Experiencing your first pregnancy can be overwhelming. Here are some pregnancy tips to help make the journey a little easier and less stressful.
Of all the exciting moments in a woman’s life, learning that you’re pregnant has to be the most thrilling one. This is, after all, your first step to parenthood, and there may be a bunch of different questions on your mind right now. Perhaps you’re wondering whether you’re going to be good at your new role, and how you’ll balance everything. You may also be curious to know how the baby will affect your and your partner’s relationship, and if you’ll be able to adjust to your new lifestyle easily.
While there is no one-size-fits-all approach to preparing for motherhood, there are some valuable pieces of advice and pregnancy tips that first-time moms can make use of while on their pregnancy journey. Here are a couple of the most useful ones.
Make healthy nutrition your top priority
As a pregnant first-time mom, chances are, you’ve been receiving advice on a daily basis. It is also highly likely that advice you’re getting is related to nutrition and how you’re now “eating for two”, so you should eat whatever you desire. While it is true that you should increase your caloric intake, that doesn’t mean to simply double the amount you normally eat.
In reality, your little one just needs several hundred calories more from you to ensure proper growth and development. Depending on the trimester you’re in, you want to adjust your caloric intake accordingly. In fact, you don’t have to eat any extra calories during the first three months of your pregnancy. You do, however, need to focus on healthy nutrition during this period. The second trimester will require additional 340 calories per day, while the final trimester will call for an extra 450 kcal on top of your daily intake.
Find an obstetrician you can trust
There’s no denying the importance of having a reliable professional on your side. Pregnancy, along with childbirth and postpartum period all carry their own challenges. You want to have someone to guide you through the process so you can transition to motherhood with ease. Aside from heading to your Obgyn office for regular testing and prenatal care during pregnancy, it is also important that the obstetrician you partner with understands your preferences and answer s all of your questions.
Rather than consulting Google, address your concerns while at the doctor’s. It’s better to get your questions answered by someone who knows you well and has been with you on your journey since day than to blow things out of proportion because of some answer that showed up in Google search.
Come up with a birthing plan
Giving birth is such a special moment – it’s the moment you finally get to meet your little one after such a lengthy journey. It’s also a moment that you finally get to become a parent, so it’s also filled with a rollercoaster of emotions. Therefore, it’s understandable that you’d want this process to go perfectly smoothly. This is why creating a birth plan is an important thing to add to your to-do list.
It allows you to have the birth the way you want it to be, whether that means using certain breathing techniques to help deliver the baby or relying on medications to help manage the pain. What’s important is that you record your wants, needs, and expectations regarding everything from hospital stay to childbirth and labor well in advance so you’re prepared when the labor starts.
Get all the rest you can right now
Truth be told, pregnancy isn’t the same experience for everyone. While some women may have few symptoms, others may have trouble with everything from sleep deprivation to morning sickness. While you can’t do much about certain symptoms, you can take control of some things, such as sleeping.
Getting enough rest is vital, so do your best to get the much-needed shut-eye each night. Aim for at least seven hours of sleep, and take a nap during the day to recharge. To prevent heartburn and indigestion – common sleep disruptors during pregnancy – rely on wedges and pillows. Also, avoid eating 3 hours before bedtime, limit caffeine and spicy foods, and divide your meals into smaller meals you can space out during the day. That will help you get all the rest that will be needed once your little one arrives.
Embrace motherhood by preparing for your new role early on
There’s no denying that motherhood can feel a bit overwhelming at times. However, once you get a grip on this newfound role, everything will be much smoother and a lot easier.
In the meantime, stick with the tips above to ease some of the pregnancy-related worries and make your journey to motherhood a tad bit simpler and much more enjoyable.
