Healthy pregnancy guide: Simple ideas for stress-free pregnancy
5/5
()
About this ebook
Read more from Infinite Ideas
Instant tennis: Skills and techniques to improve your game Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Quit smoking for good: Brilliant little ideas to kick the habit Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Sleep: 10 great tips for a perfect night's sleep Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5MBA: 10 instant MBA lessons Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How to be seductive: A woman's guide to being incredibly sexy Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Interview Answers: 10 brilliant answers to tough interview questions Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHerbal Remedies A – Z: Your complete guide to natural health and beauty Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPerfect skin: Tips and Techniques to Make You Glow Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Design your dream home: Interior design ideas for house and home makeovers Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Be incredibly sexy: Seduction tips for women Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5Instant dance workouts: Fun Moves to Get You Fit Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsInstant canoeing & kayaking: Tips and techniques for perfect paddling Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Create your dream garden: Tips and Techniques to Make Your Garden Bloom Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLose weight: Shortcuts to quick weight loss Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Instant rock climbing: Tips and techniques for getting to the top Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Instant body conditioning: Tips and Techniques for Total Body Workouts Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHelp! I want to change my life: Become the person you want to be Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsInstant golf: Tips and Techniques for Beginners Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsInstant tennis 2: Winning the mental game Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLook gorgeous always: Simple ideas for everyday beauty Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLife Management: Mind-clearing, path-finding, change-making ideas to revitalise your life Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSuccessful marketing: Simple ideas for building your sales Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Be creative: Instant creativity toolbox Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCreative crafting: 52 brilliant ideas for awakening the artistic genius within Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsInstant ab workouts: Secrets of six pack success Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHow to become a top DJ: An insider’s guide to DJing success Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSuper communication the NLP way Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Instant yoga: Relaxing exercises for mind and body Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related to Healthy pregnancy guide
Related ebooks
The Only Pregnancy Book You'll Ever Need: An Expectant Mom's Guide to Everything Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Pregnancy Planner: Essential Advice for Moms-to-Be Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Everything Pregnancy Nutrition Book: What To Eat To Ensure A Healthy Pregnancy Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBorn to Breastfeed: The First Six Weeks and Beyond Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBreastfeeding 101: Breastfeeding How to, Diet, Problems and Tips Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5You've Got it in You: A Positive Guide to Breast Feeding Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsNew Baby 101 - A Midwife's Guide for New Parents Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Breastfeeding: Real Moms Tell You How Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Pregnancy Guide for First Time Moms: A Step-by-Step Guide to Healthy Pregnancy Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsIncrease Breast Milk Supply: A Complete Guide to Increase Breast Milk Supply Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Only Baby Book You'll Ever Need: A Parent's Guide to Everything! Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Mama Natural Week-by-Week Guide to Pregnancy and Childbirth Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5YOU: Having a Baby: The Owner's Manual to a Happy and Healthy Pregnancy Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Eat, Sleep, Poop: A Common Sense Guide to Your Baby's First Year Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Baby Feeding For Beginners (0-12 Months) - Healthy Natural Homemade Food Recipes For Babies And Toddlers Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Breast Feeding: Breastfeeding Guide and Breastfeeding Essentials for New Mothers Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsNutritious Diet During Pregnancy: A Must For Delivering a Healthy Birth Weight Baby Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFit Pregnancy: The Complete Health Plan For You And Your Baby Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsUnderstanding Pregnancy and Childbirth Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Mothering Magazine's Having a Baby, Naturally: The Mothering Magazine Guide to Pregnancy and Childbirth Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Women's Health For You
The Vagina Bible: The Vulva and the Vagina: Separating the Myth from the Medicine Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I'm So Effing Tired: A Proven Plan to Beat Burnout, Boost Your Energy, and Reclaim Your Life Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The First Forty Days: The Essential Art of Nourishing the New Mother Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I'll Start Again Monday: Break the Cycle of Unhealthy Eating Habits with Lasting Spiritual Satisfaction Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Come As You Are: Revised and Updated: The Surprising New Science That Will Transform Your Sex Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Herbal Healing for Women Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5In the FLO: Unlock Your Hormonal Advantage and Revolutionize Your Life Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Hormone Cure: Reclaim Balance, Sleep, Sex Drive and Vitality Naturally with the Gottfried Protocol Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Thinner Leaner Stronger: The Simple Science of Building the Ultimate Female Body Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Step by Step Guide to the Whole 30 Diet: A Detailed Beginners Guide to Losing Weight on the Whole 30 Diet Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Better Sex Through Mindfulness: How Women Can Cultivate Desire Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Woman: An Intimate Geography Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Mama Natural Week-by-Week Guide to Pregnancy and Childbirth Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Gaslighting: The Ultimate Narcissistic Mind Control Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Summary of Emily Nagoski's Come As You Are Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWomanCode: Perfect Your Cycle, Amplify Your Fertility, Supercharge Your Sex Drive, and Become a Power Source Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Menopausing: The positive roadmap to your second spring Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Pain Gap: How Sexism and Racism in Healthcare Kill Women Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Period Power: Harness Your Hormones and Get Your Cycle Working For You Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Fifth Vital Sign: Master Your Cycles & Optimize Your Fertility Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Women Rowing North: Navigating Life’s Currents and Flourishing As We Age Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The 12-Minute Athlete: Get Fitter, Faster, and Stronger Using HIIT and Your Bodyweight Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Vagina: A re-education Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for Healthy pregnancy guide
1 rating0 reviews
Book preview
Healthy pregnancy guide - Infinite Ideas
Introduction
From the moment that stick turns blue, you are bombarded with so much information and ‘dos and don’ts’ about your pregnancy that you can easily feel overwhelmed and confused. Minor worries can become major fears. You become ultra sensitised to every pregnancy scare story until it seems that nothing is safe. Niggling worries and the stress they cause is a more common ‘pregnancy complaint’ than morning sickness. Your healthcare providers are a source of much information and guidance, but that can be focused mainly on the physical side of pregnancy, leaving many questions unanswered and your concerns seeming trivial. You may also find that you are whisked through your appointments so quickly that you forget what you wanted to ask.
