Early pregnancy is an important period for both mother and baby. In the first stage of pregnancy, you will often feel uneasy, and wonder “What is the best way to spend my time in the early stage of pregnancy?”, “How about morning sickness/miscarriage?”. All mothers are worried about so many of the same things.
In this article, we will introduce how you can spend your time in the early stage of pregnancy.
3 Things to Keep in Mind in the Early Stage of Pregnancy
When you get pregnant, what things do you need to be aware of? For your lifestyle, follow these lists.
Improve your lifestyle
A pregnant woman’s body starts to change rapidly. Especially in the early pregnancy, a big difference appears in the physical condition.
Sometimes morning sickness symptoms such as dizziness, loss of appetite, bad feeling, dullness, etc. will cause a disorder in your life rhythm or routine. If you are living an irregular life before pregnancy, start a regular schedule.
You may have heard of this many times, however, this is really important when you get pregnant for you and your baby.
Easy exercise
You may think “I want to put on physical strength for childbirth.” For health maintenance, do easy exercises that can be done after a meal or during free time. If you decide to do “easy exercises” after a meal, you can expect to prevent weight gain from overeating.
However, avoid too much exercise in the early pregnancy. Even mothers with few morning sickness symptoms do not necessarily have stable fetuses. Do easy exercises such as “walking” and “stretching” at the beginning of pregnancy. A walk or stretch after a meal will also make you feel refreshed.
Choose relaxing clothes
In the early stage of pregnancy, your belly may not be too big yet and you may choose the same clothes as before. However, choose relaxing clothes for the sake of your own comfort.
Even you don’t feel the changes in your body, your baby is growing. Therefore, choose loose clothes especially around the waist. Tight clothes may lead you to bad morning sickness as well.
Also, avoid wearing high heels to avoid falling down.
3 Things to Keep in Mind about Food
Next is what to eat when you get pregnant. Take a look.
Well-balanced diet
Try a balanced diet in early pregnancy. Diet is very important because everything you eat will influence your baby.
Eat “green-yellow vegetables” containing abundant nutrients such as vitamins, dietary fiber, iron, folic acid, and soy products containing a lot of protein. When you don’t have enough time, vegetable juice after meals is also recommended.
If the symptoms of severe morning sickness continue, your appetite may be gone. In order to prevent nutritional deficiency, even if the number of meals decreases, try to have a well-balanced diet as much as possible. Also, drink enough water.
Incorporate nutrients that tend to be deficient
“Folic acid” is a nutrient necessary at the beginning of pregnancy. If folic acid is deficient in the early pregnancy, there is a possibility that the baby will have disabilities. Therefore, an intake of 480 μg of folic acid per day is recommended.
Also, iron and calcium should be taken in more quantity than before pregnancy. It is a nutrient that can easily get deficient in the beginning, so pay attention to the dosage during pregnancy.
If you can’t take all of these nutrients from food, take supplements. Even if you have morning sickness and can’t eat anything, you can take supplements easily.
Food to avoid
In the early stages of pregnancy, there are certain kinds of food that you should avoid. Try not to eat rich flavored food as much as possible and refrain from salting. Overconsumption of salt may cause swelling and high blood pressure and increase the risk of toxemia during pregnancy. Also, rich-tasting food will induce morning symptoms.
In addition, the content of mercury may be high in tuna, etc. Mercury has a risk of affecting the central nervous system of the fetus, so you should avoid ingesting it.
3 Things to Keep in Mind to Prevent Miscarriage
When you get pregnant, you may be worried about having a miscarriage. Many pregnant women do. So, please follow the “not to do” lists below.
No alcohol/no smoking
Alcohol will reach the fetus directly through the placenta. Cigarettes also lead to oxygen shortages in babies. And both of them will cause miscarriage or congenital abnormalities.
For those who are suffering from continuing drinking and smoking from the stress brought upon by morning sickness, think about your baby and change your lifestyle.
