Top Tips for a healthy pregnancy - Winter 2007

Top Tips for a healthy pregnancy.

You’re pregnant, congratulations! You might be one of the lucky few who sails through pregnancy without any of the usual signs (and by that I mean sickness, swellings and tiredness) but, for the majority who suffer from one thing or another, here are some tips from Mums who have been there!
‘Yoga was a godsend for me and continuing with a personal trainer, not stressing – I’d quit my job and concentrated on other things and even though the income was a lot less, the outgoings were remarkably less so it wasn’t as bad as I’d thought it would be. Not working gave me time to de-clutter our flat and make money by selling stuff on eBay in the process. Most importantly I caught up on sleep, and ‘me’ time.
Sleep and rest whenever you can – don’t make the same mistake that I did when I had two weeks to go and was getting bored and impatient. I just kept doing ‘stuff’ around the house when I should have slept and mounted some reserves for post pregnancy. Giving birth is exhausting and getting used to your new life – feeding, crying, responsibility, nappy changings, less time with your partner, life long commitment, etc. – is quite overwhelming at first and you experience a tiredness like never before. Not even the after effects from the longest party could beat this type of exhaustion’. Michelle Lowe
‘Don't go to the sarnie shop every day for lunch and buy one of everything! – you’ll soon put on 3.5 stone like I did!
If you get a bad back go to an Oestopath ASAP and get it sorted, as it will really slow you down and you won't get the full benefit of any walking you do’. Lorna – Mum to Jack

‘Try and walk as much as you can – you soon don’t feel like too much exercise but a gentle walk, with your iPod or partner as company, does your spirit a world of good (it also helps the baby move into the right position!).

Try and get out to the Mums-to-Be drinks that are organised in Tower Hamlets. It gives you the opportunity to catch up with other Mums (and Dads) in similar situations to you and builds up a good network of friends for when your baby is born.’ Jane – Mum to Elisa
I kept on walking at least 30 min per day if not one hour till the last day. I cooked my meals (no pre-cooked processed food) and ate a lot of vegetables and fruits. Alexia – Mum to Nina

Try a variety of interesting fruits and vegetables - you need to eat at least the recommended five portions, and the same ones can get dull - the choice depends on the season, but I'd have three different fruits in the house to snack on.

Try to keeping walking places for as long as is comfortable - I wimped out too soon, and regretted it as I didn't see very far outside my front door for a few weeks after the birth either (plus walking was possible less comfortable afterwards!) - Claire Bullerwell – Mum to Sarah

If the ginger biscuits/tea don’t help with nausea, try acupuncture. After weeks of hoping the ginger would help I became desperate. My Acupuncturist inserted small 'tacks' into a few places that were a bit like plasters with tiny needles - they were the only thing that helped with my 20 hour a-day nausea. I wished I'd had this done sooner and will try it early on with my next pregnancy. Join an ante-natal yoga class in your second trimester. Not only do you learn useful stretching and strengthening for the birth, but you also get to meet other mums-to-be and it helps to see others further ahead in their pregnancy too. Also, the yoga teachers were able to give useful tips on posture to relive some of the niggles you might be suffering with. And the relaxation part of the class was invaluable for calming a stressed mind, especially at the end of the pregnancy when you wake so frequently in the night and can use the relaxation exercises to get yourself back to sleep. The labour workshop at the Quiet Space gave my husband practical techniques to help with the labour, breathing and also massage tips. We were shown how to use a birthing ball and props. Regular massage, reflexology and osteopathy also eased various aches and pains along the way. From shoulder aches to swollen wrists and water retention. Get yourself a good multi vitamin/mineral and omega 3 supplement. These are also great for once you’ve given birth and for the baby. Get an organic fruit and veggie box delivery - it means there's no excuse about not having healthy food on hand. Get yourself proper maternity clothes early on - there is no point being uncomfortable and the sooner you start wearing them, the more value you get out of them! And get some pure cotton knickers a size or two bigger. If you suffer with a hot belly at night, spray on some water to cool yourself down. And then have two layers of bedding, warmer layer over the legs and a cooler one over the top half (if you are over heating). Speak to other mums to find out what baby gear and equipment they found invaluable, and of course, read your NCT magazine. Wendy - baby due mid-Oct

First post

Kate,

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Have a play with this, and see how you like it.

Joy