15 Must-Know Tips For Each Trimester For an Expecting Mother

While motherhood is one of the most special feelings in this world, it doesn’t come easy to any woman, right? There’s a lot that a mum-to-be endures before she can have her bundle of joy in her arms. As a first-time-mum, you may be hearing a lot on how to take care of yourself and your baby. 🙂

To make it a tad bit easier for you, here is a list of essential tips for a smooth sailing pregnancy:

Trimester 1:

1. Know the tests that you must undertake at the onset of your pregnancy. If there are any irregularities, they must be taken care of right away.

2. Consider joining prenatal classes at a location of your convenience. It may help answer a lot of your queries and keep fears at bay.

3. Your body is having to work hard to adapt to the demands of pregnancy, so you may feel very tired. Take rest as much as possible. Catching up on a snooze in the afternoon or an extra hour in the morning may help.

4. Keep yourself hydrated with fruit juices, water or lemon water to seek relief from nausea and morning sickness.

5. Choose at least one good source of folic acid every day, like dark green leafy vegetables and legumes (lima beans, black beans, black-eyed peas and chickpeas). Every pregnant woman needs at least 0.4 mg of folic acid per day to help prevent neural tube defects in the baby.

Trimester 2:

6. Anomaly Scan is a critical scan carried out at between 18-20 weeks, which assures about the critical developmental milestones in your baby.

7. Always wash your fruits and vegetables before eating. While they are the healthiest, unclean raw fruits and vegetables can cause food poisoning, diarrhoea or water-borne diseases such as hepatitis or typhoid. They can also contain bacteria called listeria.

8. If your growing belly has itchiness, rubbing some cream or lotion on your belly and all over your body helps keep the skin supple and smooth, and reduces itchiness. But make sure you choose natural, chemical-free lotions, or natural coconut oil.

9. Urinary tract infection is common in pregnancy. You can avoid it by drinking lots of water, keeping the vagina clean, and emptying your bladder before and after having sex.

10. Tell your dentist if your pregnant. Routine dental care can be received  during the second trimester. All elective dental procedures should be postponed until after the delivery. Avoid dental X-rays during pregnancy.

Trimester 3:

11. During pregnancy, the ligaments in your body naturally become softer and stretch to prepare you for labour. This can put a strain on the joints of your lower back and pelvis, which can cause backache. Wear flat shoes and avoid lifting heavy objects.

12. As a mum-to-be, you must perform at least 70-80 repetitions of Kegel’s exercise daily to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles when the foetus is growing and putting immense pressure on your bladder. This helps during childbirth.

13. Your feet might swell in the latter stages of your pregnancy. Try to elevate them and rest them on the foot stool to avoid any ankle swelling.

14. Choose a bra with wide adjustable straps and fastenings and which has a broad supportive band under the cups. Make sure that the cups fit comfortably and do not gape under the arms. Prefer a cotton one or of a cotton mixture, which allow your skin to breathe properly, particularly if it’s hot weather.

15. Keep practising your breathing techniques for labour. Lastly, have an emergency contact number on your desk and in your bag as a precautionary measure, especially if you are a working woman.

Pregnancy is a beautiful phase, enjoy it and try arranging for a special photoshoot to seal these memories forever!

Also read: 7 popular children’s classics to spark the love for reading, Diaper Hygiene: Things that you took for granted but you shouldn’t!, 5 Tips For Potty Training, Top 11 Do’s and Don’ts for Infant health care

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