Pregnancy is one of the hardest journeys women experience. The severity of pregnancy symptoms differs from one woman to another, but most women agree that the symptoms greatly affect their daily lives.
Unfortunately, pregnancy symptoms can start from 12 days past ovulation, and some women continue to feel these symptoms until the birth of their child. Luckily, there are five tips you could follow to survive the journey of pregnancy. If you are interested in experiencing a symptom-free pregnancy, keep reading.
Nap whenever you can
The best way to overcome pregnancy symptoms is to sleep through them. One of the main early pregnancy symptoms is fatigue. You should listen to your body when it tells you to rest. Growing a baby is not an easy task, and you need to relax your body so all the energy goes to supporting your child.
Many pregnant women feel better when they take naps. Try to take several short naps a day. The fatigue should decrease when you enter your second trimester. It may come back during the third trimester. You should rest when the pressure is too much, but keep in mind that exercise is important in pregnancy. Walking, particularly, is important during the third trimester because it helps prepare your body for labor. So, create a balance between exercising and sleeping.
Drink water and snack frequently
Water intake and snacking frequently can help ease morning sickness which many pregnant women consider the worst pregnancy symptom. Dehydration causes cramping and abdominal pain to get worse. It is very important to keep drinking water during pregnancy. Keep a bottle next to you if you continue to forget to drink. If dehydration occurs, you may have to go to the hospital to get fluid via an IV.
Chewing ice can also decrease nausea and prevent dehydration. If you have nausea and vomiting, you can try to eat foods that can easily be digested like crackers and toast. Always chew gum to decrease the metallic taste that can pregnancy can cause. Avoid greasy food and heavy meals. They can make nausea much worse. Also, avoid leaving your stomach empty. You would feel much more tired and nauseous.
If you are vomiting more than 4 times per day, you may have a condition called hyperemesis gravidarum. If you have this condition, snacks may not help and you may require medical intervention. Doctors will rehydrate you and ease your symptoms. This condition does not harm your baby unless you become very dehydrated.
Buy maternity clothes
As your pregnancy belly grows, your old clothing will become much more uncomfortable. Save yourself from the pain and suffering, and just buy maternity clothing as early as possible (around the second trimester). Maternity jeans can help decrease pressure on the abdominal area. Buy a few good ones. They are worth the money. You should also invest in a high-quality belly band. They help decrease pressure on your legs and help relieve pregnancy aches.
Change your bra. You could buy baggier bras with no metals in them. During the third trimester, there would be much more pressure on your diaphragm causing you to find difficulty in breathing. A push-up bra would make breathing even more difficult. Either don’t wear a bra or buy a comfortable one.
Ask for help
The truth is you are going to need help when you are pregnant. Pregnancy is one of the hardest situations you could be in. So, accept all the help you can get. Even if you are a perfectionist and hate asking for help, you need to relax.
Also, it is okay to say no to the things you do not want to do. If you are not feeling well, you have the right to decline exhausting events, running errands, or visiting others. You shouldn’t feel guilty for declining, and others should understand your situation and how exhausting pregnancy can be.
Lastly, today, there are so many easier alternatives that can make your life easier when you are not feeling okay. For example, only cook when you have the energy. If the pregnancy symptoms bother you, you can order out instead of cooking.
Meditate
Many pregnant women suffer from headaches. The best way to get rid of a headache is to relax. There are many relaxation techniques you could try. Exercising and getting a massage can help relieve headaches. You could also include yoga in your daily routine. Yoga helps prepare your body for labor too. If you want to have a healthy pregnancy, you should totally consider performing yoga and exercising frequently.
In Conclusion
Pregnancy is hard, but you should be able to enjoy it by using these tricks. If the pregnancy symptoms do not decrease with the tips and with time, you should see a doctor. They could prescribe you medication to help ease symptoms.
About the Author
Halimeh Salem is a childcare teacher, a freelance writer, and a mother of two beautiful children, Basem and Sama. She has a BA in English Literature and Translation. To pursue her dreams of helping mothers overcome the obstacles of motherhood, she founded her own blog, Crying Toddlers. She loves spending her free time playing with her children and helping others.
