Pleasant Pregnancy

Here's the conclusion to "Practices for a Pleasant Pregnancy," by Mary Ewing.  Click  here and here to read the earlier posts.

"During this pregnancy, I've tried to stay as limber as possible.  In the past, I've tried to stay active, but by 30 weeks, I usually take to the couch.  Backaches are my biggest enemy, along with swelling of the legs and feet, and being generally uncomfortable.  I have found several things to help combat this.

“1. Regular/weekly chiropractor appointments. Find a reputable chiropractor who will work with your midwife or health practitioner to privde the care you need while pregnant...

“2. Bradley-recommended exercises. I had hoped to take a class in the Bradley method this pregnancy-yes, even though it’s my fourth time around! Unfortunately it didn’t fit into our schedules. Yet, I checked several resources out of our local library that offer a few chapters about moderate, appropriate exercise-mainly stretching and positioning...

“3. Drinking plenty of water. Water retention is usually a sign of dehydration. I’ve known this through all my pregnancies but have not followed it as closely as I should. Usually by 30 weeks, I look more like a sausage than a person. But thankfully, between the chiropractor helping blood flow through the pelvis with a loose and straight spinal column, the stretching and increased water consumption, I have not had to battle thick extremities. This is not only beneficial to me but also to the baby. It helps insure good blood flow to the little one.

“4. Get enough sleep. Sometimes easier said than done-but important. Since I am a night owl, I began enforcing an earlier night time for myself and thankfully began sleeping longer stretches. Also, turn off all electronics in your room.

“Even though I haven’t attained that 'perfect'pregnancy yet, I’m excited about the progress on my journey of making this process healthier for myself and my future child. Sitting here tonight, I feel the kicks and jabs of my little one as she stretches and grows, and I’m extremely thankful for the insights I’ve gained over the last few years. I hope it won’t take you as long as it did me to discover the joy of feeling good while pregnant!”

After this article was published, Mary’s fourth baby arrived safely, weighing 7 lbs. and 8 ounces. Mother and baby were both well, which Mary attributed to the nutrient dense diet she enjoyed during her pregnancy.

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Practices for a Pleasant Pregnancy

When you learn the good news that a baby is on the way, you want to do all you can to take care of your health and the health of the baby.

First, yes, you can absolutely continue taking your SuperMom tablets.  SuperMom is a great pre-natal vitamin.  If you're not already taking 2 a day, you should be sure to take 2 every day.  You can take them together after breakfast or lunch, or you can take one in the morning and one later in the day--whatever seems to be best for you.

Here is an excerpt from an article entitled "Practices for a Pleasant Pregnancy."  The author is Mary Ewing, a part-time employee of Beeyoutiful.

 

"After three pregnancies, each featuring a number of 'pregnancy symptoms' and baby complications following the birth, I had resigned myself to the idea that all my pregnancies would be difficult, and my health would never be great while pregnant. Still, I envied women who actually enjoyed pregnancy. Many feel wonderful and love every minute of it. But I had never experienced such a thing!  Throwing up was a way of life form me with most of my pregnancies-sometimes the entire nine months. I was constipated, had blood sugar problems, anemia, back aches, swelling…you name it!

 

"Since I was convinced a lot of my problems centered on nutrition, I decided to change my diet and be faithful with supplementation to see if my next pregnancy would be any better.  The first few weeks of my fourth (and current) pregnancy were still hard-tiredness, vomiting, migraines, and dizziness-but I stuck with my plan to stay on a healthier diet, get moderate exercise, and use supplements. Slowly I noticed a difference and by week 15, I was actually starting to feel good. By 20 weeks, I consistently felt wonderful. For the first time ever, I was pregnant and felt fine at the same time. 

 

"Despite my success, I was quaking in my boots as I went for gestational diabetes and anemia checks around 30 weeks. I just knew some of my problem was 'genetically me.' I’ve always battled hypoglycemia and anemia, so when my midwife took blood samples, we waited nervously as her machine ticked down the seconds. I almost fell off her couch when the results came back not only normal but textbook normal. As the weeks have passed, I continue to feel fine, sleep well, and have fairly decent energy levels. 

 

"So what did I do this time? Three things:

1. Traditional Diet with Supplementation

2. Moderate Exercise

3. Good rest."

Check back later this week for more from this very helpful article.