Five Important Things to Remember During Pregnancy

Entire pregnancy period is a wonderful time and full of happiness for every woman. You dream of holding the tiny hands, smile at the thought of cute baby’s face…I always wanted to go back to the time when I was a kid. I wanted to feel the joy of motherhood.

Hence when I got pregnant for the first time I was overwhelmed with excitement at the thought of my little one. At the end of first trimester I had miscarriage. It devastated me. My mental health deteriorated after first miscarriage. I started to recover after few months. My husband and I did not have much idea about the precautions to be taken during pregnancy as a working woman and did not know that everything cannot be done by every woman as our body varies from person to person. Then miscarried for the second time.

Two miscarriages gave me a big lesson that when you are pregnant keep aside all other assignments. Your baby is your priority! Works can be done later on. I took care of myself well during third pregnancy. I still can remember the day when I heard the baby cry and saw my baby for the first time I felt like I was still in my dreams….that feeling was magical!

In this blog I will share with you “FIVE BIG THINGS” I learned during this entire period.

1. Get enough rest: Pregnant women need to take rest during day time for at least 1-2 hours and sound sleep of at least 8 hours at night. Lack of sleep will not only affect you but the growth of your baby too. Sitting or standing for long time should be avoided.

2. Avoid journey: As a working woman during my first and second pregnancy I travelled 40 kms daily. Sometimes it used to be much more than that when I was out for field visit. Journey during pregnancy should be avoided. Going for the doctor’s appointment or to a recreational center does not count as journey as these are not done everyday. If you feel comfortable, walking at slow speed is beneficial. Like I said earlier, human body varies from person to person and some women with prior miscarriage history are particularly advised by the doctors to have bed rest during most of the pregnancy period.

3. Do not get stressed. Some jobs are not very stressful compared to others. Some women have hormonal issues causing more stress. My request: Please keep yourself calm and happy during pregnancy. You may have many personal and professional issues but keep all those issues aside during pregnancy. Listen to spiritual music (if you are spiritual person) or low pace music. Who doesn’t love songs? Listen to your favorite artist. I listened to rhyme songs sometimes when I wanted to listen to them. Start writing diaries…Watch good TV shows. Stay away from all negativity.

4. Eat healthy. Never ever skip your meal. Take your food at regular interval. Eat every two hours. Say a BIG NO to any junk food. I would recommend to take only fresh food (if available). In India usually food is prepared with spices. Add less spices and oil to your food during pregnancy. I avoided fenugreek, garlic, pineapple and papaya during pregnancy. Fenugreek and garlic are known to reduce body weight. Pineapple and papaya are known to have link with miscarriage. Drink plenty of water (minimum 3 liters). Take milk/curd/yogurt and fruits daily alongwith some dry fruits like almond and walnut. In short your intake of healthy food will help the baby grow healthy.

5. Talk to helpful people. Everyone doesn’t know everything. Even though through the internet search we can find answers to many questions it is better to talk to others who have gone through similar stage. I remember during my first miscarriage I did not have the slightest idea of what happens during miscarriage. I had the symptoms and did the internet search. I thought those things were normal as per the internet result. What I want to say here is that please talk to other women with maternity experience, ask your doctor anything that concerns you along with all the helpful Apps and websites.

Be cheerful my dear “soon to be mom”!