Pregnancy is supposed to be such a joyous and magical time, but sometimes, it’s hard and can be quite rough on our bodies. Stretch marks, swollen feet, nausea, heartburn and feeling tired, are just a few of the wonderful gifts that come along with pregnancy. This article will give you some tips for coping with the darker side of pregnancy.
Create a birth plan. Having a written document that expresses your wishes for your delivery will help the medical professionals involved understand what you want your experience to be like. Include things like who should be present at the birth and what procedures you want to stay away from during the delivery.
Inform any doctor before a medical procedure if you are pregnant or planning on becoming pregnant. This includes your dentist as well. There are certain drugs that shouldn’t be given and procedures that shouldn’t be done for a women who is pregnant or on her way to pregnancy.
A great thing that you can do, in order to have a healthy pregnancy, is to educate yourself. This is very important, especially to women who are pregnant for the first time. This can be done by reading books related to pregnancy and in the long run, will help not only when laboring but also, when preparing for it.
Keep your water intake to six to eight full glasses of water a day. Try keeping a large water bottle with you at all times and fill it up when it empties. As we know, water is incredibly important to keeping our bodies healthy and it becomes even more important when we are drinking for two.
Stop cleaning the cat litter box if you happen to be pregnant. Avoid the cat litter box due to the danger of contracting toxoplasmosis. Cats host the parasite, and if an infected mother passes it on to her fetus, the consequences may include miscarriage, stillbirth, or birth defects.
If you are pregnant and concerned with unsightly stretch marks post-pregnancy, it would be wise to invest in some cocoa butter. It has been shown that regular use of cocoa butter during and after pregnancy reduce and/or eliminate the appearance of unsightly stretch marks. So go get yourself a tub of it today!
Find a birthing class as soon as you can, in order to make sure you get the best dates for you and whoever you use as your labor coach. These classes can fill up quickly, and there may not be room for you if you wait too long.
Take breastfeeding classes and bone up with some books prior to giving birth. Breastfeeding is best for baby but there can be a lot of pitfalls along the way that could sabotage your progress. Taking a class prior to having to actually breastfeed, will help you be calmer and more in control of feeding your new baby.
Learn relaxation techniques and make sure to practice them at least once a day. Having some time to relax with breathing and calming exercises will help you relieve the stress that comes from pregnancy. Make sure you make time for yourself to keep you a happy mom to be.
If the stresses of life get to you while you are pregnant, indulge in a relaxing prenatal massage. Many therapists are trained to provide massages to pregnant women and know which areas to avoid, as well as, which areas might need the most attention. A massage makes a lovely gift to yourself as your due date draws closer.
As stated in the beginning of this article, even though pregnancy is supposed to be a magical time, it also has its dark side. Coping with all the terrible side effects can be tough. Hopefully, this article has given you some helpful ideas for battling the “bad side” of pregnancy.