10 WAYS TO LOOK AFTER YOURSELF AND YOUR BABY DURING YOUR PREGNANCY

While expecting a baby is a wondrous event in the making, it can often feel anything but, with the morning sickness, cravings, constant fatigue and digestive discomfort. However there are ways to cope with the many challenges of pregnancy to help keep you feeling good and to ensure your baby gets the support they need to grow and develop.

• Morning sickness – Despite its name, "morning sickness" can strike at any time of day during pregnancy and leave you feeling exhausted and miserable. To help manage the symptoms of morning sickness and nausea it’s important to keep your blood sugar levels in balance. This can be helped by eating smaller meals more often, having a protein snack such as a boiled egg or cheese on wholegrain toast before you go to bed, and keeping simple snacks such as plain biscuits, dry cereal or apples on hand and by your bedside. You could also try sipping on fresh ginger tea which may help to settle your stomach.
• Fatigue – It’s completely normal to feel tired during pregnancy, after all growing a baby is hard work! To combat tiredness, rest when you can, drink plenty of water to avoid becoming dehydrated, consume a healthy balanced diet, and get fresh air and exercise.
• Exercise – Keeping active during pregnancy helps your physical and emotional health and also helps prepare your body for childbirth. Try walking half an hour each day, swimming or attending yoga or pilates classes.
• Pelvic floor exercises – Our pelvic floor muscles come under great strain during pregnancy and childbirth so it’s important to strengthen them to help avoid future problems. To do this, lift and squeeze the pelvic floor muscles as if you are trying to stop a wee and hold for five seconds. Relax and repeat up to 10 times.
• Food cravings – Cravings are a common occurrence in pregnancy and are often for bizarre food combinations. While it’s ok to give in to your cravings, ensure you are continuing to eat a good variety of healthy foods. It’s thought that some cravings indicate a vitamin or mineral
  deficiency. Taking a specialised pregnancy multivitamin will help top up your dietary intake and ensure you’re getting the nutrients your body needs during this time.
• Healthy diet – Consuming a healthy balanced diet is important to keep you feeling good and to give your baby the nutrients it needs to grow and develop. Ensure you include plenty of whole grains, fresh fruit and vegies, lean meat and fish, dairy products, legumes and unsalted nuts and seeds into your daily diet. Some foods to avoid during pregnancy because they might be harmful to you or your baby include mould‐ripened soft cheeses like brie, camembert and chevre, undercooked meat, raw eggs, shellfish, pre‐packaged salads and cold, cured deli meats including salami, ham and chorizo.
• Eating for two – Contrary to popular belief, you don’t really need to eat for two during pregnancy but you do require a small amount of extra kilojoules, (around 600kJ in the second and third trimester. This is equivalent to approximately two extra servings of fruit, two slices of wholemeal bread, a tub of natural yoghurt or two boiled eggs per day.
• Digestive discomfort – As your baby grows there will be more pressure on your abdomen, which can result in discomfort. Try to avoid eating late at night, bending, lifting or lying down straight after meals and excessive consumption of tea and coffee. To help reduce constipation, eat plenty of fibre rich fruits, veggies and wholegrain cereals, drink adequate amounts of water and exercise daily.
• Bond with your bump – Connect with your unborn baby by regularly talking to him/her, rubbing your belly when they move and massaging your bump.
• Extra nutrients – Taking a specialised pregnancy multivitamin such as Cenovis Once Daily Multi + Pregnancy & Breastfeeding provides daily nutritional support during pregnancy. It provides folic acid to reduce the risk of your baby developing neural tube defects and iodine and DHA for the development of your baby’s brain. This specialised product also contains zinc and vitamin C to support your immune system and iron for your energy needs.

• Source : cenovis.com,au