It is said that the nine months of pregnancy are a magical time for the mother-to-be. I’m sure they are with a new life growing inside, the new experiences, and all the excitement (with a tad of nervousness) in the air.
Bringing a tiny person into the world is nothing less of a miracle, which is why it requires a lot of planning and preparation in advance for prenatal as well as post-natal care. Putting together a baby-kit replete with samples and freebies of baby products will ready you for the time when he/she arrives into the world.
While doctors will give you their expert advice for most of your queries and confusions, they aren’t going to be with you at all times. Old wives tales aren’t always helpful (or reassuring) either. You need to get all the facts about looking after yourself and your unborn baby right.
Staying healthy during pregnancy depends largely on you. You need to get all the information you’re going to need about the ways in which you can keep yourself and your unborn baby as healthy and safe as possible.
Here’s more on that.
1. Early Prenatal Care
As I’ve already mentioned, good prenatal care is crucial to the health of the mother and the baby. It is advisable to get in touch with your doctor soon as you discover (or may suspect) that you’re pregnant, which will be within 6 to 8 weeks of conception.
During your first prenatal visit, your doctor will discuss your medical history, check you for certain conditions that may be potentially harmful for the fetus, and talk about how you’ve been feeling. You will then be weighed and have your blood pressure checked. This will be done on almost every visit.
Additionally, you will have to undergo a pelvic exam where your doctor will check the size and shape of your uterus, as well as conduct a Pap smear test to check the health of your cervix. Urine and blood tests will also be taken to check for other conditions such as hepatitis and syphilis.
2. What You Eat Matters
Eating well can ensure that you stay fit and have a healthy baby. Focus on getting enough protein and calcium throughout your pregnancy. Apart from that make sure that your food is fresh, high in quality, and well-cooked.
Be wary of the kind of meats you eat. Cold deli meats, undercooked meat, chicken, eggs and seafood (especially fish with high levels of mercury) as well as unpasteurized dairy items should be avoided at all costs as there is a risk of ingesting bacteria/contaminants which can harm the baby.
3. Take Prenatal Supplements
On your visits to your doctor, you will be recommended certain prenatal supplements that contain higher levels of folic acid and iron. Ideally, you should get enough folic acid before you conceive and it is critical that you get it early in your pregnancy. Folic acid brings down the risk of birth defects such as spina bifida in babies.
Further, you need to cater to your increased iron requirements as well, especially in your second and third trimester. Talk to your doctor about the dosages though, to ensure that you do not overdose on anything. If you’re trying certain home remedies, get your doctor’s nod of approval beforehand.
4. Keep Physically Fit
While heavy exercises are a strict no-no during pregnancy, you will need to have a suitable exercise program in place to derive the strength and endurance you need to carry the weight you gain during pregnancy.
Exercising will also help prevent/ease aches, reduce stress, uplift your mood, improve proper blood circulation in your legs, and help endure labor pains. It will also make it easier for you to get back in shape after the delivery.
Remember to keep yourself hydrated. Avoid hot tubs and saunas. See your doctor immediately if exercising causes you any kind of discomfort.
5. Shun Alcohol and Caffeine
This one’s a no-brainer. Don’t drink when you’re pregnant as the alcohol can reach your baby through your bloodstream and lead to an increased risk of having low birth weight, problems with speech, language, learning, and hyperactivity.
Women who drink during pregnancy are at a greater risk for delivering a baby with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), mental/physical retardation and other birth effects. In extreme cases, drinking alcohol can also lead to miscarriage and stillbirth.
Another potentially harmful substance that pregnant women are better off without is caffeine. It has no nutrition and makes it difficult for your body to absorb iron. It may also give the mother sleepless nights leading to headaches and other physical conditions.
It makes sense to stop/limit the consumption of coffee or switch to decaf. Also, avoid drinking tea, aerated water, readymade juices and so-called energy drinks.
6. Say No to Smoking and Drug Abuse
Smoking and taking drugs are extremely harmful and increase the risk of miscarriage, growth problems, placental abruption, premature delivery and can generally make the pregnancy a highly complicated one.
If you’ve been participating in either of these activities, bring it to your doctor’s notice immediately.
7. Avoid Everyday Dangers
If you’re in a job that exposes you to environmental dangers such as chemicals, heavy metals, biological agents, radiation, and so on, you will need to make certain important changes as soon as possible as these elements can be harmful for you and your baby.
Apart from that, common household items that you may be using to keep it clean, pesticides, and lead in drinking water from old pipes can also pose a threat.
