As wonderful as pregnancy is, expectant women also find themselves worrying during this period. This is all triggered by the feeling of inadequacy and the fear of unknowingly harming the baby or themselves. For some, pregnancy is a walk in the park while for others, it is full of complications and hospital visits. Whichever situation describes you, you and your baby will be alright. Here are some secrets to a happy and healthy pregnancy that will help you get through this period smoothly:
1. Sip Ginger Tea
During the first trimester, you may continue to experience severe morning sickness and may not be able to keep anything down. To cope with this intense nausea, you should consider including fresh ginger tea in your diet. All you will need to do is to get a fresh ginger root, then finely chop it and steep it in hot water for about five minutes.
Sipping this drink throughout the day will work the magic for you. This home remedy is super effective sometimes even more than prescription drugs. You can continue to incorporate this herbal remedy even after your baby is born. It does wonders to help you stimulate breast milk production and help you heal after childbirth.
2. Liquid and Chewable Prenatal Vitamins
Most women who experience morning sickness during pregnancy can attest to the fact that sometimes the prenatal vitamin pills can be hard to swallow. As soon as it goes down your throat, it triggers a gag reflex and you throw up. While prenatal vitamins are important to take, it won’t help if you can’t keep them down.
The good news is that you can avoid this by choosing to take other prenatal vitamin versions such as the chewable or liquid ones which will work at least until your morning sickness is gone. Also, try ditching prenatal vitamins that have iron as they have a tendency to make you feel even more nauseated.
3. Exercise Regularly
Exercising while pregnant allows you to say goodbye to insomnia which is a common complaint among pregnant women. The quality sleep that follows your exercise will also help avoid exhaustion or burnout. Regular exercise helps you build core muscles such as the pelvic floor, and lower back muscles both of which prepare your body for labor and delivery.
Even if you have not worked out in quite some time, consider exercising for ten minutes today, and five more minutes tomorrow. Before you know it, you will be able to work out for at least thirty minutes if not more. Before trying any workout regime, be sure to get a go-ahead from your doctor to ensure it is safe for you and the little one in your tummy.
4. Coping with Nausea-Inducing Smells
During pregnancy, there may be smells that you didn’t mind before that will begin to cause your stomach to feel queasy. To cope with this sensitivity to smells, you could consider buying essential oils that can counteract the odd smells. Once you have it, be sure to keep it close to you always as your nostrils are bound to be met by unpleasant smells that could trigger nausea and vomiting.
5. Drink at Least 8 Glasses of Water
You may faithfully consume all the good stuff from prenatal vitamins to healthy foods, but if you don’t drink enough water how will they reach your growing little one? Drinking enough water is important as it helps your body transport and absorbs the essential hormones, vitamins, and minerals into your cells. Then the cells, that have a high nutrient content, in this case, get to the placenta and eventually your baby.
Also, drinking enough water ensures that your baby always has enough amniotic fluid around him or her which in turn means that your baby is well protected from shock.To ensure you are able to drink the recommended amount of water, consider spacing out your water sips rather than drinking lots of it at once.
6. Adopt Healthy Eating Habits
As long as you are pregnant, you ought to be careful of what you put in your mouth to eat. Furthermore, what you eat, the little one receives so it’s important to have a healthy pregnancy. During this period, avoid alcoholic drinks, and do not smoke. Ensure that you eat a balanced diet; fresh vegetables, lean proteins such as fish and chicken, fruits, legumes, and whole grains. You could also consider consuming superfoods such as chia seeds. Avoid processed foods such as deli meat, foods that contain MSG, and refined foods with a lot of sugar. Your little one will thank you!
According to the American Pregnancy Association, typically you will need to consume 300 extra calories a day to help keep your baby growing healthy and strong. Consult with your healthcare provider about the proper diet for your circumstances.
7. Take a Nap Whenever Possible
Whenever you feel exhausted, get some rest. Growing a baby in your belly is no easy task! Take a nap and don’t feel guilty about getting the rest you and your baby deserve. If you feel like you are overwhelmed and don’t have enough help, reach out to your friends and family! They would be more than happy to allow you time to rest.
Also as you take a nap, remember to have your feet placed on a higher level than your heart. This position will ensure the pressure is taken off your feet. Swollen ankles are never fun, and this little trick can help you more than you know!
8. Coping with Heartburn
As your belly grows, the pressure in your tummy also increases causing the stomach acid to move upwards into the esophagus and thus causing you to experience heartburn. If you experience this, you could ask your doctor to recommend a suitable antacid to neutralize the stomach acid.
Alternatively, consider snacking on almonds. Almond nuts usually strengthen the sphincter between the esophagus and the stomach thus preventing stomach contents from moving backward. However, almonds have 10 calories in each nut and can, therefore, cause you to pack on extra pounds.
Avoid foods that relax the sphincter in between the esophagus and stomach, for example, citrus, alcohol, coffee, fried foods, products with tomato. This will help you keep your heartburn from coming back to haunt you.
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