While pregnant, it is advisable that the woman follows a series of guidelines which will help her to have an ideal state of health.
Expecting a baby does not mean you are ill, which means that many activities can be done. However, it must be taken into account that pregnancy may mean some limitations for the mother-to-be.
Provided below is an index with the 4 points we are going to expand on in this article.
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Personal hygiene
Pregnant women should pay special attention to their mouth, since teeth become much more sensitive during pregnancy and the gums are more likely to bleed or become inflamed.
In addition to eating greater amounts of meat, dietary supplements may prevent the constant bleeding of the gums while pregnant. During early pregnancy, the gums should be carefully brushed. However, if they keep on weakening (gingivitis) throughout the gestation period, visiting your dentist is advisable. Using mouthwash may improve your oral health and avoid gingivitis to develop into periodontitis (a.k.a. pyorrhea), a severe disease affecting the gums that may even lead to preterm birth.
The private areas of the body also demand special care during pregnancy. For instance, urinary tract infections (UTI) or bladder infections are the second most frequent problem among pregnancy women behind anemia. Washing your private area with special shower gels is highly recommended in order to reduce risk.
Breaking bad habits
When a woman is aware that she is expecting a child, she must put aside habits which may cause damage in the baby-to-be such as:
- Alcohol
- Tobacco
- Drugs or medicines: although medicines are used for relieving pain, it is necessary to ask the doctor if they can be used even while pregnant, since for example analgesics are able to go through the placenta and damage the fetus.
Especially during pregnancy, a balanced diet should be followed. However, it should be taken into account that, contrary to what was formerly thought, eating for two is not recommended, although pregnant women should include all kinds of foods and essential nutrients on their daily food. Iron-rich dishes such as legumes and red meat are recommended as a preventive measure against anemia; besides, they will provide the pregnant woman with the necessary strength to stand daily physical activity.
Physical activity is another aspect that should be included in every pregnant woman's routine, although it should be mild to moderate, always under the supervision of your obstetrician. Taking sports up during pregnancy is not recommended though. Conversely, if the woman was used to practice sports before being pregnant, it should be adapted to her new condition. If she leaded a sedentary lifestyle before pregnancy, just walking is recommended, since it promotes blood circulation while you do some exercise.
During the final sprint of pregnancy, especially when the woman is about to be 40 weeks pregnant, she is recommended to walk daily to promote childbirth.
Emotional support
It is very important to look after the pregnant woman. Family support, especially the one of the partner, is essential for the woman to live this wonderful process appropriately. During gestation, mood swings are usual because of hormone imbalance; therefore, feeling nurtured, listened and well pampered is highly important.
It is not unusual for pregnant women to experience mood swings. Usually, having sad or even depressive feelings is common after the initial joy felt after finding out that pregnancy has been achieved.
During the second trimester, women usually tend to feel more energized and comfortable with her own body. Early nausea has vanished and now she is starting to notice her belly growing, but she can still move her body easily.
In the final stages of pregnancy, it is not uncommon to experience a sudden change of mood due to the lack of comfort caused by excess weight, back pain, and limited mobility. That adds up to the fear of childbirth and the anxiety to see the baby’s face and to check that he or she is healthy and everything went as expected.
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Hey, I just found out I’m 4 wks pregnant and I’m very concerned about dental care in pregnancy. You see, I’ve been for more than 8 months on a waiting list to have some holes filled and wisdom teeth removed -my natural teeth were not very healthy as you see. Now that I’m pregnant, I don’t know whether I should wait to have this done, because it’s painful and I want it done once and for all 🙁 I’ve been reading a little bit about this issue, and I came to the conclusion that I can’t have my wisdom teeth removed while on pregnancy (I’ll face it) but what about the fillings? Is it the same? What are the risks? I think if I don’t have them removed by next year, I’ll lose my teeth 🙁
Dear Cora,
You can have fillings done while pregnant, but not your wisdom teeth as you say, due to the medications used. As for the fillings, sometimes they use an alternative local anesthesia that is less invasive, but using the normal local anesthetic is fine as well. Nevertheless, it is important that you don’t do any xray, because the amount of radiation in dental xray may have an impact on the fetus.
Hope this helps 😉