We all know that pregnancy is one of the most wonderful experiences of your life. The happiness, the excitement, the anticipation – all of these emotions swirl together and create a heady mix that is unique to the experience of pregnancy. Many women also genuinely enjoy the feeling of being pregnant in a physical sense also; the utterly individual experience of feeling a baby kick is unlike anything else you will ever experience.

However, while pregnancy can be a true voyage of discovery and excitement, there is also no doubt that it can be something of a challenge too. It is, of course, entirely possible to be delighted and excited at the idea of motherhood and still struggle with the changes that pregnancy tends to cause – and, in particular, the discomfort that you may experience during those transforming 40 weeks.

If you are expecting – or plan to be in the near future – then ensuring optimal comfort and contentment during your pregnancy is well worth exploring. Read on for a number of pregnancy tips that could be just what you need to help you achieve this goal…

#1 – Avoid foods that can exacerbate heartburn

During pregnancy, the food that you consume is incredibly important. For the most part, this is due to the impact on the baby: the list of foods you shouldn’t consume while pregnant is long, and you will also want to ensure you’re eating foods that have been conducive to the health of your growing baby.

However, there is another reason to carefully scrutinise the food and drink that you consume: heartburn. Heartburn is one of the most common pregnancy symptoms; it can last through all three trimesters and cause real distress for many pregnant women. This is the first time I experienced heartburn.

To try and control your heartburn, head to parents.com for a useful list of foods that are known to cause heartburn – if you avoid these troublesome foods, you should be able to lessen the instances of heartburn you experience during the pregnancy.

#2 – Stay active to reduce back pain

Back pain can be a real problem throughout pregnancy, as the weight of your bump places an unusually high amount of strain on the tendons and muscles of your lumbar region.

For decades, the medical profession believed that the best advice for the management of back pain was rest – a few days spent in bed was generally prescribed, keep your feet up and let the area relax. However, modern advice has changed entirely, and now there is evidence that back pain can actually worsen through bed rest – and it’s actually far preferable to stay active.

As a result of this change in attitudes, it’s well worth considering a few gentle exercise options to help alleviate any back pain that you are experiencing. If you set about visiting momsintofitness.com and similar dedicated prenatal exercise options, you will find a host of exercise choices that are suitable for pregnant women to try – and which can genuinely assist with the level of back pain you may be experiencing.

#3 – Skin emollient that suits you

For expectant mums, one of the biggest surprises of pregnancy tends to be how their skin can change. Some find that their skin is more oily but the most common change is dryness, which can be extremely uncomfortable if left unchecked.

It’s therefore wise to find a skin emollient that suits you; there’s no “one size fits all” product that suits everyone during pregnancy. One way to keep the costs down when trying to find your perfect product is to only buy travel-sized containers while experimenting; you can then purchase the full-sized options when you’re confident that the product is suitable for you.

#4 – Consider “sea bands” for nausea

The idea that “sea bands” can be beneficial for nausea during pregnancy is largely thought to be a myth – but the evidence suggests otherwise. Studies have concluded that sea bands genuinely are an option for controlling nausea and vomiting throughout pregnancy, so it may be worth giving them a go if this is an area you are particularly struggling with.

#5 – Opt for a pregnancy pillow if you’re struggling to sleep

Sleep is so important during pregnancy, but sleep can also be genuinely hard to come by – largely due to physical discomfort. Thankfully, there is a solution: pregnancy pillows provide support for your entire body during sleep, and many expectant mums insist these pillows are an absolute must-have.

There’s a great rundown of the options available at madeformums.com, so you may want to browse your options and see which might work the best for you.

#6 – Someone to talk to

Thus far, we have focused on comfort and contentment in terms of physical aspects; these are undoubtedly important, and will usually dominate the thoughts of most expectant mums. However, it’s also important to be comfortable in your mental health – and this can be a particular challenge for expectant mums.

There is a societal expectation that all expectant mums are ecstatic and excited 100% of the time. However, this overlooks the fact that pregnancy can be difficult, and that it is entirely natural to feel concerned about how your life is going to change when the baby has arrived.

You don’t have to feel delighted and blessed all the time, and you may find it useful to have someone to talk to  who will validate the less-than-perfect feelings you may experience from time to time. This is especially true if you are among the at-risk groups for conditions such as antenatal depression, which you can find out more about on sciencedirect.com.

Pregnancy can be lonely, but having someone to talk to – be it a friend, family member, or even a dedicated therapist – really can make all the difference to your mental health, contentment, and overall well-being.

In conclusion

Pregnancy is a wonderful time, but it also poses a number of issues to expectant mothers; issues that you are going to want to address. After all, if you follow the advice above in an effort to achieve a more comfortable and content pregnancy, you should be able to focus all the more on the excitement and anticipation that accompanies pregnancy. As you feel more comfortable you’ll be free to focus on the adventure that awaits you in the future. Good luck!

If you liked this post you may like Breastfeeding Twins – The Journey With (Apparently) No End over at Becca Blogs It Out.

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