Tips for Having a Healthy Pregnancy

To avoid unnecessary aches and pains as you await the arrival of your child, here are some practical tips.

Relieve the most common pregnancy discomforts

Swollen legs, heartburn, and back pain are among the most common complaints of pregnant women. Finding a solution to these issues will make your pregnancy much more pleasant.

Below you’ll find a list of common recommendations for dealing with discomfort while you’re pregnant.

Water retention in the legs

To relieve edema in your legs, we suggest the following:

• Walking is one of the best exercises during pregnancy. It reduces swelling of the ankles, feet and fingers.
• Lie down and elevate your feet. This position reduces the pressure that your body places on your legs.
• Use flat shoes, or shoes with low heels. Avoid walking around with tight footwear.
• Change positions. Don’t stay in the same position for long periods of time.
• Massage your extremities. Giving yourself a massage stimulates your lymphatic glands and favors the lymph circulation.
• Drink infusions made with diuretic plants (check with your doctor about which options are safe during pregnancy)
• Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, stay hydrated, and limit your salt intake.

Heartburn

You can reduce heartburn or acid indigestion during pregnancy by putting the following tips into practice:

• Eat moderately. Slow digestion during pregnancy can lead to acidity. When you eat a lot, digestion becomes more difficult.
• Don’t lie down right after you eat.
• Avoid carbonated drinks, coffee and acidic foods.
• Sleep with your torso slightly elevated with the help of a pillow. This will keep your gastric juices from flowing up the esophagus and producing a burning sensation.

Lower back pain

To reduce pain in your lower back and enjoy a healthy, pleasant pregnancy, try the following:

• Avoid sitting for long periods of time. Remaining seated for too long places too much burden on your spinal column and hips.
• Pay attention to your posture. When seated, try to always keep your torso straight.
• Don’t do any heavy lifting.
• Avoid overdoing it when it comes to household tasks.
• If you need to pick up something from the floor, squat down in a vertical position. Don’t ever bend forward.
• Do morning exercises. Stretch every day as soon as you get up.
• Stay away from shoes with high heels

Maintain a healthy diet, enjoy a healthy pregnancy

Proper nutrition is an important part of a healthy pregnancy. This means paying attention to the caloric value of everything you eat.

It also means drinking plenty of water, and choosing what you eat according to the food pyramid. You should always strive to maintain a balanced diet.

A healthy diet during your pregnancy isn’t just about sustaining your own body. It’s also the pathway to giving your growing baby the nutrition he or she needs to develop properly.

But this doesn’t mean you’re “eating for two” or that you need to eat twice as much. What you should do is reduce your consumption of sugar and salt, and that you include the following in your diet:

1. Cod, tuna, tilapia, flounder, etc. White fish is easy to digest, making it perfect for pregnancy – especially if you’re dealing with slow digestion. This type of fish is rich in omega 3 fatty acids, and vitamins A, B and D. They also possess minerals such as iodine.
2. Eggs, in moderation. This is another food that can’t be lacking in your pregnancy diet. Phosphorous, iodine, iron, potassium, zinc, and selenium are all found in eggs. And they are rich in vitamins A, B and D as well.
3. And, of course, eat plenty of grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables. These food groups are rich in all sorts of vitamins and minerals.

Having a healthy pregnancy can be a much easier task than you might believe.

Leaving any unforeseen issues aside, we’re sure that you’ll discover that you can truly enjoy the next nine months.