Conscious of infection prevention
During pregnancy, you will be more susceptible to infections due to reduced immunity and hormonal balance. There is a possibility that it will be transferred to your baby as well.
Rubella, measles, chickenpox, etc. are mentioned as infectious diseases that you need to pay particular attention to during pregnancy. These infections are dangerous that increase the risk of premature birth/miscarriage or congenital abnormalities.
Be careful of prescription
If you need to take medicine in the early pregnancy, see your doctor first. Early in pregnancy is when important organs such as the heart and brain are developing for the baby. Drug abnormalities may occur due to taking medicine.
During pregnancy, you may catch a cold, have headaches, constipation, and so on. However, it’s better to see your doctor and ask which medicines you should or can safely take.
5 Ways to Enjoy Maternity
Pregnancy is a woman’s only privilege and cannot be experienced so many times in life. In the maternity period of about 9 to 10 months, there are big changes in the body. As a result, there are many things that you cannot do as normally, and there are times when stress accumulates. However, there are also pleasures that can only be done during the maternity period.
Build new friendships with other mommies during maternity yoga and clinics
In the maternity period, not only visible changes in the body, like the stomach swelling, happen but also invisible changes mentally, emotionally, and psychologically. A lot of these changes can occur especially in the first maternity season when a lot of uneasiness is usually experienced.
Classes that specialize in maternity are a big help at such times. For maternity yoga and clinics, you can move the body with confidence under the guidance of experts, and release stress.
In addition, one of the most important experiences is your encounter with other mommies who are also “on the way”, and are just as excited as you about childbirth. If it is a maternity class held at a local hospital or municipality, you can continue to connect with each other after childbirth.
Maternity classes also serve as places of support for the pregnancy period, both physically and mentally.
Have a special maternity photoshoot
One of the major experiences that can only be done during maternity is the “maternity photoshoot”, that willprovide you with special memories of your time as a pregnant woman endowed with life – as manifested by your grown tummy.
According to some mothers who have been interviewed:
“My child was born and it was delightful, of course, it was such a pleasure. But a part of me was somewhat lonesome that he (the baby) left me. The time of having a life inside a stomach is really limited. I think that it is important to keep memories of that special pregnant figure in the maternity photograph. It is also good to show these to the children together as they grow up.”
For simple tips on shooting maternity photos, click here.
Consider the things you’re unable to do before and do it right now
One thing that can be done during maternity period is to take advantage of the opportunity to do the things that you like to do very much. Some opinions may not agree, however the maternity season is a very valuable time that you must treasure carefully.
Pregnancy seems to be a good time to consider doing things that you love as much as you want until now.
Have a pre-mama and pre-papa experience
“Pre-mama and Pre-papa experience” is being done at baby supplies stores, hospitals, nursery schools, etc.
“Pre-mama and Pre-papa Experience” aims to increase the awareness of childbirth and child rearing through actual childcare experience of a baby, or by listening to a senior parent/citizen by discussing it.
When a child is born it is often heard from men that they do not have any idea about taking care of a child. Sothis is a good exercise in order for men to have awareness as a dad. Invite your partner to participate with you.
Do the things that you cannot do once your child is born
What we need to do during the maternity period is to do the things that you will hardly have the chance to do once your child is born.
More specifically, you may want to go to a quiet place, such as the movies and museums, and other places that are usually not child-friendly.
Recently, there are musical concerts where you can bring your babies but these are basically performed for children to enjoy. So, it will be a different way of enjoying something from what you can participate as adults.
It is a good idea to think whether certain activities (especially ones that you like to do) can still be enjoyed with your child or children around. So it may be better to spend time enjoying these before giving birth.
Conclusion
In the early pregnancy, take a balanced diet and easy exercise after meals to stay healthy. If you are in good health, there will be a little negative impact on your baby. It is also important to stay relaxed avoid imposing excessive work and housework on yourself. Enjoy maternity life!
