Living a healthy lifestyle during pregnancy is essential to you and your growing baby. Vital Juice Daily shares these helpful tips on nutrition, beauty, healing and fitness for the expectant and new mom.
It’s just as important to eat organic when you’re trying to conceive as it is once you are already pregnant. Studies have linked pesticide exposure to impaired hormonal function in women (and semen quality in men!). So get your whole household to make the switch to the big O as soon as you get baby on the brain. Download the Environmental Working Group’s pocket guide to pesticides in produce so you know which fruits and veggies you should always buy organic (e.g. apples, bell peppers, strawberries, and grapes, just to name a few).
Just when you need a bath most (your body aches, you're exhausted all the time), you learn that hot baths may not be the best for you and your baby. If you're pregnant, you can still take baths just as long as the temperature is close to your own body temperature. Anything hotter can damage your baby's developing cells because your baby doesn't have a way to cool off like you do (babies don't sweat in the womb). Keep the bath water under 100 degrees and remember that if you have to ease your foot into the tub, it's probably too hot.
While most of us know to avoid caffeine and alcohol, we’re not as aware that some herbal teas can be risky, as well. Herbs are potent as medication, so it’s important to be mindful of not only which herbs you’re drinking, but also how much of them you’re drinking. Ginger and peppermint are probably safe to drink occasionally in small amounts - but avoid large quantities of chamomile, hibiscus, licorice root, rosemary and sage as they can potentially stimulate the uterus and induce miscarriage. The important thing to remember is to avoid drinking excessive amounts of any tea - it’s all about moderation.
That’s right: To help you get through labor (and recover!) start doing Kegel exercise regularly in your second trimester. What’s a Kegel? If you can tighten your vagina to stop the flow of urine then you’ve identified the right muscle group. Now practice that same contraction when not urinating - that’s a Kegel. Do Kegels in sets of 10 and work up to 3-4 sets about 3 times a day. Doing these pelvic exercises regularly throughout your pregnancy and after will help improve vaginal tone.
Folate is a B vitamin that helps prevent neural tube defects and spinal cord or brain abnormalities in your developing baby. A deficiency can lead to preterm delivery, low birth weight and poor fetal growth. You need 1 milligram of folate or folic acid (the synthetic form of folate found in supplements and fortified foods) daily – both before conception (so it’s best to start a prenatal vitamin 3 months before you get pregnant) and during pregnancy. Leafy green vegetables, citrus fruits, beans, asparagus, peas and fortified cereals are all great sources.
