Pregnancy is a beautiful time in any woman’s life, as nature gives you the responsibility for one of the most beautiful gifts you can ever have. However, you might have to start making some sacrifices for the sake of your new commitment. You will also need to ensure the health of the little bundle of blessing growing inside of you. Nausea, the mood swings, raging hormones, the delight of you feeling your baby kick, your weird cravings – all these things will make pregnancy feel like a world of its own. But there’s no need to worry about things going wrong. So, how do you ensure your pregnancy period is a smooth and trouble-free one?
Here are some mistakes you need to avoid.
Not thinking about how to prepare for labor
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You will have a cluster of thoughts from the moment you receive the great news about your pregnancy. You want the perfect name for your little one, and you want to put together everything needed for the ultimate nursery. All these are important, and you need to ensure that you prepare your body for labor, especially if this is your first pregnancy.
The labor period often requires good health, stamina, and strength, so you need to prepare for it. You should do your best to exercise the right way and stay active. Take the time to find out if there are any antenatal exercise classes in your area and join – that is highly recommended if this is your first pregnancy. You can also try signing up for a pregnancy yoga class, which will also prove very helpful.
Choosing the wrong health practitioner
The health of you and your unborn child is of prime importance during this period. Therefore you need to rely on a practitioner that will monitor every step of your pregnancy in the best way. If you don’t have the luxury of a private doctor, you might feel you have little option than to go with who your public health institution gives you. However, you can still do a little research about the best OBGYN in San Diego County by speaking with family and friends. You can also go online and check out some reviews or even talk with your regular general health practitioner for some recommendations.
Lying straight on your back
Some people may not consider lying on their back dangerous during pregnancy, but it is. When you lie straight (especially when you are heavily pregnant), the weight of your uterus may put excess pressure on your major organs, such as your heart, lungs, and kidneys. This can restrict the blood flow from the lower part of your body to the upper. The longer you stay on your back, the longer you limit the flow of nutrients and blood supply to your baby. That can also leave you feeling dizzy, nauseous, and even short of breath.
So, you might want to start thinking of a new sleeping position if you’re already used to lying flat on your back. You may also acquire comfy bedding and pillows to improve your sleep.
Sunbathing
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Sunbathing might feel like an irresistibly tempting idea, especially if you haven’t had the chance to enjoy some quality and relaxing time outside. Additionally, it is a great way to enrich your skin with some vitamin D.
But sunbathing is a bad idea when you’re pregnant. During pregnancy, the skin becomes even more sensitive, which means it will react faster to certain factors than it usually would on any other day. Exposing your skin to too much sunlight can put you at risk of skin cancer (melanoma), not to mention sunburn. Also, exposing your body to sunlight for an extended period will increase your body’s core temperature and that of your fetus. And you can easily expose your unborn baby to fetal brain damage the higher your body temperature rises.
But that’s not all; your body quickly becomes dehydrated during pregnancy, which can lead to symptoms of preterm labor. Also, the sun’s harmful UV rays can increase your body’s estrogen and put you at risk of chloasma.
Stressing yourself
Pregnancy can be stressful- from dealing with the physical changes to mood swings. The last thing you want to do is worsen your situation by adding other sources of stress. Instead, find effective ways to ease your stress and relax as much as possible. You can try treating yourself to a massage, taking long and relaxing baths, having hearty conversations with your friends, anything that makes you feel happy and relaxed. You can also do fun stuff like choosing a name for your little one. If you need inspiration, you will find endless options online, depending on what you’re looking for. For example, if you’re looking for alluring names for your baby girl, some beautiful Celtic girl names are worth examining.
Slouching on the couch
Still, on the subject of a shift in gravity, you might want to avoid slouching on the couch or any other poor body posture during pregnancy. When your body’s center of gravity shifts, it may feel pretty natural to want to recline on your couch. However, you always need to pay particular attention to your body posture during pregnancy, as a bad posture can lead to back, pelvic, and hip pain.
Rocking those heels
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Even when you’re not pregnant, it can be pretty uncomfortable to wear heels for a whole day. During pregnancy, your center of gravity isn’t as balanced as you may be used to as your body weight increases. Your weight increase and the change in your body shape will affect your balance, making it more challenging to hold your own or walk steadily. And the last thing you want is to wobble or fall during pregnancy, as you can harm yourself and your baby.
Moreover, wearing heels late in pregnancy can cause pain due to lax joints and swelling.
You might consider yourself an expert in rocking any heels, but you should stay away from them (even wide-based, clunky ones) until after giving birth. Better safe than sorry!
Candid Mama
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