Of course, there are many old wives’ tales surrounding pregnancy. If you can sift through the information with confidence, you will know which stories are of real importance. In this article, we offer some of the best advice on pregnancy available today.
Listen to your body. Some women will find that they need more sleep when they are pregnant, and others will find that some foods no longer agree with them. Don’t push your body to do something it clearly does not want to do. Being able to listen to what you need will help your pregnancy go a lot smoother.
Talk with your doctor before planning any travel. If you do travel, make sure you carry along with you all your prenatal medical records, so you are prepared.
If you get a headache when you are pregnant, make sure to stay away from aspirin. Aspirin has been proven to cause harm in both an expectant mother and baby. It is best to ask your doctor what medications are safe for you to use. Also, try relieving head pressure by using a cool compress.
Quit smoking as soon as you find out that you’re pregnant, and avoid exposure to second-hand smoke. The dangers of cigarette smoke to your baby are so extensive that it is absolutely worth the stress of trying to quit during your pregnancy. The sooner you quit the less extensive the damage will be.
Your pregnancy means the decisions are yours. Just because someone in your office or a distant relative doesn’t believe that you should drink coffee or lift something heavier than 20 pounds doesn’t mean they control your pregnancy decisions. Talk to your doctor and make your decisions with them. Ignore unsolicited comments from others.
Pregnant women want to do everything they can to keep their newborn baby safe. Taking folic acid is very important for a baby’s development and should be taken especially during the first trimester. Folic acid ensures proper brain and spinal cord formation. The recommended dose for pregnant women is a thousand micrograms each day.
Change your eating habits so that you eliminate some of the junk food and fast food from your diet. When you are pregnant you will become more tired than usual, as these foods will only cause to make you more haggard. Do not give into temptations if you want to feel great.
Don’t drink alcohol while pregnant. Drinking any alcohol at all during pregnancy increases the risk of several birth defects and puts the baby at risk for fetal alcohol syndrome, which can cause mental retardation, loss of motor skills, and other problems. Consider drinking milk or tea instead if you are used to having a drink with dinner.
Don’t start worrying if you aren’t “showing” your pregnancy for a while. Most new moms don’t start showing visible signs of pregnancy until they are in their 6th month. Subsequent pregnancies usually show earlier in the course of the pregnancy as the body has already been there and done that.
Find out what blood type you and your partner have. If you have incompatible blood types, there is a possibility that you could also be incompatible with your baby’s blood type. This can lead to a condition called anemia, which causes complications during the pregnancy and birth of your child.
When trying to become pregnant, charting your menstrual cycles may help you pinpoint your ovulation date, which is the time you have the best chance of conceiving. There are a variety of online charting sites as well as smartphone apps that can help you keep track of your periods, mood fluctuations, symptoms and other information.
When you are going through a pregnancy, it is always a good idea to have someone make life changes with you. If you have to change your diet, quit smoking, or stop drinking and you think it may be difficult for you, it is possible to enlist someone to make the changes with you. Many husbands change their diets to support their wives during their pregnancies.
When you are pregnant, there could be issues with your teeth so you need to take care of them. As the levels of your pregnancy hormones rise, your gums can become swollen or start to bleed whenever you brush or floss your teeth. Using a soft toothbrush is recommended. You should also continue flossing your teeth, but try to do so gently.
It is important to exercise and stay fit during pregnancy. You should do low impact exercising like walking and yoga. This will make sure you stay your healthiest during pregnancy and also stay stress free. You should talk to your doctor before you decide to start exercising to make sure it’s safe.
There is so much information on pregnancy out there that it can be overwhelming. The above article has provided you with a lot of useful knowledge on how to deal with your pregnancy.
How To Have A Happy, Healthy Pregnancy was originally published on Spring