Before your newborn moves in have you decided on something exciting with your partner? Well, there is a relaxed gateway that you should not miss at any cost, and it is the babymoon. These days, a babymoon is trending among the new mums-to-be, they are similar to honeymoons, where couples choose to spend the holiday at a good peaceful place before the baby arrives and before the hectic schedule just hit them. This traditional honeymoon kind a vacation is being spent at the specific and popular babymoon places during the pregnancy period.

This short break, which is usually taken during the second or third trimester gives both parents quality time to spend together. The places chosen for babymoon should not be too hot and do not have mosquitoes that are more likely to spread viruses and infections.

The idea of a babymoon is not bad for pregnant women who are already going through a tough time and become exhausted due to constant nausea, anxiety, and drowsiness. This is the best time to refresh and cheer up and plan something for the newest family member.

The trend of a babymoon is growing very fast every year. This tourism plan is grabbing the attention of the couples who are parents-to-be. There is no such literal definition of the term babymoon, however, it has been named specifically to the relaxing couples. It has been noticed that the tour operators are sending couples far and wide on these babymoon trips.

Why you should not miss it?

There is nothing wrong to take your partner far from the hassles of life and have some time out of worries when you both are going to dive into a tough schedule. Well, it is the best time to pamper your wants and have your favorite food. This time with your partner you can enjoy the favorite cocktail in the pool. You have the best opportunity to have some me-time, so put your favorite books in the luggage and read them on the fancy nights.

This relaxation is beneficial for your physical and psychological health. You can have more time with your partner, which you are not going to get when your baby arrives. It is the best time to throw away the stress and tantrums. Mums-to-be needs more attention from the partner, and babymoon is the best way!

What to Consider when going on Babymoon?

When you have finally decided to go on the babymoon, there are things to consider to make the trip more feasible and secure.

  • Make the trip relaxing, avoid roaming without taking a rest. Keep it slow, as pregnant women become tired most of the time. Instead, enjoy near the pool.
  • During pregnancy keeping yourself hydrated is important. While traveling, pregnant women are recommended to drink plenty of water.
  • Try to protect yourself from viruses and infections. Consult with your doctor before leaving.
  • There are foods that pregnant women are not recommended to eat. While traveling, make sure you are taking a healthy diet, and do not forget to check the food hygiene.

For the C-section, an epidural is considered to be safe, but all the medical precautions should be followed. Well, labor is hard and painful for every woman, but C-sections are conducted in rare cases if the labor does not seem to be possible. C-section makes the whole process comfortable, but before that women are injected anesthesia, and epidural is the most common type of it. The epidural injection gives relief from the pain, which is generally injected in the lower part of the back.

Proper anesthesiologists handle the whole procedure, which numbs the area where the epidural has been injected. It numbs from the bellybutton to the upper legs, it keeps the women awake throughout the delivery process, and this pain medication works after 15 minutes. The whole process looks so smooth, however, it could have some side effects which are not known for some. Here are the rare side effects enlisted which should be discussed with the doctor, of occurs.

Low Blood Pressure

The epidural block distresses the nerve fibers that help in muscle contraction in the blood vessels. This leads to a drop in blood pressure in about 14 percent of women who got epidural in labor. Although, this is not considered to be much harmful, however, if the blood pressure got too low, it could affect the baby’s blood flow. The blood pressure is already checked during the whole process, but still, the intravenous fluid is given to the women before the epidural.

Feelings of Sickness

Nausea or feelings of sickness is a rare side effect due to epidural, it could happen along with other medications for pain relief. However, it could not cause some severe health problems and easily be treated using anti-sickness medications.

Breathing Problems

Epidural may cause breathing issues in some rare cases, it disturbs the muscles of the chest that are responsible for breathing. The medicines used in epidural can cause breathing problems or other breathing related issues which could easily be treated.

Aching Back

Of course, when the needle is inserted to shoot up the epidural, the lower backaches. This aching may last in a few days, however, there is not confirmed researches that show it can cause a permanent achy back.

Infections

With a needle or some other thing, you might have an opening in the skin, which causes infection as bacteria gets inside. It has been rarely found in women who have an infection due to epidural. Well, when you are anesthetized your skin is cleaned properly, and the needle is completely sterilized before the injection inserts. This rarely happens, but it could be. Moreover, the infection could be transformed into any part of your body.

Fever

Fever occurs commonly in the women who got epidural, around 23 percent of women experience fever who got epidural. The actual reason is still unknown, but it has been studies that women who got epidural run a fever as compared to 7 percent of those who do not get it.

