-HIV drugs

In addition to taking anti-HIV drugs, there are many things you can do to have a healthy pregnancy, such as:

• making sure that your doctor tests and treats you for sexually transmitted infections
• making sure that your doctor tests you for hepatitis B, syphilis, group B streptococcus status and rubella immunity
• making sure you eat well; during pregnancy, your body has special nutritional needs, so you should talk to your doctor about the following:
• taking a daily prenatal multivitamin (prenatal vitamins are different from regular multivitamins; make sure you get the right one)
• taking 1 to 5 milligrams of folic acid once a day for one to three months before getting pregnant and during your pregnancy
• getting 1,500 milligrams of calcium every day either from foods such as milk, cheese and yogurt or from a supplement

“I am a former drug user. When I was pregnant, everyone put their moral judgments on my life about whether I should even be allowed to have children. Moral judgments prevent women from getting the chance to learn healthy baby and self-care skills.”

• reducing or stopping smoking, drinking alcohol and using street drugs
• finding healthy ways to deal with stress
• putting together a support network

If you are pregnant and drinking alcohol or using drugs, cutting down or stopping will increase your chances of a healthy pregnancy. Some women may not be able to stop completely or without help. Speak to your doctor or someone you trust to help you find the resources you need to keep you and the fetus as healthy as possible.