A woman during the time of pregnancy faces a lot of problems. These problems aren’t dangerous but should not be ignored. A woman may suffer from cramps, backache, blocked nose, heartburn, indigestion, vaginal thrush, infections, constipation, swollen leg veins, and other problems.
Fortunately, with the advancement in technology, you can immediately consult your doctor or midwife if you suffer from any of these problems. On the other hand, some healthy tips can also help in relieving the symptoms.
Pregnancy is really hard and requires a lot of planning because you try to grow a healthy person inside your womb. Pregnancy does not only require taking care of the unborn child but you also need to take care of yourself during this stage. If you are planning a baby, you must follow some basic tips to give birth to a healthy baby.
Let’s have a look at top 12 tips for pregnant women:
1. EXERCISE DAILY
A healthy lifestyle requires daily exercise. Exercise helps in reducing anxiety, stress, improves circulation, and helps you to sleep better. You should exercise for at least 30 minutes a day. If you still find a problem in doing yoga, then try to walk 15-20 minutes daily in cool and shaded areas to avoid direct sunlight and overheating.
You can also drink plenty of water to prevent overheating or dehydration. Yoga, swimming classes, walking are also great activities to keep yourself stress-free. Any kind of regular physical activity helps in reducing the risk of pregnancy complications and other discomforts like back pain.
2. KEEP TRACK OF WEIGHT
Maintaining the appropriate weight can be difficult for you but if you track it regularly, it becomes easier. Even though you are eating for two lives, underweight and overweight, both the conditions can have severe consequences.
While underweight may lead to low-weight birth of the baby, overweight can affect the health of the mother, after the baby is born. During pregnancy, you should gain weight between 25 to 35 pounds and not more than that. Moreover, it also becomes difficult to lose weight after you give birth to a baby so it’s better to keep a check during pregnancy period.
3. TAKE VITAMINS
The neural cord of a baby that becomes the brain and spinal cord starts to develop in the first month of pregnancy. So, a pregnant woman should take prenatal vitamins from the initial days. Nutrients like folic acid, calcium, and iron are vital for the brain development of the newborn. Consult your doctor and start taking the vitamins every day. Don’t take other vitamins and supplements without the consultation of the doctor.
Prenatal vitamins meet the increased demands for micronutrients during pregnancy. Taking these vitamins reduces the risk of preeclampsia (a dangerous complication characterized by high blood pressure and protein in the urine).
4. ELIMINATE SMOKING AND DRINKING
Smoking and drinking should be strictly eliminated during pregnancy as it raises the risk of miscarriage, birth defects, preterm birth, and other health problems. Smoking decreases the oxygen flow of the baby and can lead to severe consequences. You should also eliminate the use of drugs as it may lead to neonatal abstinence syndrome in your child. Your baby could be born addicted to the drugs you have been abusing during pregnancy.
You must also eliminate drinking alcohol as it may lead to fetal alcohol disorder. This disorder can lead to poor growth of the baby in the womb, small heads and eyes, vision or hearing problems, and heart defects.
5. DRINK PLENTY OF WATER
A pregnant lady should drink more water to build new tissues, carry nutrients, produce extra blood, and enhance digestion in the body. Drinking water also helps in preventing swelling, headaches, fatigue, and other uncomfortable pregnancy problems.
If you can’t drink enough water every day, you can keep yourself hydrated using the following tips:
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Add fruits such as lemon and frozen raspberries to your water. It will give you a better taste.
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Take tea, milk, juice, soups, and other required liquids.
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Eat more and more fruits and vegetables.
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Drink enough liquids that your urine is either light yellow or colorless.
6. DON’T FORGET BREAKFAST
The day’s first meal is a great opportunity for both baby and you. Try to eat fortified ready-to-eat food or cooked breakfast cereals as they contain nutrients like calcium. When you feel sick, start with whole wheat toast. You can eat more food later in the morning.