The changes in the skin are common in around 20% of pregnant women, which could be skin darkening, acne, and stretch marks. These new beauty marks make the mommies-to-be very self-conscious. The skin changes are normal in pregnancy, however, allergies from mild to severe are found rare. Well, the woman who is excited becomes worried when the frequent changes are being observed on the body. The allergies occur when the women come in contact with some allergens, the symptoms are not life-threatening but can cause discomforts. 

First and foremost, when you are pregnant, and you know that you are allergic to certain things, which possibly could be food, dust, flowers, cigarette smoke, some medicines, or anything avoid those things as much as you can. 

If you have a particular allergy like hay fever, you may likely have the common symptoms that usually women experience is congestion, runny nose, fever, itchy eyes, congestion, headache, and sneezing. 

What are the Causes of Allergies?

As your baby grows in your belly, itchiness or dryness may occur due to skin contraction. It has been observed that women could experience severe itchiness and rashes. Moreover, studies show that there is a possibility of developing a serious skin condition called PUPP, which has been found in every 1 in 150 women. 

As we all know, rashes are a common problem that occurs due to certain allergies. The dryness stretches, skin contraction, and other skin changes can make you vulnerable to skin allergies during pregnancy. The common causes of allergies or hives are;

  • Pollen
  • Medicines
  • Foods
  • Animal dander
  • Insects’ bites
  • Certain chemical reactions

Another severe condition that has been found in 1 in 150 women is cholestasis in pregnancy. In this condition, severe itching can be occurred by jaundice, nausea, and vomiting. This condition is associated with problems in your liver. If you see any of these symptoms, take instant medical help. 

Does the Allergy Affect the Infants?

If you are allergic to some allergens that affect the skin and got hives during pregnancy, those allergies could not affect your baby. You may already follow the precautions, but instead, it is important to continue the consultation before using any medication. 

But, if you are experiencing any symptoms rather than the common ones that are creating respiratory problems, or throat swelling. Falling of oxygen could create serious difficulties for your baby. In this case, it has been recommended to seek immediate medical consultation. 

Anaphylaxis 

It is the most severe type of allergic reaction, which could be deadly. The good news is, the babies inside the mother’s womb can protect themselves from the maternal anaphylaxis for a short time by naturally producing histamines. Well, this type of reaction is still fatal, which need immediate consultation of a healthcare provider.  The mild allergic reactions can never be harmful to the babies. However, if you know you have some allergic issues, keep yourself away from those allergens. For the safety precautions of both you and your baby, stay connected with your doctor and alert him/her whenever you observe some uncertain problems before they got worse and affect your baby. 

Sleeping troubles in pregnancy occurs due to the hormonal changes in women and disturbs the sleep cycle of most women. During the first trimester, most of the mommies-to-be do not identify they sleep more at that phase. Later on, as days pass by, the sleep cycle becomes problematic, they experience a big drop in their normal sleep routine. The quality of sleep decreases, and experience insomnia most of the time. This sleeping issue keeps you lethargic, exhausted and dull the next day. 

Balancing between the comfortable sleeping patterns and symptoms of pregnancy is quite hard. Along with the common pregnancy signs like leg cramps, heartburn, congestion, need to pee, and discomforts the full-time tight sleep becomes impossible. 

What are the causes of Insomnia in Pregnancy? 

The common pregnancy symptoms normally annoy the mommies to be, which are obviously due to hormonal changes. But some facets keep you awake throughout the night, which are the triggers that keep you uncomfortable. 

  • Anxiety and Pre-birth worries.
  • Cramps in leg, and back or restless legs syndrome. 
  • Frequent need to pee.
  • The kicks and rolling of the baby in your womb. 
  • Morning sickness and tenderness in breasts. 
  • Discomforts due to the growing belly. 
  • Triggering dreams. 
  • Metabolism and digestion issues. 

How to manage Sleeping Problems?

If you want to discontinue the sleeping problems you need to follow some measures that reduce the discomfort and make you feel more relaxed and give better sleep at night. 

Take Healthy Dinner 

It is important for pregnant women to eat healthily and slowly that lessens the chances of heartburn that triggers mostly at night. Try to eat early, but do not go to bed starving. Take some foods or snacks for dinner that are high in protein, which will balance your blood sugar the whole night. A glass of warm milk will also help you give a good sleep at night. 

Keep yourself Relaxed 

If you are wide awake at night due to no reason, and not feeling asleep, distract yourself by anything until you feel sleepy. You can read a book, watch TV or simply stare at the wall clock. Moreover, to keep you relax at night it is recommended to exercise. 

