Being pregnant or in the process of trying to conceive, means you have a million and one things to learn and take care of. Pregnancy alters your life in a huge way. Thoughts of your pregnancy may start to overwhelm you as they take over your life. The following advice can help make sure that your pregnancy goes smoothly.
Just like everyone does, women that are pregnant need to be sure that they’re protecting their skin before going out into the sun. When a woman is pregnant, her skin becomes more sensitive to the sun, which makes her more prone to sunburn and increases her risk of skin cancer.
Nutritional Needs
Just because you crave a certain food, it doesn’t mean you should over-indulge in it, especially if it full of empty calories. Your developing baby has particular nutritional needs, much like you do. Stuffing yourself with foods you crave is likely not to satisfy the nutritional needs of your unborn child, so remember to include proper nutrition in your life by eating a balanced diet.
Be sure not to tend to cat litter when you are pregnant. You could get toxoplasmosis from changing a litter box. Toxoplasmosis is caused by a parasite known as parasite Toxoplasma gondii. Cats carry this parasite, and it causes no problems for them or for most people; however, if it is transferred to a developing fetus, it can cause stillbirth, miscarriage or birth defects.
If you are pregnant and you get an illness or eat a food that causes diarrhea, be sure that you drink plenty of fluids. Diarrhea could cause dehydration, but for women who are pregnant, it could potentially bring you to the hospital, in which you will be hooked to intravenous fluids.
Find a birthing class as soon as you can, in order to make sure you get the best dates for you and whoever you use as your labor coach. Don’t procrastinate with the dates because you can’t always control when the baby decides to arrive.
Pay attention to how much folic acid is in your prenatal vitamin. This vitamin helps with tissue development and reduction in risk of certain birth defects.
Don’t give into excessive offers of food by others in your social circle. You are supposed to up your calories during pregnancy but that doesn’t mean you need to eat constantly. Just say, “No thanks.” That is just fine and is often the right thing to say to too much food.
Educate yourself with a class on childbirth. Sign up for your class as early as possible to make sure you have a spot. You should think about taking a class on breastfeeding. These two classes will teach you what you need to know about your immediate future.
Pregnancy is a big step and with it comes many changes to your emotions and your body. The latter can be captured along the way with some great pictures. The miracle of your baby growing inside from month to month may soon be forgotten in the many challenges of caring for a new born and these pictures will be a reminder of this glorious time.
While pregnant, it is important to get ample sleep in order to keep yourself energized and focused on helping your baby grow. You should wear comfy pajamas and keep your bedroom a comfortable temperature.
It can be helpful to create a list of all the things you are going to need and need to do during your pregnancy. Sometimes you can get things done on your list if you ask others for help. Some items may be eliminated altogether.
Stretch your muscles before going to bed to minimize cramping. Cramping in the legs, especially the calves, is a very common complaint for pregnant women. This is due to the extra weight and strain on the leg muscles. By stretching your muscles, you will help them relax which will result in less cramps throughout the night. This will help you to sleep soundly all night long!
Use a high quality, high spf sunscreen if you are expecting during the summer months. The sun’s rays promote melanin production, which leads to a condition called “pregnancy mask.” Also, your face and body will become redder than usual.
If you’re planning on getting pregnant, you have to start tracking your cycle. Once you have some idea of the way your body works, you should be able to get pregnant a lot easier. You’ll also know when you’re pregnant sooner.
It’s not necessary to learn everything in one day. Pregnancy does last a few months, after all. You can learn something new about pregnancy every day! Use the advice of this article as a general base of knowledge, and build on it from there. Most importantly, stay calm and allow yourself all the enjoyment and wonder that pregnancy can offer!