During pregnancy, your body needs fiber as food. With high fiber body stabilizes blood sugar level and prevents constipation. Your daily meal should also contain protein as it makes your baby strong. A diet rich in calcium leads to the growth of the baby’s bones. So, you may eat cheese, orange juice, almonds, and scrambled tofu for that. A pregnant woman also needs twice the amount of iron to supply oxygen to the baby. So, an iron-rich breakfast is a must.
7. STAY CLEAN AND HYGIENIC
It is significant to maintain a healthy vagina and prevent bacterial infection. So, a woman should always maintain good hygiene during pregnancy and otherwise.
It is also vital because it prevents you from infections like Group B streptococcus, chickenpox, cytomegalovirus, fifth disease. These infections can have severe complications on the baby so it’s better to stay clean and hygienic. To stay clean, you can either wash your hands regularly or carry an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Drinking plenty of water also decreases the risk of preterm labor and preterm birth.
You can also maintain hygiene by wearing loose-fitting and cotton garments. Don’t wear tight pants and clothes. You must avoid hot tubs and use feminine washes with lactic acid and lactoserum during a shower. It helps maintain healthy vaginal flora.
8. SOCIALIZE; ENGAGE WITH FRIENDS
Make new friends and increase your social circle as it helps to reduce anxiety. You can also find ways to meet and engage with other pregnant women through yoga classes, childbirth classes, or neighborhood parents’ groups or gatherings. It helps you to share your experiences with them and explore more into the parental world. You can play games, organize events, seminars, yoga classes, and do other fun activities.
If you find it difficult to make friends then you can keep an ear out for people with common interest. The other couple will most likely be happy to connect, talk, and share their experiences with you.
9.TAKE PROPER SLEEP
It is often said that after the child is born, parents suffer from a sleeping disorder. That is why it is suggested that a mother should take proper eight hours of sleep during pregnancy. Consult your doctor if you are suffering from sleep disturbances. Improper sleeping leads to irritation, improper behavior, and other mild problems. You can also try to take a nap in the afternoon or in the evening.
Doctors also suggest some best sleeping positions that include SOS (sleep on side) position. It is even better to sleep on the left side as it increases the amount of blood and nutrients that reach the placenta (an organ that develops in the uterus during pregnancy) and the baby.
10. STAY AWAY FROM ENVIRONMENTAL DANGERS
Exposing yourself to harmful chemicals, hazardous pesticides, radioactive elements, and mercury during pregnancy can affect the health of the baby. These chemicals led to severe consequences like birth-defects, miscarriage, prematurity, and low birth weight.
These dangerous chemicals can enter the body when you breathe, touch, or swallow anything. Some chemicals circulate in the mother’s blood, pass through the placenta, and reach the developing fetus. These substances affect the overall health of the mother and the baby. So, if you are in contact with such chemicals, you must connect with your doctor immediately to seek advice and help.
11. STAY IN TOUCH WITH YOUR DOCTOR
Keep in regular touch with your doctor. If you suffer from sudden swelling of face or fingers, fever, dizziness, infection of any kind, blurry vision, nausea, and extreme vomiting, blood or fluid from the vagina, severe pain or cramps, and other symptoms that discomfort you, then immediately contact your doctor. You should not simply ignore these symptoms. Connect with your doctor from time to time.
12. RESPECT YOUR CRAVINGS
Pregnancy leads to sudden cravings of sweet foods, chocolates, fruit, juices, and sometimes salty food like pizza, pickles, and pasta. Although it’s good to eat anything you crave for during pregnancy you need to balance it accordingly.
A pregnant woman should consume a limited number of calories in a day to maintain a healthy diet. If she craves anything that isn’t healthy then she should try to eat it in small proportions. Avoid taking some food items like raw sprouts, unpasteurized cheese, and uncooked meat, etc.
It is highly recommended to follow these vital pregnancy tips because it helps a pregnant woman to stay healthy and fit. A pregnant woman should try to stay happy especially during this time. She should take care of her physical and emotional health as it will make her pregnancy journey more memorable and enjoyable.
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