Work Out

Pregnant women are normally recommended to follow the exercise routine as advised by their doctor. The daily exercise makes it easy to get in bed early and have a good sleep. Do not work out or go to the gym before bed-time as it may keep you awake for the whole night. 

Proper Bed-time Schedule

You can only maintain the bedtime routine by going to sleep early and waking up at the same time as you used to awake every day. Create a routine for a whole day, which includes yoga, house chores, soothing, reading, sex, massage, and pregnancy exercises. These things keep you relaxed at night and lessen your sleeping problems. Moreover, if sound makes you sleep early, download some good music. Or if you love nature sound focus on the winds, falling leaves, chirping, and feel the freshness. 

Pregnancy and wintertime are difficult to manage together sometimes. In this time duration, expectant women become vulnerable to specific infections and colds. In winter, the immunity is tested, and the immunity levels most probably are low. The immunity responses at that time so well, and you have to boost it with healthy notations.

Pregnancy in the mid-winter season is quite difficult to handle, the days could be harsh, and you are exposing to most of the anxiety lapses. This time is the most exciting time for you although, so you can keep enjoying each day of your growing belly by keeping yourself in the comfort zone and eat healthy to turn out your pregnancy hale and hearty.

Don’t Skip Routinely Exercise

Winter makes us lazy, and it’s hard for us to leave the comfort area and go out to continue our routine even we are not ready to do it indoors. The mommies to be also combating nausea and morning sickness, which is not allowing them to do some physical activity.

Fix your mood first by sitting under the sunlight, which also combats with pregnancy depression. Don’t skip the morning walk and breathing exercise. Simple stretching will surely make you feel relaxed and active. In winter exercise is important for blood circulation flow, which should not be clogged in normal people as well.

Get the Flu Shots

Every single person gets sick in winter. Sneezing, coughing, flu, and fever are common these days. Pregnant women are more vulnerable to it, they are recommended to wash their hands frequently and keep a safe distance from the sick people. Communicate with your health provider and take the influenza vaccine that precludes you from the flu.

Drink Water like its summer

In winter people usually don’t feel an urge for water. Cold mutes the thirst signs, however, your body still needs enough amounts of water. So stay hydrated in winter like it’s summers, or you can add herbal teas, vegetable and fruit juices, and soups to fill the water constraint in your body. Dehydration leads to dryness of skin, pale yellow urine, searching for the foods and liquids that fulfill your requirement of water are all the symptoms.

Don’t leave your Skin Itchy and Dry

Less humidity causes dryness in the atmosphere, which leads to dry skin and in severe cases eczema. I pregnant women, itchy and dry skin all around the belly becomes hard to tolerate. Use unscented moisturizers and try not to take hot showers.

Layer yourself in Multiple Coats and Sweaters

It is much easy for pregnant women to catch flu and viruses. You need to block the chilly winds by wearing thick garments. Loading yourself with different layers in a stylish way will keep you smart as well as prevents cold and flu also. Woolen jackets and coats may cause itching, choose fleece material instead when going outdoors and don’t forget to cover your head, hands, and feet.

With the progression of pregnancy, women experience swollen feet and ankle, which commonly occurs when you are on your feet for an elongated period. The mothers-to-be experience some side effects with the excitement of having the little bundle of joy, which brings lots of changes. From being uncomfortable to being reluctant, the journey move to some other transformation as time passes by.

Swollen feet are one of the issues which usually occur when the weight exerts on the feet. They could be painful at times, and most probably they bother and make you feel uncomfortable. However, there are ways you might not know which could control the swollen feet. Here are some easy home remedies that would give you relief.

Drink Enough Water

It might sound strange that how water could reduce the swelling on feet, well, it is effective. If your body is dehydrated, it will require fluid to compensate. Doctors usually recommend taking 10 glasses of water in a day to stay hydrated.

Add Potassium to your Diet

Potassium plays a significant role in balancing water and salt content in the body. Add more potassium to your diet by adding bananas, scallions, avocados, carob, watercress, artichokes, spinach, cabbage, kiwi, papayas, prune juice, dill, and more in your everyday meal.

Elevate your Feet to Rest

Well, you have a list of things you need to do before your baby comes. Along with all that whenever possible keep your feet up for rest. Moreover, sitting all the time is not good for you, but on the other hand, standing all the time is not suitable for you. At the end of the day especially, elevate your feet which helps the fluid which has been gathered in your feet over the day.

Your Shoes Must be Comfortable

You might look gorgeous in your high heels, but don’t forget it’s your pregnancy time, and you have to keep them aside. If you want to reduce feet swelling, wear well-fitting shoes, which will also reduce back and hip pain.

