Posts Tagged ‘new pregnant mother’
Heartburn in pregnancy
Posted on: April 4, 2010
Heartburn in pregnancy is actually quite common. Follow these simple tips to help alleviate your symptoms…
During pregnancy, common everyday ailments tend to feel worse, especially during the first and third trimesters. Heartburn is no different. Heartburn is a common ailment, and during pregnancy it tends to surface even more. Most women experience heartburn in pregnancy at some point during their nine-month journey. However, some can be affected worse than others. Fret not — there are things you can do to limit the severity of heartburn during your pregnancy. During the third trimester the baby grows big enough to put pressure on your stomach. This causes the acid in the stomach to reflux. This can be easily avoided, however by avoiding binging and by eating small meals. This will keep acid reflux at bay. Instead of eating three large meals, try to eat five to six smaller meals spread throughout the day.
Your sleeping position can also cause acid to reflux. Sleep with your head and torso elevated to keep the food down in your stomach. Keep yourself comfortable by putting a pillow under your head and your back. Also, try to avoid going to bed within two hours of eating. Wait at least two hours before lying down to give your body some time to digest the food. As a general rule, go to bed two to three hours after you eat to mitigate heartburn in pregnancy. Watching your posture can help prevent heartburn from occurring. Putting pressure on your stomach can cause heartburn in pregnancy. When you sit, do so in an upright position to keep the pressure off your stomach. When you stand or walk, keep your posture erect for the same reason.
A less common way to alleviate heartburn is to wear loose clothing. (Though you probably do this already.) This will also ease the pressure in your stomach. Wearing tight clothing puts unnecessary strain on your stomach and can encourage acid to come up into your esophagus, causing heartburn in pregnancy.
Perhaps the best way to avoid heartburn all together is to stay away from foods that are known to cause heartburn. For obvious reasons, alcohol should be avoided at all costs during pregnancy. Also on the restricted list are chocolate, citrus fruits, tomato-based foods, soft drinks, coffee and acidic juices.
Sipping water throughout your daily activities as opposed to chugging it occasionally can also help. Avoid fried food, food richen fat and vinegar as well. Large quantities of water can actually increase heartburn in pregnancy. By eliminating these foods from your daily diet, you can alleviate the symptoms of heartburn in pregnancy.
Trying for a baby? Being healthy before, during and after pregnancy involves so many different aspects of your life. So, hear is another compiled a quick list to help you stay on the healthy side.
1. See your practitioner before becoming pregnant.
2. Start changing your food habits to include a healthy variety of foods.
3. Exercise! Starting now will help you stay in shape during pregnancy, can lower your risk of miscarriage, and has been proven to help reduce labor complications and length.
4. Educate yourself about pregnancy!
5. Eat a new vegetable you’ve never tried.
6. Figure out what to do about chemical birth control, like the birth control pill.
7. Stop smoking. There are many programs to help you.
8. Take a prenatal vitamin. They can be prescribed by your practitioner or you can buy them over the counter. Ensure it contains0.4 mg of folic acid.
9. Ask your partner to join you on your new healthy habit changes.
10. Track your cycles. Learning what you can about your cycles will help determine when you ovulate and when you conceived. These make for more accurate due dates.
11. If you need anew practitioner, interview before you become pregnant.
Ask your friends about pregnancy and parenthood.
12. Avoid chemicals that could possibly harm your baby. You can find these at work, in your home, and just about anywhere, be environmentally sensitive.
13. See your dentist before you get pregnant and brush your teeth daily.
14. Tell any medical professional that you may be pregnant if you are trying to get pregnant. This can prevent exposure to harmful tests and chemicals if you are pregnant and don’t know it yet.
15. Stop changing cat litter.
16. Remember, it can take up to a year to become pregnant. If you have been actively trying for a year or more than six months if you are over 35, see your practitioner.
17. Act pregnant. This includes not drinking alcohol, even while trying to conceive. There is no known safe level during pregnancy and alcohol can cause birth defects.
18. Announce your pregnancy when you are ready.
19. Talk to your parents, what do you want to take from their experiences? How do you want to be different?
20. Rest when you can. Nap!
21. Drink 6 to 8 ounce glasses of water a day.
22. Join a prenatal yoga or exercise class.
23. Keep your prenatal appointments with your midwife or doctor. This will help ensure that if you have any problems that they are caught early and kept to a minimum.
24. Take an early pregnancy class.
25. Remember to add 300 – 500 calories a day while pregnant.
26. Tour your selection of birth facilities before making a choice if you are not having a home birth.
27. Review the signs of premature labor and warnings signs for when to call your practitioner.
28. Keep a food diary to ensure that you are keeping up with your daily requirements.
29. If you are decorating your house or a nursery remember to avoid fumes often associated with paint and wall paper. Perhaps have friends do the heavy work while you help make snacks for them. Keep the windows open!
30. Baby sits a friend’s baby and learns a bit about caring for a newborn.
31. Swimming is great in late pregnancy. It can help relieve a lot of aches and pains and makes you feel weightless.
32. Take abreast feeding class to help prepare you for the realities of breastfeeding.
33. Stretch before bed to help prevent leg cramps.
34. Continue to exercise, even if you have to slow down. This will help you recover more quickly.
35. Write a birth plan. Something to help you clarify what you want or need for your birth experience. Share this with your practitioners and those you have invited to your birth.
36. Have film and cameras ready!
37. Practice relaxation whenever you can. Try for at least once a day.
38. Do pelvic tilts to help with late pregnancy back pain. It will help relieve your pain and even encourage the baby to assume a good birth position.
39. Pack your bags if you are going to a birth center or hospital. Don’t forget your insurance cards, pregnant registration forms, camera, birth plan, etc.
40. Review the signs of labor and warning signs.
41. Take a picture of yourself before the baby comes!
42. Kiss the baby!
My Baby My World 