That’s where this book helps. It’s not written by a midwife or an obstetrician. It’s written by a parent, just like you. A mother who has been pregnant four times and has felt the same sense of confusion and questions as you.
The tips and advice in this book come from years of experience – mine, and that of friends, family and of the many women I meet in the course of my work. Being pregnant connects us to all the other women who are – and have been – pregnant. Pregnancy is a great leveller, as you learn to blithely discuss your nipples, flatulence and haemorrhoids with near strangers!
This book aims to empower you at a time when it is all too easy to feel like a ‘baby receptacle’. So don’t spoil this blissfully happy experience with ‘what ifs’ and worries – put your feet up (you may as well make the most of being pregnant) with this book and prepare to enjoy it!
1. You’re pregnant!
What changes can you expect immediately?
Queasiness, frequent peeing and tiredness can take the shine off early pregnancy. But rest assured – there are ways of making life easier.
As soon as you get pregnant, your body goes into overdrive – so no wonder you’re tired and possibly weepy. Your body has to cope with creating the placenta – the powerhouse of pregnancy, and your baby’s life-support system – so your lethargy is quite legitimate. It only lasts while your body adjusts and the placenta is formed. By the second trimester, you will have more energy. Try to manage your day to build in as much rest as possible and keep domestic chores to a minimum.
Frequent peeing can be a real nuisance in early pregnancy. It is due to the increase in body fluids that occur at this time. As your pregnancy advances, you may find that the pressure of the uterus makes you want to pee more. Don’t be tempted to drink less –
drink six–eight glasses of water a day. Your pee should be light
or colourless: if it looks dark, you are not drinking enough.
Morning sickness can be the worst part of early pregnancy. For an unlucky few, the nausea and sickness can last longer. Hyperemesis gravidarum is a serious condition affecting 1 in 200 pregnancies. Excessive vomiting, more common with twins and in first pregnancies, can be debilitating and even end in temporary hospitalisation. If you are vomiting excessively, consult your healthcare provider.
‘Morning sickness’ is a misnomer as it can strike at any time. Possibly the reason why many women suffer in the morning is the fact that their stomach is empty. Try to:
Eat something every few hours.
Keep a tin of crackers by the bed to eat first thing.
Drink camomile, ginger or peppermint tea.
Avoid cooking smells if this causes nausea.
Eat bland foods.
Here’s an idea for you
Sea-bands are elastic straps with plastic studs that are worn on each wrist to depress the acupressure point that relieves nausea. They are non-invasive and have no effect on your baby. You can buy them at any large chemists.
2. The risks
Putting perils into perspective.
How much alcohol is safe during pregnancy? None really. When you drink alcohol, it enters the foetal bloodstream in the same concentration as it enters yours. It takes your baby twice as long to eliminate it. Foetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) – where the babies of heavy drinkers are born with problems such as malformation of the head, limbs, heart and nervous system – has been called ‘the hangover that lasts a lifetime’. It only takes five–six units a day for FAS to develop. More moderate drinkers increase the risk of foetal alcohol effect, where behavioural and developmental problems can occur. You also increase the risk of miscarriage and low birth weight.
The babies of smokers are more likely to be lower birth weight, and to suffer from asthma and chest infections – and are more likely to be victims of sudden infant death syndrome (cot death). Smoke poisons your baby with carbon monoxide, and reduces the oxygen that he or she receives through the placenta. Smoking in pregnancy may even reduce the likelihood of you becoming grandparents. A Danish study found that baby boys exposed to smoke in utero grow into men with a 25% below average sperm count.
Toxoplasmosis is a serious infection that can cause miscarriage and abnormalities. It may be found in cat poop so take precautions. This is not a good time to get a new cat. If you already have one, make sure you wear disposable gloves to change the litter tray or avoid doing it. It is likely that you have been exposed to toxoplasmosis at some time and have immunity, but take no risks. Wear gloves when you garden. Make sure any home-grown produce are well washed.
Here’s an idea for you
If you do feel tempted to smoke, dig out the cute little baby clothes you haven’t been able to resist in a bid to put you off. You won’t want the baby clothes to reek as though junior spent the night clubbing.
3. Build a better baby
Nutrition during pregnancy.
Ensure