Dorothy FarrarPregnancy
Pregnancy is the most exciting event in every woman’s life – especially the first pregnancy is new and exciting at the same time . Pregnancy is the term used to describe the nine months in which the embryo is in the mother’s womb – i.e. from the time of fertilization to the exciting moment of birth.
Overview
The most obvious sign of pregnancy is the absence of a monthly menstrual period. But cravings, tense breasts and morning sickness can also be a sign of pregnancy.
One of the most feared complications during pregnancy is miscarriage. In the first three months of pregnancy, the risk of this is particularly high. Not unusual is also the widespread nausea during pregnancy – this also occurs more frequently in the first trimester.
Pregnancy calendar: from conception to birth
A normal pregnancy usually lasts 42 weeks and begins on the day of fertilization. Medicine divides this into a total of three trimesters; each trimester is about twelve weeks long.
The second trimester covers the 13th to 28th week of pregnancy. During this period, the baby grows weekly, the pregnancy is now clearly visible to others. The organs are now fully developed and only have to mature. The mother can now also feel the first kicks and tricks.
The third trimester is the final spurt to childbirth. This period is particularly difficult for expectant mothers, since almost every movement becomes difficult. Back pain is not uncommon and restorative sleep is almost impossible. If the baby is born prematurely, the chances of the baby surviving are pretty good.
Nutrition during pregnancy
When woman is pregnant, she must eat for two. However, that doesn’t mean eating everything and as much as possible. On the contrary: It depends on the right diet. During pregnancy, women have a particularly high need for certain foods. You can find out what these are here!
Eat a balanced diet instead!
A pregnant woman should only consume an additional 200 to 300 calories. This corresponds to about two to three children’s chocolate bars or two to three bananas.
Since many people already eat more than they actually need per day, women should pay less attention to eating more during pregnancy. Instead, she should eat the right food.
Eating the right things means eating plenty of milk and whole grain products, but also fruit and vegetables. But there are also some special nutrients that are particularly important during pregnancy. These include:
- 50% more iron
- 50% more folic acid
- 15% more iodine
You can get the additional nutrients from the following foods:
Meat and legumes for increased iron requirements
Iron is mainly found in meat and can also be best utilized through it. Vegetarians can cover their increased iron requirements with beetroot, legumes and millet, for example.
Tomatoes and strawberries for increased folic acid requirements
Folic acid is found in many types of vegetables such as tomatoes, cabbage, potatoes and spinach. Some types of fruit also contain a lot of folic acid, such as strawberries or oranges. However, it is difficult to cover the high folic acid requirement during pregnancy with food alone. In addition, folic acid preparations can be taken. However, this should be coordinated with the doctor in advance!
Sea fish and iodized salt for increased iodine requirements
In order to cover the increased need for iodine during pregnancy, it is recommended to eat sea fish about twice a week. Above all, salmon, mackerel or herring are great suppliers for this. They also contain omega-3 fatty acids , which are important for the body. It is also recommended to use iodized salt to season meals.
↳ Further information: Home remedies for pregnancy problems
Is sauna allowed during pregnancy?
If you want to do something good for yourself and your body, you go to the sauna regularly. Does it have to be avoided during pregnancy? What do you have to consider?
Benefits for mother and baby
Pregnant women in good health who have previously tested their tolerance to the sauna can relax in the hot cabins without hesitation.
A slightly elevated body temperature is not dangerous and as long as temperatures inside the body do not reach 40 degrees, there can be no harm to the baby.
In addition, the muscles and joints in the body relax, recover from the constant stress and become more supple for the coming birth.
Precautions
In order to be able to feel the visit to the sauna house as a wellness stay, you should always play it safe and observe the following instructions:
- When choosing a seat, look for one of the benches below, the temperatures there are not as high compared to those on the upper tiers.
- Even if a steam sauna is the gentler, not so hot sauna variant, your circulation is more complex here. Avoid this burden.
- Choose a dry sauna that is not too hot. Due to the temperatures of up to 100 degrees, this is normally only recommended for sauna users with a stable circulation. However, dry saunas with up to 60 degrees are also offered. Choose this and protect yourself with the milder temperatures.
- Extreme loads such as shock cooling in a cold pool of water are a risk.
- Never more than 2 sauna sessions of a maximum of 15 minutes within one sauna visit and never more than 2 sauna visits a week!
More danger than pleasure?
If your pregnancy has been complicated so far, then in no case should you expose yourself to unnecessary and additional stress. Under normal circumstances, the sauna heat may be pleasant and not perceived as a burden at first glance.
In fact, the hot temperatures inside the body simulate a kind of mild fever. As with an illness, the body temperature rises by up to 2 degrees. This results in an expansion of the blood vessels, faster blood flow and the activation of immune cells.
If you regularly challenge your body with a sauna for at least half a year, you will only benefit from it. Strengthened defenses, fewer sleep disturbances and weather sensitivity have been proven. The complexion can also be proven to improve. This may sound tempting, but obviously the body is working twice as hard as usual.
If you are expecting premature contractions or if they have already occurred, it is strongly discouraged to put additional demands on your body. If you often struggled with dizziness before pregnancy and want to train your circulation with regular gentle sauna sessions, then you should also take a break from training during pregnancy.
Conclusion – This is important during pregnancy
During pregnancy, it is of particular importance that the mother-to-be eats healthily . After all, the nutrients that the mother consumes reach the child directly via the umbilical cord and supply it with it.
Fruit and vegetables should be on the daily menu. In addition, pregnant women have a significantly increased need for iodine – this can be easily covered by eating fish.
Pregnant women typically only need about 250 more calories a day than before pregnancy. So the motto “Eat twice” doesn’t apply at all. Instead, you should focus on quality instead of quantity.
Alcohol and cigarettes should of course be avoided , as these can cause serious permanent damage to the embryo. Sport, on the other hand, is good for pregnant women. Of course you should avoid ball sports or jogging , because these sports can promote a miscarriage.
Swimming, on the other hand, is recommended in every phase of pregnancy and can even counteract the typical pregnancy symptoms.
Especially during the first pregnancy, it is very important that you prepare thoroughly for the birth. With the help of birth preparation courses, fears are dispelled and the mother-to-be can look forward to the birth in a relaxed manner.
Hello and welcome to my Health Guide & Encyclopedia! My name is Dorothy Farrar, and I'm the founder and main author of this platform.
My passion for health and wellness started at a young age when I became interested in the connection between the food we eat and the way we feel. This fascination led me to study nutrition and dietetics in college, where I learned about the importance of a balanced diet and the impact of various nutrients on the body.