Take Massage

Massage is the best way to reduce swelling as it penetrates the fluid congregated in your feet. So, this time your partner may be excited to get involved in your pregnancy process, and this is the right to take advantage of.

Get a water bottle, make it more relaxing by adding lavender or peppermint and essential oil into it. Put your feet up and let your partner gently massage your feet.

Walk Regularly

Walk in the last months is recommended to the women as it makes labor and delivery time easy. Walk for 5-10 minutes two times a day improves circulation, which reduces the swelling of your feet. This would be a good break from your house errands in a day, moreover, it is a safe exercise for pregnant women.

DHA is a kind of omega-3 fatty acid which stands for docosahexaenoic acid. DHA is associated with growth and development. During pregnancy, women are recommended to take 200 milligrams of DHA every day that help develop the brain and eyes of the fetus. Moreover, throughout fetal development and after birth as well as DHA help building the tissues of different organs of the body.

You never know how sufficient the DHA intake could be during pregnancy or whether you are taking the recommended amount or not. Your doctor might already add the DHA filled foods in your pregnancy meal plan, however, still, you might not be taking enough DHA. This information will help you decide whether to take DHA or not!

Childhood Obesity and DHA

Higher BMI in children increases the risk of metabolic issues such as fatty liver disease, and blood sugar imbalances before the labor. Studies show that intake of high levels of DHA during pregnancy and breastfeeding decreases the chances of high BMI in the fetus and increases lean muscle mass.

There is a notable connection between DHA and childhood obesity. Taking DHA during pregnancy affects the body composition in the women who have higher chances of having an obese baby, which is due to the blood sugar imbalances related to pregnancy and mother’s obesity.

Reduces Risk of Asthma

Researchers are still working on the co-relation between DHA and lower risk of asthma. However, it has been observed that fish oil supplements reduce the risk of asthma in children. Pregnant women are recommended to take fish oil supplements by the doctors.

DHA essential for Baby’s Brain and Retina

DHA plays are a significant role in the development of the brain and retina during pregnancy and after birth through breastfeeding. In the second trimester, the brain and eyes utilize DHA for development, which endures till the age of two.

Seafood Intake Promote Overall Well-being of Mothers

There is a significant connection between DHA intake and the mental health of mothers during pregnancy. Women are recommended to eat seafood as it reduces the risk of sadness, which could be caused by low DHA intake. In the regular meal rotation, you can have fish cooked with different recipes as you might be not ready to even smell fish.

DHA Supports Healthy Birth

In the US, 12% of babies are born between 22 to 22 weeks early, as observed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, the babies born early are kept under special treatments and hospitalizations. Women are recommended to take DHA, which supports full-time pregnancy and prevents early birth.

Prevention from Allergies

Taking DHA during pregnancy help boost the immunity of the infant. Hence, consuming DHA lessens the risk of having immunity-related problems in children since birth. It has been studied that women who take 800 mg of DHA and if parents have a history of immune issues, those children are more vulnerable to get immune problems like reactions to allergens in skin-prick tests and the symptoms by parents.

Pregnancy is the most sensitive time for women. You are not feeding yourself, but your baby is getting the nutrients as well. Taking a healthy diet is always a smart and wise idea. Your baby is getting the diet he/she will need, there will be a difference in what you eat before pregnancy and what you should eat during pregnancy. You must be already concerned about your diet and trying to add more and more vegetables and fruits in your meal. 

However, with all these essentials, some supplements are essential for your health. These supplements are recommended to prevent weakness, nausea, and other health problems. Every woman has been prescribed some parental vitamins along with a healthy diet to give the baby all the nutrients that are needed. The below vitamins plays a role in the growth and development of the baby during pregnancy.

Vitamin D

Pregnant women need 10 grams of Vitamin D daily. Vitamin D is responsible for regulating phosphate and calcium required by the bones, muscles, and teeth to keep them healthy. Eggs, oily fish, and red meat contain enough amount of vitamin D. If the cereals containing vitamin D are added daily make a healthy meal. The total amount of Vitamin D can be vary depending on the amount of vitamin D carried by each food during pregnancy. 

Iron

Pregnant women are recommended to take iron, it is a mineral that is needed by the body to make hemoglobin that carries oxygen from the lungs and regulates it to the body. You should take iron 2 times more than you take it before pregnancy. Each day, your body required 27 milligrams of iron, moreover, you can take iron from some food such as seafood, nuts, beans, bread, pasta, dry fruits, lean meat, etc. To fulfill the required amount of iron, usually the health care providers prescribe some iron supplements. 

