We all know it’s important to maintain a healthy diet for the well-being of your unborn child. Here’s a list of foods that can be detrimental to your baby, and foods that are a good choice for yourself and your growing baby. Bonn appetite!
Exersize during pregnancy: Do No Harm
Did you know that your resting heartbeat is increased by 8 beats per minute during the first few weeks of your pregnancy?According to Natural Pregnancy: A Much Better Way, pregnancy also shifts your center of gravity forward, and softens the ligaments around joints. Carrying around the extra weight puts strain on your back, legs, and internal organs, and makes certain movements more difficult. Because of all these changes, and more, you will need to adjust your exercise regiment.
Some tips suggested by Kenneth Elliot are:
Eliminate crunches or any other form of exercise that stresses the abdominals or back.
Go with lighter weights.
Avoid jerky movements and forgo squats which can separate the placenta from the uterus.
Breathing properly during exercises performed while pregnant is essential.
Hydrate at an appropriate amount throughout the day. That means you should take small sips over a longer time frame, rather than large intake at a given time. Eating should follow the same pattern – four to five small meals per day is preferable to three larger ones.
Warm up gently. Perform easy stretches and rest often for a few minutes at a time.
Swimming is one of the best forms of exercises. It gives very low stress on the body, but is an active cardio workout.
Prenatal yoga
If you feel any dizziness, swelling or experience any kind of vaginal bleeding or discharge discontinue at once and consult a medical professional. Before beginning any exercise regimen it’s vital that you talk with your physician.
Moving, lifting, straining
We are moving to a new apartment down the street, tomorrow. Those of you who have packed up a whole home before know that this is A LOT of work! And since organizing and packing seems to be a missing gene in the male personality, I find myself doing most of the work.
Yet people keep warning me of the hazzards of too much strain. My neighbor warns me not to work too hard. (What exactly is “too hard”?) “Don’t do any lifting!” my grandmother begs. And my husbands hovers in the background ordering me to drink cup after cup of water.
Are there safety guidlines for pregnant women and the amount of work they can do? Dr. Judith Reichman answers some of these questions, and more, in this article called
Debunking myths about pregnancy hazards.
Fortunately (or unfortunately) all the activity required to pack up and move are pretty much on the Safe list for me! *sigh* So now I must get back to work!
Acceptance of Pregnancy affects the mother-child bond
How do a mother’s feelings durring pregnancy affect her relationship with that child? Well, when I was pregnant with Esther, who is now two years old, I’ll be the first to admit that I was not exactly “accepting” of the fact. There was no question that I wanted to have children but I was’t feeling particularly ready or excited about the dramatic life-changes that a new baby brings. (I was still recovering from getting married!) But the minute the midwife laid that tiny, purple creature in my arms, it was love at first sight, and I have to say this little girl is the most precious, miraculous, sweetest thing in the world, and I wouldn’t want to go back to life without her!
So what do the researchers at the University of Missouri-Columbia have to say on this subject? The way a mother feels about her pregnancy does seem to affect her views on child-raising and the relationship with her children. They found that found that “mothers who were not accepting of their pregnancies had a greater tendency to later feel that parenting is burdensome.” Yet the researcher also found that “most mothers, even those whose pregnancies were unintended, enjoy their children” and want what is best for them. Like my own experience shows, mothers can be ambivalent about pregnancy, but still be warm, caring and attached mothers once the baby arrives.
“Apparently, mothers were able to separate their feelings about being trapped by the responsibilities imposed by childrearing from their feelings about their toddlers.” Well, thank Heaven for that!!
N.Y. Times dispells pregnancy myths
Did you know that eating too much tuna can harm a growing fetus? What about sushi? Have you thought of re-heating your deli meats before eating them? How many cups of coffee is it safe to drink while pregnant? Do you think it’s ok to gain 40 lbs, since you are now “eating for two”?
Read the facts here.
Stress is bad for growing babies
“Chronic mild stress in pregnant mothers may increase the risk that their offspring will develop cerebral palsy,” says a new study. “These findings are consistent with growing evidence that constant stress, even minimal, can have a major impact on the quality of life.” Well, if that doesn’t stress you out, I don’t know what will. Read about it here. Stop it! Calm down! You’re getting stressed out just reading this article… ahhhhhhhhhh!!!
But don’t worry, the article also offers way to combat stress. The last tip is: Identify the personal sources of stress in your life and look for ways to eliminate them. Well, that’s handy-dandy. Let’s see, I’ll just quit my job, tell my landlord to bug off, lock my 2-yr-old in the basement, and pull the phone out of the wall. That ought to take care of things around here!
Answers to your most embarrassing pregnancy questions
Been wondering if it’s normal to wet your pants every time you sneeze? Want to know why you’re so constipated or gassy? Are you sweating more and smelling stronger? Check out this article for some answers to those questions you’re too embarrassed about to even ask your doctor!
Dealing with Acid Reflux and Pregnancy
Who knew there was a website totally devoted to curing acid reflux? Well, if you suffer from heartburn during pregnancy, here’s an article that might be helpful. They say there is no way to completely elimitate it, but some helpful suggestions are offered to make you as comfortable as possible.
Good news for Pregnant Women who like to Eat!
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, according to this article, has declared that pregnant woman need to consume more calories that previously recommended.
For normal-weight women, the extra energy needs during the first trimester of pregnancy were “negligible.” However, these needs rose to 350 kilocalories per day in the second trimester and to 500 kilocalories per day in the third trimester.
It was originally thought that a woman in her last trimester did not have to consume more calories, due to her tendency toward less physical activity. However, even if she has the luxury of slowing down the pace in the third trimester, this study shows that she still needs to up the calories to properly feed that baby! So eat up, ladies, and enjoy. It’s good for you!
Treating Acne during Pregnancy
As if cramps, swollen ankles, weak bladders, and exhaustion are not enough to deal with, some lucky women find that the surplus of raging hormones is making their skin break out! Pregnant woman are advised against using treatments such as Accutane, Retin-A, Tetracycline, and products with salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide (some are very dangerous to the fetus and can cause birth defects). In this “How to” article, you can learn how to safely care for your skin to prevent acne.
The three basic steps are:
1. Buy “baby-friendly” products to cleanse your skin. They recomend a certain cosmetic comapany that caters to pregnant women, but I assume that any cleanser without harmful ingredients will do the trick. (Why spend money onfancy products when your corner drugstore carries something that works just as well??) Ask your doctor if you are unsure about the safety of any products.
2. Drink 8-10 glasses of water to flush out toxins and keep skin hydrated. (This is a good idea even if you don’t have problem skin…)
3. Keep taking those prenatal vitamins. They’re not just good for the baby, they’re good for you and your skin as well.