Showing posts with label Pregnancy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pregnancy. Show all posts

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Eating Healthy During Pregnancy




Starting off your with a healthy well



balanced diet is the best thing you do for yourself



and your baby. This way, you'll only need to make



a few adjustments during your pregnancy.





Your first trimester



If you find it tough to maintain a balanced diet



during your first trimester, you can rest assured



that your not alone. Due to queasiness, some



women will eat all of the time and gain a lot of



weight in the process. Other women have trouble



getting food down and subsequently lose weight.





Preventing malnutrition and dehydration are your



most important factors during first trimester.





Calories



When you are pregnant, you need to consume around



300 calories more than usual every day. The best



way to go about doing this is listening to your



body when you are hungry. You should try to eat



as many foods as possible from the bottom of the



food pyramid.





If you gain weight too slow, try eating small



meals and slightly increase the fat in your diet.



You should always eat when you are hungry, as you



are now eating for 2 instead of one.





Calcium



By the second trimester, you'll need around 1,500



milligrams of calcium each day for your bones and



your baby', which is more than a quart of milk.



Calcium is something that's missing from many



diets. Along with milk, other great sources for



calcium include dairy products, calcium fortified



juices, and even calcium tablets.





Fiber



Fiber can help to prevent constipation, which is



a common pregnancy problem. You can find fiber in



whole grains, fruits, and even vegetables. Fiber



supplements such as Metamucil and Citrucel are



safe to take during pregnancy.





Protein



Unless you happen to be a strict vegetarian, your



protein intake is not normally a problem for women



who eat a healthy diet.





Iron



A lot of women will start their pregnancy off with



a bit of iron deficiency. Good sources of iron



include dark leafy green vegetables and meats. Iron



supplements should be avoided, as they can cause



internal symptoms such as cramping, constipation,



or diarrhea.





Vitamins



Seeing as how you get a majority of the vitamins you



need in your diet, you may want to discuss prenatal



vitamins with your doctor. Folate is one of the most



important, and if you are getting enough of it, you



may be able to avoid vitamins all together - just ask



your doctor to make sure.



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Sunday, October 12, 2008

Pregnancy Tips - Fighting Leg Cramps

A painful side effect of pregnancy can be the nightly leg cramps. These painful cramps most often strike when you're in a deep sleep and towards the end of the second trimester of pregnancy. They are excruciating but you can proactively prevent them. This article will give you tips for preventing them. By following a few guidelines and about 2 minutes of leg exercises nightly, you may never have to contend with these painful spasms again.


What causes pregnancy leg cramps?
When pregnant, our bodies go through a major metamorphosis and the additional weight our legs must bare can have an impact on muscles and you can have sciatic pain and femur pain as well. Leg cramps can happen at night due to many factors such as the weight gain, dehydration, poor circulation and vitamin deficiencies. By dealing with circulation, eating well and getting some help from your spouse, you can reduce the chances of having these pains which disturb your much needed rest.
Pregnancy and Vitamins
Be sure you take your prenatal vitamins during pregnancy. Getting enough calcium, magnesium and potassium can reduce the chances of painful leg cramps. Eating a daily banana can increase your potassium levels and reduce the chance of painful muscle spasms like leg cramping.
Hydration
Be sure you're well hydrated. Many pregnant women avoid having a drink before bed to reduce nighttime waking to urinate but dehydration can cause problems with muscles and increase your chances of having leg cramps.
Circulation
Circulation is very important when you're pregnant and can really help you minimize the frequency of aches and pains. If you suffer from repeated problems with leg cramps and other aches and pains, consider taking a nightly bath and soaking with witch hazel which can help with swelling and circulation.
Before you retire for the night, ask your spouse to massage your thighs and calves for you.
Leg Cramp Exercises
Before you retire lay in bed and raise one leg and flex your toes several times. Then rotate ankles clockwise and counterclockwise about ten times each. Then do the other leg.
A combination of all of the above can help you feel better during pregnancy and reduce the likelihood of night wakings with excruciating leg pain.

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