The joy of a mother is to have kids, seeing them grow and play around. But, making the babies, carrying them, giving birth to them, and raising them doesn’t come easy, and it comes with many complications and suffering.
However, these complications can be reduced through healthy living. Healthy living means both your mental and physical health are balanced. Healthy living is attributed to healthy eating, exercising, and quitting some behaviors.
For pregnant women, it is vital to stay healthy for your sake and the unborn baby’s sake. Some of the reasons pregnant and breastfeeding mothers should visit healthy are:
Increases energy
Fatigue is common in most pregnant women because of the hormonal changes that happen in the. Controlling this fatigue can be challenging, especially during the early stages of pregnancy.
Staying healthy will boost your energy while pregnant. Eating iron-rich foods helps sustain your increased blood volume and stores the iron for the fetus.
Improves sleep
Less night sleep is a common factor for most pregnant mothers, contrary to what should happen. Physical discomforts and hormone changes are some of the causes of insufficient sleep. It is advisable to have enough sleep when you are pregnant to avoid complications like insomnia which can also affect the development and growth of the baby.
Staying healthy while pregnant and when breastfeeding can help improve your sleep. You can achieve this by avoiding foods high in caffeine and eating food that helps in productive sleep. Also, do some exercise for physical and mental well-being to improve sleep.
Reduce infections
Pregnant women are likely to get infections during pregnancy or delivery, sometimes leading to complications for both the mother and the child. For example, diseases like Sexully transmitted infections, HIV, flu, herpes, etc., can occur.
Stay healthy while pregnant to avoid and reduce getting infected or affecting your baby. You can stay healthy by:
- Getting tested for STIs
- Maintaining good hygiene
- Getting vaccinated
- Avoiding raw meat
Reduces preterm labor.
This is labor that begins before the usual labor weeks. Having unhealthy living causes infections that can further lead to preterm labor.
Babies born prematurely have not fully developed organs like lungs and brains, increasing the risk of health problems.
Reduces miscarriage
Miscarriage can be a result of many things. One of the causes of miscarriage is abuse, and abuse can either be emotional or physical.
Your partner can cause emotional abuse. He can try controlling by dictating what you should do. Sometimes, he can blame you for things you haven’t done. When this happens, you can be depressed and start drinking or smoking to relieve the stress. This can cause miscarriage.
Your partner may also abuse you physically by kicking, choking, hitting, or even slapping, which can cause vaginal bleeding leading to miscarriage.
Reduced high blood pressure
When the arteries carrying blood from the heart to other body organs contract, it can lead to high blood pressure. Blood is responsible for carrying oxygen and nutrients to the fetus from the mother. When the is a reduction in blood flow, fewer nutrients and oxygen reach the fetus leading to slow growth.
To avoid high blood pressure during pregnancy, eat healthy food and have enough rest.
Helps avoid stillbirth
Poor fetal growth, infection, and chronic health issues of the mother are some of the causes of stillbirth. Staying healthy can help prevent disease, leading to the avoidance of stillbirth.
Staying healthy is vital to pregnant and breastfeeding mothers as it helps avoid complications for the mother and the child.
Healthy living is diverse as it entails not only healthy eating but also a person’s mental and physical well-being.
