HOW TO STAY SAFE DURING PREGNANCY
It’s one of nature’s most amazing phenomenon – you’re carrying a little living thing inside of you! Knowing this, you’ve probably felt the need to be a bit more careful with yourself so as not to shake things up too much for your little one. At the same time, you might still want to enjoy some things that may become more difficult once your baby is out. Just where should you draw the line at pregnancy adventures?
Exercise
Exercise is amazing! And it’s especially awesome for pregnant women because 1) it helps ease aches and pains, 2) it helps you sleep better and 3) it even helps with constipation! You might have even heard that active women usually enjoy easier labour, delivery and recovery! And wow wouldn’t it be great to lose all that baby weight quickly? But don’t just jump into it if you haven’t been regularly active.
If you’ve always been doing high-intensity workouts, and if your doctor gives you the A-okay, by all means workout! But if you’re just getting started, don’t suddenly go run a marathon. The best exercise for pregnant women anything that’s low-impact – so go hiking, swimming, dancing, or do an easy aerobics class or mommy yoga.
What’s the biggest no-no when it comes to exercise when being pregnant? Why, anything where you might get kicked in the tummy, of course! Sorry, but the kickboxing might have to wait. Baby might love kicking you, but he or she sure wouldn’t like being kicked back!
Heels
It’s pretty simple with this one, you could fall! And if you’re already dealing with swollen feet or achy legs, give them a break from heels please! But there’s more reasons why you should slip into comfier flats. To get you ready for birth, your body releases the hormone relaxin which loosens you and your joints and ligaments up. This makes you more flexible for baby’s first appearance but it also puts extra pressure on your joints, back, knees, pelvis, ankles and more! So the best thing to do is simply and quite literally remain down-to-earth during your pregnancy!
Heat
Did you know that pregnant women much like modern smartphones also run the risk of overheating? It’s true! An excess amount of body heat can actually lead to stunted fetal development. This means staying out of the sun, keeping cool in summer, and no hot tubs or sun-tanning. In fact, you might have to miss having a tan for a while because pregnancy makes you more susceptible to the dangers of UV radiation. Hot tubs are a no-go because they cause profuse perspiration which brings more blood to your skin than the uterus and might drastically raise the internal temperature of your amniotic fluid. The good news is that you can always relax in a warm bath that’s not scalding hot. You can even make the bath more luxurious with a bath bomb – but more on that next.
Essential oils
When everything seems to hurt from back pain to sore feet, there’s almost nothing like slipping into a warm relaxing bath and just enjoying those quite moments – while they last, especially! But certain essential oils commonly found in bath products like soap, bath bombs or scrubs, are not really recommended during pregnancy. Some can even cause early contractions! There is a general consensus that these essential oils are safe throughout your pregnancy but preferably only in the second and third trimesters: Bergamot, roman chamomile, geranium, lavender, ylang-ylang, grapefruit, ginger, sweet orange… To be safest, check with the company you buy your products from or with your doctor.
Amusement park rides
Do you really need help being nauseous? Ok maybe you already planned to visit a theme park while on vacation. Is it still ok to go on all those rides? Well… the answer is mostly no. Thing is, those quick starts and stops and jerky motions take a toll on any body, what more a pregnant body. There is the risk of miscarriage due to dislodgement if you’re in the early stages of pregnancy, and those rigorous pressures on your body can also cause premature separation of the placenta from the uterus wall. You can check ahead of time as most amusement park websites will indicate which rides are considered safer for pregnant women, and there’ll be warning signs on rides too. If you have an annual pass, some parks even let you suspend membership until the baby is born. By the way, the same applies to horse riding, snowboarding, skiing, surfing. So maybe skip these thrill rides for now and prepare yourself for the most exciting ride of all about to happen: becoming a parent!