Coping with pregnancy

Whether this is your very first baby or even fifth, pregnancy is hard for some mothers, while others breeze through it others can be hospitalized. So I have dug deep throughout the internet and books to find the most relevant tips on coping with your pregnancy.

Exhaustion:

Particularly in the first trimester, tiredness is a huge problem pregnant women face due to the huge pressure of growing a baby, so if you feel like you need to take a nap and you can, do it! A happy and healthy mummy is a healthy and happy baby, so listen to your body and slow down if you need to! Can you ask family or friends to help out, hire a cleaner for an hour or 2 a week just to lighten the load a little? Go to bed earlier, sometimes little things can make a huge difference. Treat yourself, having a massage can really do the trick sometimes to reduce stress and help you relax a little.

Nausea: 

This is another one that gets most women, in fact, Nausea and sickness can hospitalize some pregnant women so it’s really important to try and keep hydrated. Eat small meals, frequently throughout the day to keep your blood sugar levels up and stay away from any harmful food that can cause bloating such as spicy foods and fast foods. Most women say ginger really helps them so a few ginger biscuits with your morning coffee can be a hit.  Making a diary of when you feel sick can help chart your good hours and you can plan your activities,  social and eat during that time. If you lose more that 5% of your body weight, then you must let your Midwife know. See if your partner can help tidy and reorganize the house to minimize odors that trigger you, if you have pets, you may need to clean them out more frequently as your smell will be heightened during your pregnancy. Avoid foods pate, soft cheeses, eggs, peanuts, and liver as these are particular foods that can cause harm during pregnancy. While you are out and about you can carry a little “Sick kit” with some wet wipes, tissues, hand sanitizer, nappy bags, boiled sweets and bottled water, for just in case you may need it as it;s better to be prepared than be caught out.

Sore breasts: 

Yet another lovely symptom of pregnancy is sore breasts, so when you’re in the house don’t wear your bra and buy a nice soft fabric bra that is not underwired or padded just for comfort.

Mood swings: 

Some women experience mood swings, some don’t like their partner touching them at all during this period in their life and this can cause a strain on the relationship. Sitting down with your partner and having a good one to one talk with them about all your feelings will help them try and understand the difficulties you are going through. If you feel like you have depression, then telling your midwife is really important so you can go through the right channels to receive appropriate treatment. It doesn’t make you a bad mother if you have a thunderstorm of crazy thoughts and emotions. Do try and keep your stress levels down, it really isn’t good for you mentally or physically.

Becoming single: 

Unfortunately, sometimes this can happen and what a scary time to be having a baby and having to cope on your own, from your first or if you have other children this is going to be a challenging time so it’s important that you reach out for support from the people you trust during this time. Gingerbread is an association that helps single-parent families, so it maybe a good idea to meet up with other single mums and make a support network especially if you have limited family to help you. Try and keep as healthy as you can to combat the signs of stress, eat well though you may not have an appetite and exercise by walking, swimming or a pregnancy yoga class. Finding that balance is difficult, but in the long run it will help smooth things out.

Money or becoming homeless: 

Nothing worse to be held stranded, but sometimes unfortunate things help, here is where your local council can help you out. Find your local citizen’s advice to get some advice on what government and private associations is available and they maybe able to point you in the right direction to what benefits you are entitled to. Your Local Job center you can apply for a crisis loan. Preparing for your birth will help you keep focused, aiming to do power walking for some exercise and see what anti- natal classes are available for you, this will help you meet other mums to be and give you lots of support. Visit your local home start for added support and see what groups are running at your local sure start community center. Evaluate your immediate needs, what you completely need to survive and work on them first, secondly work through your emotions.

Evaluate your immediate needs, what you completely need to survive and work on them first, secondly work through your emotions do you need extra support and an assessment to the mental health services, just to help you manage your emotions during this difficult time. there is no shame if you do; it’s much better to have a healthy mum and baby than a struggling mum, be safe! Talk about your feelings, don’t bottle them up because sooner or later you’ll explode and that could be messy! Lastly, educate yourself and create a support network to get you through this dark time, because “this too shall pass”

So that’s what I have for this week, I hope that you find it of some use, please do follow me and share with your friends and family if you find my blog interesting.

Love and light, Victoria.