Stay Fit While Pregnant- Ten Antenatal Advices
Though pregnancy is considered as a physiological event, pregnant woman differs in various physiological aspects than a non-pregnant one. There occur gross hormonal and biochemical changes in a woman’s body after conception. Thus, it imposes some restrictions in different aspects of life as well as needed some form of additional care to stay fit while pregnant. Few health-tips are mentioned here to ensure your pregnancy-period safe.
Diet To Stay Fit While Pregnant
Pregnancy-diet is a bit different: All that is required is a balanced diet and care should be taken that it contains the necessary vitamins and minerals. Of course along with it, your diet should be light, nutritious and easily digestible.2500 Kilocalories/day intake appeared adequate throughout the pregnancy. Practically, in addition to the principal food to stay fit while pregnant, you should drink half a liter, if not, one liter of milk, green leafy vegetables and fruits. Supplementary nutritional therapy with iron is needed for all pregnant women from 16 to 20 weeks onwards.
Change in your Bowel and bladder habit is natural: Constipation is a rule as well as increased urinary frequency. Try to eat as much as water and dietary fiber for regular bowel movement to stay fit while pregnant.
Rest and Sleep Needs During Pregnancy
Ensure adequate rest and sleep: You require 10 hours sleep to stay fit while pregnant. It may be 2 hours in day-time and 8 hours at night. In late-pregnancy you will feel comfortable to sleep in side-posture. You may continue your normal work-schedule, but should avoid hard and strenuous occupation.
You can opt for light exercises : Swimming, cycling or walking and other forms of light aerobic exercises are recommended , provided your pregnancy does not fall into a high risk category. Stop weight lifting, scuba diving, body-contact sports and other harder exercises. Consult your physician if you have respiratory difficulty or palpitation during light exercises.
Travelling should be planned accordingly: Travelling should be planned depending upon current pregnancy status. You should avoid long on road journey in the first trimester and last six weeks. Train route is preferable. Travel in pressurized aircraft offers less risk. Air travel is not allowed if you are suffering from severe anemia, hypertension or sickle-cell disease.
Clothing, shoes and belts should be comfortable: You should wear loose but comfortable garments. High heel shoes should better be avoided in advanced pregnancy when the center of balance alters.
Health Care To Stay Fit While Pregnant
It is the time to care of your breasts: If your nipples are automatically normal, nothing is to be required beyond ordinary cleanliness. If the nipples are retracted, you may require some manipulation to correct it in later months.
Stop Smoking and alcohol. Be careful about medications: All types of addictions have a deleterious effect over the growing fetus. Heavy smokers have smaller babies and there are also more chances of abortion. So stop smoking to stay fit while pregnant. Likewise, alcohol consumption is to be drastically curtailed or stopped as it also causes fetal malformation and small babies.
Likewise, all most all the drugs given to mothers will cross the placenta to reach the fetus. So keep it in mind if you are on some form of medication or will going to have due to any reasons. Please inform or remind your physician regarding your pregnancy status while prescribing any drugs to you.
Immunizations should be chosen carefully: Sometimes you need to be vaccinated, even if you are pregnant. Vaccines are of two forms. Live vaccines and killed. All live vaccines [Rubella, measles, mumps, chicken pox, yellow fever] are contraindicated in pregnant woman while requiring for travelling to endemic zone. However, killed vaccines [Rabies, Hepatitis A and B or tetanus toxoid] can be given as in non-pregnant state.
Coitus is recommended in low-risk pregnancy: You may have it except your pregnancy is at a risk of abortion or preterm labor. Some recommend avoiding it straight away in first three months and last six weeks of pregnancy.