The most popular pregnancy tips for your new adventure…

Being pregnant can be a challenging experience and you should be prepared for any eventual symptoms and changes in your body. The easiest way to be prepared is to take the time to inform yourself about pregnancy and all the marvelous and scary things it involves. Just remember, if you are pregnant you can always rely on your doctor to elucidate any doubts that come up.

Pregnancy can be a really uncomfortable and sometimes painful which might make it seem like a never-ending endeavor.  The good news is that there are useful tips on how to relieve any symptoms and discomfort you might feel.  It is important to make this meaningful period of your life an enjoyable experience.

Eat well

Keeping a healthy and balanced diet is not always easy while being pregnant. In the first trimester morning sickness might keep you from eating, and in later pregnancy the compression of the baby on the stomach makes it impossible to eat full meals and leads to indigestion and heartburn. There are some simple things that can help you keep a healthy diet during pregnancy:

• Always have breakfast. If you have morning sickness stick to plain toast, it is easier to keep down. If you do not suffer from nausea you should opt for fortified cereal and fruit to start the morning since these have fiber and most of the vitamins and minerals you need.
• Opt for foods that are high in fiber. Pregnancy can lead to a lot of digestive problems such as constipation and hemorrhoids. To relieve these symptoms you cannot take laxatives so you should stick to a high fiber diet instead. The easiest way to increase your fiber intake is to substitute breads, cereals and rice for the whole grain versions. Also, try to eat a lot of leafy green vegetables that besides fiber have a lot of other essential nutrients for your baby’s development.
• Divide meals in smaller portions. When the baby grows it can be difficult to eat a lot in a meal. To solve this problem you can eat more often through the day by doing smaller meals. Just keep in mind that you should control your daily intake of fat and increase the consumption of protein when choosing the healthiest snacks.
• Recharge your energy with fruit. Cutting on caffeinated drinks can be difficult so to help you get through the day when you are more tired you can try eating bananas or apples that contain natural sugars that help to keep you alert.

Caring for yourself

There are many things to consider besides what you eat during pregnancy in order to have a healthy baby. You have also to take care of yourself and get enough rest, pamper yourself from time to time, and take time to read about pregnancy to be less anxious about the changes in your body.  There are a lot of things you can do to make pregnancy easier:

• Don’t forget prenatal vitamins. As soon as you know that you are pregnant you should make an appointment with your physician so he can recommend the best prenatal vitamins. You should take the vitamins from the very beginning of pregnancy to make sure that the baby develops healthily.
• Exercise yourself. You should exercise during pregnancy in order to keep your weight controlled, improve your mood and help with circulation problems, back aches, bloating and swelling. You only have to be careful about the exercise you choose and to not overdo it. Talk with your doctor to decide which modality is the most appropriate for your case.
• Practice Kegel exercises. If you do Kegel exercises during pregnancy there is a strengthening of the pelvic floor muscles which can prevent incontinence issues after delivery.
• Prepare a birth plan. So you can feel more prepared and less anxious about the delivery you should write a birth plan. This should include the procedures you want done, who you want with you in the delivery room, if you want to opt out of an epidural and if you would like any special position for the delivery.
• Take time to inform yourself. You should check your family history of pregnancy related problems or birth defects and take childbirth classes to be prepared for any problems. If you have any genetic defects that run on your family it can be important to get an amniocentesis test.
• Indulge yourself. Food restrictions during pregnancy can be tough, especially when you have cravings. So you can sometimes cheat on your pregnancy diet, just limit the portions and stay away from the dangerous items, such as under cooked meat, soft cheeses and alcohol.
• Wear comfortable shoes and clothes. When you begin to show you should start transitioning into pregnancy clothes. Also, your feet can grow a bit to support the weight gain, or simply swell because of increased fluid retention, so you might find that your shoes do not fit anymore. Being pregnant is hard enough without wearing tight clothes and shoes.
• Avoid chloasma with sunscreen. The best way to prevent chloasma, high pigmentation spots that appear usually in the face during pregnancy, is wearing sunscreen when you are outside.
• Listen to your body. You have to know how to distinguish from which symptoms are normal or not. If you have pain, bleeding or feel weak and light headed you should contact your doctor immediately.
• Document your pregnancy. Pregnancy can be hard but you will want to preserve the memories of it. You should take pictures to show your baby bump to your child later on, it will be a good experience for both of you.
• Choose a good doctor. Trusting your doctor during pregnancy is essential to have a good pregnancy and delivery. You have to find a person that you can rely on and contact whenever you are not feeling well or simply have a doubt.
• Take time to rest. Pregnancy can alter your sleep patterns and make you feel tired during the day. To be able to keep working you should get enough sleep at night.
• Visit your dentist. Gums can suffer changes and be more prone to bleeding during pregnancy so, if you experience any bleeding, schedule a dental checkup to avoid infections.
• Be alert to urinary infections. Pregnant women are more prone to get urinary infections due to hormonal changes so you should know the symptoms of urinary infections and contact your doctor if you experience any of them.
• Get new bras. The increase in breast weight can cause back pain, to prevent this you can buy maternity or breast-feeding bras to support your breasts better.
• Sleep on your left side. Lying on your back is not a good choice in the third trimester as it can limit blood flow. Lying on your left side to sleep is the best position to ensure blood flow to the baby and your kidneys.

Pregnancy can be overwhelming so you should make every effort possible to be comfortable. Just remember that this period will end and soon be nothing more than a memory.