8. Visit Your Dentist
Several pregnant women encounter oral health issues such as swollen, bleeding and tender gums (gingivitis), thanks to the hormonal changes, increased progesterone and estrogen levels.
Do make it a point to brush, floss and get regular dental care. Visit your dentist as and when required for dental check-ups and clean-ups.
9. Get Ample Rest
Your body will talk to you throughout your pregnancy, so make sure you listen to it. The fatigue you experience in the first and third trimesters will tell you to slow down and take it easy.
Do give your body ample rest to cope with the changes. If you find it difficult to sleep, put your feet up as you sit and relax with a book or soothing music.
Employ relaxation techniques like yoga, deep breathing, stretching and massages. These will help you deal with the stress and get a better night’s sleep.
10. Be HAPPY
It is important that the mother-to-be stays happy throughout her pregnancy. However, it is common to experience mood swings during this phase.
If your mood swings are extreme and last for more than two weeks at a stretch, you may want to bring that to the notice of your doctor as it may be depression.
Conclusion
The key to the well-being of your child lies in getting regular prenatal care. A healthy mother makes a healthy baby. So ensure that you take excellent care of yourself without taking risks and making compromises. Do not skip visits to your doctor just because everything seems fine. Undergo all recommended examinations. The above tips should put you on the right track towards a healthy and normal pregnancy.
I had got the depo shot twice this year. The second time I got it, I was late for it. I can’t remember when I was suppose to back in get so in other words Im late for my depo shot a month or more. I’ve had spotting & I’ve also had lightish spotting with like I’m not sure if wet discharge I can’t explain, some websites say that means I’m ovulating even if I was recently on depo.
Well I’ve been having unprotected sex almost every weekend. These past days I’ve been feeling bloated & my breasts were hurting earlier today but before that my right breast hurt & my left one didn’t also I’ve had a lot of fatigue but I’m not sure if it’s because of work & also I’ve been eating & getting more hungry. I’ve also been gassy, but I took a pregnancy test dec 1 morning & came out negitive.
Could there still be a possibility I’m pregnant?
When i was 8 years old, my uncle started abusing me. At the time i was scared, vulnerable and confused. I never knew quite what was happening. I mean what 8 year old girl would understand what was happening. As i grew up i started to realize what was happening to me.
To this day i suffer from flashbacks every time i hear his name, or see something that reminds me of him.
My uncle continually raped me until the age of 14. It lasted 7 years. Then my parents and i moved away. By this time i didn’t know what was happening in my body. I was pregnant from rape. I dropped out of school. I had no friends. No support. Its like my life was wiped away from under me.
I was 2 month in to my pregnancy by the time i realized that i was pregnant. I kept my baby. But at the time i was also anorexic. My pregnancy didn’t go as i would have wanted. My body couldn’t digest the amount of food i needed to eat. I was ill. My baby girl was ill. I was stupid and reckless.
I started hanging around with the wrong people and that also didn’t help. I just wanted friends. I wanted company. I needed it, i was going insane. Anyway i did my nine months and i had my baby girl who even though she was born of rape, i loved her very much.
However after giving birth i had to go into surgery as i damaged myself severally. I went in to surgery and came out 4 hours later to find out that my little girl had died. I held her once. Once.
I cried and i cried… all my parents could say was thank god, you can have a future and go back to school and get a good job. My parents didn’t care. They were just glad. I can never have another child again.
The surgery left me infertile. All i can say is i will never forgive myself, my parents or my uncle. I hate everyone now, i hate people, i hate babies, i hate children. But for some reason i had to share my story and try and get it off of my chest. I’m glad that i spoke out. Hopefully this might help someone, they way i needed help.
At 19 I became pregnant by someone I had only known for 3 months or so… When I told him he automatically said that I should get an abortion. That we weren’t ready and we were too young. Abortion for me had never been an option.
I had been against it for myself and never wanted to go through it. However, this man that I’d known for so little time I had already felt strongly for. We had spent every day together. So I went to the clinic. This was my fist ever pregnancy so I had no idea what to expect. When I finally had the ultrasound I opted for them to tell me if there was only one or if there were more little blips in there. There were 2. I was so excited and scared, but I knew that before I even left I wouldn’t be coming back. I told him no and had our twins. He stuck by and when my twins turned 3 I had become pregnant. We were happy, I was ecstatic and I fell even more in love with him.
