Pregnancy is a really exciting time, however it can also be one of confusion, with lots of conflicting advice!
To help, Sea-Band has invited experienced practicing midwife, Gill Perks to give her top tips, to help all mothers-to-be along their pregnancy journey. 1. It is safe for women to exercise when pregnant and recommended that all try and have about 2.5 hours of moderate intensity activity spread throughout the week. Women who are used to exercise before pregnancy can maintain their level of activity in pregnancy as long as they are comfortable - however, be sure not to try anything new or more strenuous than usual.
2. Some foods should be avoided in pregnancy. Always wash fruit and vegetables carefully before consumption. Guidance has recently changed and runny eggs are safe to eat if they have the Lion Mark. Avoid unpasteurised and unripe cheeses, pâté and do not eat more than two tins of tuna fish per week as well as avoiding shark, marlin and swordfish. Caffeine should only be drunk in moderation, beware of caffeine in coca cola too, and alcohol should be avoided altogether.
3. Wear gloves when gardening or changing cat litter to protect your baby from toxoplasmosis. Wash your hands before you put anything in your mouth!
4. It’s really important that friends and family offer lots of support in pregnancy, especially during the first 12 weeks, when expectant mothers can feel extremely tired and especially if suffer from morning sickness. If possible, having other people do the shopping and cooking can make enjoying foods easier and allows you to rest.
5. Avoid tight, restrictive clothing, particularly around the waistline. Pregnancy is a time to make yourself as comfortable as possible! Varicose veins can also appear during pregnancy, so avoid
standing around for long periods and consider support stockings. See your GP if the problem persists. 6. Write a birth plan, even better call this ‘birth preferences’ and share with everyone who will be involved with the birth. This should ideally be ready by about 36 weeks when a pregnant woman can expect to have an opportunity to discuss her birth preferences with a midwife and perhaps visit their chosen birth setting. The birth preferences should include who you will want with you during labor and birth and the types of comfort measures you would like, for example, massage, labouring in water or gas and air. Of course, it is normal that some of these preferences may change during labor and you are free to change your mind! Some thought and consideration of preferences can be really helpful prior to the labor itself.
7. When people offer you help with your new baby say “yes please, bring me a meal!” Find more tips from Gill, including videos, and find out your pregnancy superpower here! -http://queasycalculator.com/pregnancy-toolkit/ About Sea-Bands: · Sea-Bands are acupressure knitted wrist bands that are clinically proven to relieve motion sickness and morning sickness in addition to helping with post-operative and chemotherapy-induced nausea · Available from all major retailers and online: o Adult Sea-Band available from Boots: £8.59 o Child Sea-Band available from Boots : £8.59 · Sea-Bands are the natural choice for drug free relief of all types of nausea o Natural relief o No side effects o Effective o Reusable o Washable · For more information about types of nausea and forms of prevention, visit the Sea-Band website: www.sea-band.com
COMPETITION To have a chance to win your own Sea-Bands, be sure to read Gill Perk’s top tips for pregnancy and then answer the following question! Q: By which time should a birth plan ideally be ready by? Leave your answers below and 5 winners will be chosen on 20th January 2018.
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