Taking Care of Mom
by Rebecca Garland

Pregnancy is an exciting time. All attention shifts from you to the little unborn angel. While this is perfectly natural, it is wise to let a small bit of that extra care and attention remain with Mom. After all, Mom is the primary source of nourishment and care for the new child. If Mom is healthy and happy, it is far more likely baby will be, too.

Healthy Eating
An unborn baby gets nutrients through the placenta. The placenta pulls those nutrients from the mother. If the mother isn’t taking in enough nutritious foods, the baby gets first dibs – including the mother’s stores. This means Mom can actually be losing precious vitamins and minerals to her unborn child.

Pregnancy is draining already, and to be undernourished can make the body that much more fragile and tired. Both Dad and Mom are responsible for making sure everyone’s diet is rich in healthy choices and light on the sweet and salty choices. Mom, especially if she is working out of the home, might be too worn out to even think about throwing something healthy together at the end of the day. Dad needs to step in and arrange dinner whenever Mom needs a break.

Healthy Exercise
There is definitely too much of a good thing when it comes to sweets and, believe it or not, exercise. When a woman gets pregnant, her ligaments begin to loosen all over her body, but especially in her hips and groin. The growing belly can affect her balance, and the extra blood the body makes is already making the heart work a bit harder.

To top all of that off by trying to train for a marathon or even lifting too much weight can cause harm not only to the mother, but there is a slight chance it might even affect the baby or bring on early labor. Some exercise is crucial to helping Mom prepare for the labor and delivery ahead, but sprinting, biking, serious weight lifting and other exercise of the sort is a bit too much.

If an exercise puts strain on the back, which is no longer well supported by abdominals, or could cause you to easily lose your balance, it might be a problem. Anything strenuous that could sprain or pull an already loose muscle or ligament might be a bad idea as well. Most doctors recommend walking or swimming as the ideal exercise for pregnancy because it gives you a good workout without causing too much strain on the joints or heart.

Healthy Restrictions

While it may seem that pregnancy restrictions are taking over your life, they are nothing compared to the changes that baby will make. Any dietary restrictions (such as certain fish and soft cheese) as well as all the other changes you discover you should be making (no alcohol or hot tubs), will seem like a walk in the park when you realize how much your life really changes when your new little one arrives. And the strangest thing is, you’ll be so busy loving that new angel, you won’t even care.

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