Get Better Sleep During Your Pregnancy
It’s always important to take good care of your body, and this task only becomes more important when you are pregnant. Even healthy pregnancies can be hard on a woman’s body. With weight gain and hormone changes, women will need to change up their routines, vitamins, and diet to feel comfortable and to provide a healthy environment for their baby to grow in. Keep reading to learn how to make your pregnancy go smoother.
Take Prenatal Vitamins
Taking prenatal vitamins is one of the best things a mother-to-be can do to make her pregnancy go by smoother. Women can even start taking prenatal vitamins, such as prenatal plus, before they become pregnant. If women are not taking prenatal vitamins before they are pregnant, it is best to begin taking the vitamins as soon as they can once they know they are pregnant.
When picking a prenatal vitamin, there are a few things you should look for. A good prenatal vitamin will contain folic acid, which is vital for a baby’s development. A good prenatal multivitamin will also include iron, zinc, and vitamins A, B, B12, C, D, D3, and E.
Avoid Alcohol and Caffeine
Drinking alcohol can be detrimental to the health of the baby. While drinking communion wine is fine, avoid getting drunk or otherwise drinking excess amounts of alcohol. Doing so can cause a baby’s brain to develop improperly. In the worst-case scenarios, a baby can be born with fetal alcohol syndrome.
Drinking caffeine is not as harmful as drinking alcohol, but both should be avoided nonetheless. Drinking too much caffeine, in beverages such as coffee, soda, or energy drinks, heightens the risk of miscarriage. For this reason, it’s best to opt for caffeine-free versions of your favorite drinks.
Try Kegel Exercises
Practicing kegel exercises is a great way to strengthen your pelvic muscles. This can make giving birth much easier than it would be for women who do not practice kegel exercises. Practicing kegel exercises can also prevent bowel problems.
You don’t need to go to a gym to practice kegel exercises– you can do it anytime, anywhere, and no one will even be able to tell that you are doing it. To do a kegel, squeeze your muscles in such a way as you would if you were trying to stop yourself from urinating. Hold this position for three seconds at a time. Repeat this as often as you can to get the best results.
Avoid Certain Chores
Doing chores that might expose you to harsh chemicals or involve heavy lifting should be avoided throughout your pregnancy, and for some time afterward, especially if you are breastfeeding. Instead, try to get someone else to do those chores for you or change up the cleaning supplies you use.
Whenever possible, don’t use cleaners that use harsh chemicals, including bleach and ammonia. Instead, opt for cleaning supplies that are made with all-natural ingredients. Along the same line as chemicals, avoiding cleaning a cat’s litter box. Fecal matter in cat feces can sometimes contain toxoplasmosis, which should be avoided at all costs.
Outside of avoiding chemicals, it’s also best to avoid chores that involve standing around for long periods of time, standing in front of hot items (like an oven) for long periods of time, and climbing on ladders. Avoid ladders as best as you can. When it comes to chores that involve a lot of standing, make sure to remember to take breaks to let yourself rest.
Attend Childbirth Classes
Even if you have already had children, it’s never a bad idea to take a childbirth class to refresh your memory or to learn things for the first time. What you will learn in these classes will depend on what type of class you are taking and who is teaching the class. Most of the time, mothers are likely to learn breathing techniques and birthing positions.
Do all of the things in this list to make your pregnancy go by as smoothly and safely as possible. While these cannot guarantee a perfect pregnancy, these tips can go a long way to helping you get as close to perfect as possible.
The Importance of Sleeping for Two
For many new mothers, getting adequate sleep is even less likely after labor and delivery. It’s critical that all pregnant women prioritize sleep before then. Identifying and treating any sleep breathing disorders benefit both mother and baby.
A few ways to ensure adequate sleep and defend against sleep breathing problems during pregnancy include:
- Napping whenever practical.
- Left-side sleeping, which improves blood circulation and helps keep the airway open.
- Using saline nasal spray for congestion.
- Getting 30 minutes of exercise daily (per physician approval).
- Eating a balanced diet for healthy metabolism.
- Opting for a bedside humidifier to keep sinuses clear.
- Treatment for OSA during pregnancy
OSA in pregnancy is a dynamic process made apparent by different m
arkers with each passing trimester. A thorough healthcare provider should screen patients at trimester intervals to identify any breathing problems.
Screening especially during the second trimester has been shown to be effective in pinpointing sleep breathing problems, and comparisons of BMI in the third trimester can reliably predict new onset of OSA.
Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy is considered the safest and most effective treatment for OSA, but it does require diagnosis and a prescription.
Don’t hesitate to tell your caregiver about bedtime stuffiness, loud snoring, nighttime choking or gasping, morning headaches, dry mouth or sore throat upon awakening, or excessive daytime sleepiness.
