Unfortunately, babies don’t come with an owner’s manual, and that extends to pregnancy issues as well. There are a huge number of things that need to be done to both keep the baby safe during pregnancy and prepare for the baby’s eventual birth. Follow these tips to make your pregnancy a snap.
To avoid nighttime heartburn while pregnant, eat your last meal at least two hours before you go to bed. Reclining just after eating will lead to increased acid reflux and heartburn. Also, use extra pillows to elevate your head and upper back above the level of your abdomen to reduce symptoms.
Be sure to stay active while pregnant. Use low-impact exercises – walking and swimming – that keep you moving without putting too much stress on your body. This will help prevent excess pregnancy weight gain, improve the quality of your sleep, and increase circulation to your lower limbs, all of which can be a challenge when pregnant.
Start tracking your monthly menstrual cycle. This way you will know when you ovulate. This can help you find when the best time is to try to conceive a baby. This will also help when you become pregnant because you will be better able to determine a due date for your baby.
Don’t gain too much weight when you are pregnant. If you gain too much weight, you might have a hard time losing it after your pregnancy. It is normal for women to gain 15-30 pounds over the course of their pregnancy.
Take a childbirth class. Even for veteran parents, these educational sessions help expectant parents feel more confident about their situation and their abilities. The classes give parents a forum to ask questions and meet other families who are experiencing the same things they are. They also provide time for each couple to talk and spend time with one another.
It is very important that women, especially pregnant women avoid overexposure to the sun. Pregnant women have more sensitive skin, making it easier for their skin to burn, and that may cause skin cancer and other skin issues later.
As soon as you feel contractions, call your doctor or go to your hospital right away, even if you have had false labor pains before. You do not want to be in labor at home and give birth without having the proper medical care for you and your newborn child.
Moms who are post due date should consider taking a brisk walk. That will sometimes get labor started. Walking is a healthy technique that can help lower the baby to the position they need to be in to be born. Ask a partner to come along with you. Avoid anything dangerous, especially things that deal with contact exercise.
Keeping a food diary will help you to remember to eat well and keep up with all the vitamins that you need. You will also be able to see if you are not feeling well, that there may be some type of food you are eating that may be triggering that reaction.
If you are pregnant, try to go swimming when you can. Not only is it a healthy exercise for all people, but for pregnant woman, it helps prevent those pesky leg aches and keeps you from gaining too much weight. Do not over do it though. If you feel yourself getting fatigued, stop.
Pregnancy is a tough time. You need to take care of tons of different responsibilities in a tight time frame. Putting the tips you just read into practice will help you sort out that dizzying array of recommendations and requirements in order and help you take the actions you need to take in order to have a healthy, happy baby.