One day a couple weeks after I found out he came home and the joy was gone and he told me it was bad timing. He promised if I gave up that pregnancy we would definitely do it when the twins turned 5. I did not want to go through that but the man I loved asked me to do it so I made the appointment and went through with it to make him happy. I knew when our twins turned 5 I would have another chance. That was the worst year of my life. I was so sad and I cried all the time. I hated him and I hated myself. Well our twins were 5 and I had become pregnant again. I had no doubts I’d be able to keep this pregnancy because he promised. When I told him this was his response. Word for word and all in one breathe: “I would NEVER ask you to go through that again, I seen how much it hurt you and what you went through, but just not right now.” I couldn’t believe it. I was in shock. But the man I loved asked me to do something again so I made the appointment. I went to the appointment and I couldn’t go through with it. When I got in the car he didn’t understand. It seemed like such a problem that the same day I had him take me back to the clinic.
Outside before I went in I begged him to please let me keep this one. I asked him are you sure? He said yes just not right now it will be better when the twins turn 7. I went back in and was almost refused but they did the procedure and I left. Now a year later I decided to take a stand and I took out my birth control and told him I want another baby and there are no if ands or buts about it. Give me a baby or leave. He did not like that very much but I didn’t care I had wanted a baby since my first abortion and if I could give up something so important to me twice for HIM, he should be able to sacrifice for me. It isn’t like he has to carry the baby or feed the baby. He doesn’t even work so it isn’t like he would have to pick up extra hours to pay for things. I would carry and feed the baby and since I work and support the household I would have to pick up extra hours to pay for things. All I wanted from him was sperm, which I could get anywhere. Finally he said OK. And now 5 months later and still no pregnancy. He has been avoiding having sex on certain days and times of the month. He even pulls out and thinks I don’t know.
The reason I am sharing this story is so that maybe I can save someone from the regret I feel every single day. Not just for having the 2 abortions but for letting him be the deciding factor in my life choices. I am planning on leaving him very soon and moving forward with my life. If a man asks you to do something like this and you don’t want to I encourage you to think about yourself and the fact that he will never know or care about the pain that you will go though. If you do it for anyone do it for yourself because that will make it easier to live with. If I would have done what I wanted and not care if he were to have left or not (which he wouldn’t have) I would most likely have 2 more beautiful kids. Now while I am very blessed to have my twins, I will always have regret and resentment in my heart. There will always be an unfillable void. Please if you do want to go though it there is no judgment here but do it for yourself and no one else. Do not make excuses like I want my kids to have a father or he will love me more if I do this for him. Kids grow up just fine everyday without their dad and I can promise you he won’t. He will own you. Just decide for you and only you. I’ve made this mistake twice now and I would give anything to get at least one back.
Creating a Baby Nursery
Creating a baby nursery seems simple, and therefore is left for the last minute before the baby arrives. However, if parents want their baby nursery to be a cozy place that they can retreat to with their little one, they should prepare their nursery early. Along with pregnancy advice, there are those people who will give advice about all the things a nursery needs and the list can quickly add up.
In order to save money by avoiding spending it on unnecessary items, parents should itemize their list into needs and wants so they can ensure that they purchase all their needs and if there is room in the budget they can purchase some of the wants as well. After all the effort of creating a perfect nursery, the baby is not going to remember what their room looked like, but it is important for parents to have a place of peace for them and the baby, and let’s face it, there is nothing cozier than a baby nursery.
Bedding
Babies do not necessarily need a full bedding set, especially since it is recommended that babies only sleep on a thin sheet to prevent suffocation. But most mothers are not satisfied with the look of a thin sheet on a mattress, so there are ways to keep the baby safe as well as make the crib look put together. Sheets are vital, and parents should purchase several sets, as babies will go through them often. In order to glam up a crib and its many sheets, according to Honest to Nod, a quilt draped stylishly over the side of the crib can add texture and comfort. Crib bedding sets the tone of the room as far as colors, so parents should choose bedding colors that are easily accented with other décor.
The essentials
The changing area is where most of the excitement takes place in a baby nursery, so it is smart for parents to keep everything they need within arms reach of the changing table. For important items that should not be in the baby’s reach, putting them on a decorative shelf is a great way to add style as well as safety to the area. Stimulating décor should be hung in places where the baby can see it when they are laying on the changing table. A changing table acts as a great storage unit and can be organized with stylish baskets. As long as parents do not have to step away from the baby to reach essential items they are good to go!
Baby libraries
Parents under estimate the importance of a cozy rocker. Babies loved to be rocked and talked to, so while they might not understand the story line, reading to a baby while rocking them to sleep can be their favorite pastime. Babies are exhausting so when they are sleeping in your arms it is nice to be in a cozy rocker so maybe you can get some sleep too!
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Source: https://www.crateandbarrel.com/kids-blog/baby-steps-to-building-a-nursery/
