Whether you are experiencing your first pregnancy or your third, taking care of yourself, your baby, and your family are more important than ever. These useful tips are perfect little tidbits for anyone who is pregnant or knows someone who is expecting a baby. Combined with sound medical advice from your doctor, you can use any of these tips to make the experience one to remember.
You need to plan how much you drink to have a good sleep. Make sure you get enough water to drink during the day, but slow down after dinner and stop entirely before bedtime. This will help reduce the need to get up during the night to use the restroom.
It’s important to remain stress-free for everyone, but more importantly for pregnant women. Not only does stress trigger a wide range of health issues in a pregnant woman, but stress also affects the baby in the womb. Some babies, who experience excessive stress in the womb, wind up being born prematurely.
Yoga is a great way to prepare for childbirth. This form of exercise helps with morning sickness and eases discomfort caused by back pain. The stretches used in yoga help cultivate the muscles used for birthing. Most pregnant woman find that they have less aches and pains and more energy while practicing yoga during pregnancy.
Increase your intake of cereals, asparagus, lentils, oranges and orange juice. These foods are all rich in folic acid, which helps the development of the baby’s neural cord and creates red blood cells for your unborn child. It is ideal to begin consuming these foods even before you start trying to conceive.
Learn the signs of labor so that you will know when it is time to call the doctor and start heading to the hospital. We have all heard the stories of women giving birth in the car on the way. The earlier you can respond to labor starting, the more time you give yourself to get to where you need to go.
Slightly increase your calorie intake while pregnant. The phrase “eating for two” isn’t just a cute throwaway line. Expecting mothers need to eat about 500 additional calories a day to adequate provide for the baby’s needs. Make sure that extra calorie intake is composed of healthy foods, including fruits and vegetables.
Pregnancy can be a stressful time for couples. So it is better to work on relationship issues as they arise than waiting until after the baby arrives. Counseling can help couples communicate better and strengthen your relationship, which in turn will help you both be better prepared to handle your new baby as partners.
One way to help to get rid of the back pain that sometimes occurs in late pregnancy is to practice pelvic tilts. Continuing to exercise in this way will not only help with the pain, it may also move your baby into a good birth position at the same time.
Developing a birth plan is helpful in defining your hopes, expectations and feelings with regard to giving birth. You can decide what lighting, music, or any other environmental adjustments that can keep you relaxed and comfortable during delivery. You can make it very detailed or keep it brief.
Find a good position for sleeping. During your third trimester, sleeping on your left side will put you in the best position for your blood flow to reach the fetus, your uterus and your kidneys. If you are more comfortable sleeping in a different position, that’s okay, just make sure not to sleep on your back.
Any of the hand-picked tips you just read are just a small part of a healthy, happy pregnancy, whether it is your own, a friend, or family member. Following this advice is just the first step in creating a safe and smooth transition for baby’s journey from the mother’s womb into the real world.