Are you about to have a baby? Being pregnant for the first time sure comes with many changes.
Getting the right care during pregnancy helps to prepare a woman to cope better when starting a family. Here is some good advice to ensure that your pregnancy is healthy.
Tell your doctor if you notice your feet getting puffy after becoming pregnant. While this could be part of your pregnancy, it’s also a possible symptom of preeclampsia, a condition that causes high blood pressure in pregnant women. This condition needs immediate treatment to ensure the birth can be healthy.
The most common symptom, however, is morning sickness, especially in the early stages. There are a few steps for you to help alleviate this unpleasant reaction. Eat smaller and more frequently to prevent getting hungry. Take prenatal supplements with a meal. Avoid the foods that cause you problems. Exhaustion can also be a factor in the way you feel, so relax when you can.
Good sleep is essential when you are pregnant. Caffeine can impact on your ability to get enough rest to stay healthy. Avoid any caffeinated beverages (this includes black tea!) during this sensitive time. Try munching on crackers and other stomach calming foods through the day if you feel nauseous. A nutritious and healthy diet can also help promote restful sleep.
Create a bedtime routine for yourself in order to improve your sleep while you’re pregnant. Having a consistent evening routine can help your body getting ready for rest more and can make it easier to fall asleep. In order to relax, you can also try reading a short story, or if you have a supportive partner, get them to give you a gentle neck & shoulder massage.
Take note though that the hot bath or trip to the sauna you may normally enjoy are not the relaxants of choice when pregnant:. An overheated body can do serious damage to your developing baby. You should also avoid rosemary and juniper.
Sunbathing should also kept to a minimum, as a pregnant woman’s skin is often more sensitive, making it more susceptible to melanoma (skin cancer) or “pregnancy mask”.
Make sure you take care of your teeth and gums during pregnancy. Pregnancy can cause various dental issues. See your dentist if you notice any problems.
Throughout your pregnancy, ensure you have a high iron intake: You are feeding another individual and your baby need about 50 percent more iron than usual. Iron is necessary to produce the haemoglobin which helps distribute oxygen through your body. You need more during the last two trimesters. Supplements are readily available over the counter.
When you are heading into your third trimester, think about preparing your hospital bag. Putting off this important step is simply tempting fate. Be sure to pack your insurance information, any prenatal medical records – just in case anything does happen – and last but not least a fully charged camera.
One of the most important things a pregnant woman can do for her and her future child is to get the care she needs, both before and after she gives birth. Pregnancy has such lasting implications for both the mother’s life and health that she needs and should always be supervised by a doctor for best prenatal and postnatal care. This is not just a luxury, it is important to the well-being of mom and baby.
