Pregnancy is one of the most exciting, surprising, and for some, scary experiences of a woman’s life. Many women are born with innate mothering extincts, however, having a healthy and happy child requires knowledge and research. These tips can demystify what goes on when you are pregnant and makes the process a bit easier to handle.
Even if you don’t normally use sunscreen, you should use it while you are pregnant. Avoid tanning beds. Your skin becomes more sensitive when you are pregnant, making you more susceptible to sunburn. Make sure that any sunscreen you use is safe for your unborn baby.
Sleep whenever you get a chance to during your pregnancy. Difficulty sleeping is one of the biggest complaints women have while pregnant. As our bodies go through these massive changes, the ease of being able to get a full night’s sleep decreases. Take naps when the opportunity presents itself.
Buy new shoes. As your pregnancy progresses, the extra weight will throw off your center of gravity, putting additional pressure on your feet. This can cause both fluid retention and flat feet. Purchase some comfortable shoes that give you good support; they will alleviate some of the previously mentioned concerns.
Once you find out that you are pregnant, make sure that you find a doctor or midwife that you are comfortable with. Many times, women choose the first doctor that they see and end up having an unpleasant experience with them. Ask friends and family if they know of a good, reliable midwife.
Stop cleaning the cat litter box if you happen to be pregnant. Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic infection that can be passed to a pregnant woman through handling cat feces. Cats host the parasite, and if an infected mother passes it on to her fetus, the consequences may include miscarriage, stillbirth, or birth defects.
When you are pregnant and your stomach finally starts expanding go buy yourself some comfortable maternity clothes. Your going to be pregnant for the next several months, so you might as well be comfortable. This also makes sure that you don’t have to keep buying new clothes as you continuously expand.
Check into hiring a doula for your birth experiences and for the period right after. Doulas are mothers’ helpers who are there to provide non-medical support during the labor process and the post partum period. Having a doula will help you to have a shorter and more satisfying birth experience.
Stretch out your legs to avoid leg cramps. Most every pregnant woman will experience a leg cramp at least one night while pregnant. Stretch before bed and stay hydrated to prevent leg cramps.
If you have a friend who has just given birth, pick her mind, and find out some of the tips and tricks that she used during her pregnancy. It is very important to gain the knowledge from someone who has dealt with pregnancy firsthand, as they will have real experiences for you to leverage off of.
Get plenty of pregnancy before, during and after your pregnancy! Exercise lowers your rick of miscarrying, makes your pregnancy easier, results in fewer complications during labor and can even make your labor shorter. Regardless of whether you are already pregnant or you are trying to get pregnant, exercise makes an easier time of the whole experience.
Pregnancy is a natural part of life. By reading the experiences of others and gaining knowledge from these tips, you can be more prepared for the ups and downs of the next nine months. The birth of a child is rewarding and the months leading up to that, will be wrought full of strange, wonderful and unexpected situations.