Pregnancy can be a very stressful time for a woman. You are growing another human being inside of you, and there are many different ways that this can affect your body. With so many different conditions you can develop, like preeclampsia and diabetes, it’s incredibly important that you pay attention to how you’re taking care of your body. This is imperative for your health as well as that of your unborn baby.
Let’s talk about the three pillars of physical health during pregnancy.
Exercise
There are many ways that you can exercise your body even while you are pregnant. You need to be careful about the types of exercises that you’re doing. You’ll also need to watch your heart rate to make sure it isn’t going up too much. You don’t want to work out using any exercises that would place too much pressure on your midsection. That means you’ll need to leave out things like sit-ups and crunches.
Diet
Pregnancy isn’t the time to focus on losing weight, but you also don’t want to go crazy eating whatever you want during these nine months. The food that you’re choosing to eat will be used to grow and nourish your baby.
Try to eat as healthy as possible, focusing on fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lean protein and skip the refined sugars. Gestational diabetes, if left untreated, can lead to some serious problems, so staying away from unnecessary sugar is essential. It is recommended that you gain anywhere from ten to thirty pounds during pregnancy. This should be gained from healthy food, not junk.
Find Balance
While it is beneficial to stay active during your pregnancy, it is also a good idea to find balance in your life. If you’re still going to be working full time, taking care of other children and keeping up with your social life, make sure that you’re factoring in time to rest and take care of yourself. Get at least eight full hours of sleep each night, and take time to relax in the evenings or on the weekends.
It’s important to listen to your body during your pregnancy. Make sure you are taking all the necessary steps towards having a healthy and enjoyable pregnancy. Not only will this will ensure you give birth to a healthy baby, but it also helps make your recovery much easier. You’ll likely want to get back to your prepregnancy weight, and it’s much easier to do this when you keep your weight gain to a healthy minimum.