Iodine 

The thyroid glands require minerals to make thyroid hormones, and iodine is a mineral. The intake of iodine during pregnancy help build the nervous system in the baby’s brain, which helps the baby think, move, and react. In pregnancy, 220 milligrams of iodine is recommended to take. All the vitamins do not contain iodine, so make sure you are taking the food that has iodine like fish, yogurt, iodized salt, milk, bread, cereals, and cheese or you are fulfilling the needs by taking supplements suggested by your doctor. 

Folic Acid 

Folic acid is a kind of vitamin B, which helps in growth and development, and each cell of your body will require during pregnancy. Folic acid prevents birth problems during and before pregnancy. Take the vitamin supplements carrying 400 mcg of folic acid each day. 

Calcium 

During pregnancy, women are recommended to take 1,000 milligrams of calcium every day. It is a mineral that helps develop the muscles, bones, heart, teeth, and nerves. Take calcium filled food and the parental supplements that have 1,000 mcg of calcium. If you are not taking enough amount of calcium, it would cause osteoporosis and other health conditions later in life. 

There’s no proof that ultrasound scans are harmful. Scans like ultrasound had been utilized in being pregnant for years now. It might not influence the baby it just sends sound waves through the womb, which we call the uterus, which bounces to the baby’s body. Ultrasound helps the sonographer to check the baby’s movement in the women’s body.

The sound waves tell how far your pregnancy is and what kind of scans we must use. All ultrasound machine has an index, which we call thermal index. Some of the scanners have a low thermal index, which produces low heat, and it also has different settings that the sonographer uses on different pregnancies. 

IS SCANS PERFORMED SAFE AND SOUND? 

All we need professionals to scan safely and doctors should be fully trained to perform them. Sonographers usually know all types of scans also, when and on whom to apply scans, and they perform it as fast as they can to avoid any type of risk. 

A researcher stated that some scans which are medically required are nothing to concern about. But what is the main concern? The waves are quite harmful as the energy heats the baby’s tissue.

3D AND 4D SCANS:

3D AND 4D scans usually use for getting a baby’s detailed pictures and videos of moving in the womb. From this scan, the doctor can find out the situation clearly or in more detail. These scans should only be done when needed medically. Going for scans at random technician using unknown calibration can be harmful because it needs to be done on the lowest possible setting. 

HOW MANY ULTRASOUND SCANS ARE SAFE?

One of the medical firms stated all pregnant ladies should have ultra-scans just to know the conditions and movement of the baby. But there’s a time to do that, when you have reached 19 to 23 weeks of pregnancy, it’s the best time to go for ultrasounds.

During these weeks the sonographer checks the position of the vessels in the cord named (Umbilical cord) also, computing the organs of your baby, and evaluate the development of the baby’s heart, spine, brain, and other main organs. Sometimes the doctor or a sonographer uses the ultra-scans earlier between 11 to 15 weeks to check on the things and establish the due date of the delivery.

REASONS TO HAVE ULTRA-SCANS:

  • To check if you are pregnant.
  • To make sure about the growth, development, and check the due date.
  • Check how many babies are going to have.
  • To observe your ovaries where the eggs are stored and uterus. 
  • Check out the pregnancy difficulties and complications.
  • Screen for birth-defects, which change the health conditions.

AFTER ULTRASOUND:

After ultrasound women get to know the condition of their baby, if they’re growing normal or not, if they need extra special care, or do they need more check-ups, or if the condition is not good they need to treat the baby inside the womb, or they have to go for C-section a surgical procedure in which a baby is born through cut a surgeon makes in your stomach, etc.

When you are battling with the symptoms of your pregnancy, having a tough time managing your nausea, and handling tiredness all day. Still, pregnancy is not an incantation where you stop continuing your career. Women with the best management qualities proceed her work with pregnancy. But, balancing diet, taking proper sleep, managing home chores, and working 8 hours a day is somewhat tricky. The most challenging part is you need to be healthy physically and mentally.

You already know, how pregnancy can discomfort you, and the work-related tasks can intimidate your pregnancy due to some negligence. Normally, it has been recommended to take maternity leave or in various cases, flexible working hours can also be requested. If you are willing to continue your work and you think you can easily manage it, taking the advice of your doctor is really important here. These few tips will give you some hunches.

Dealing with Morning Sickness 

Nausea and uneasiness are the most common symptoms in women that remain throughout the pregnancy period. However, morning sickness keeps triggering as well.

  • It is important to avoid the smell that gives you feelings of nausea, particularly of some food.
  • Take fluids as much as you can.
  • Immediately rinse your mouth after vomiting.
  • Avoid frequent snacking.

If you keep biscuits or crackers with you in your reach to avoid nausea and sudden cravings. Moreover, ginger tea also controls morning sickness.

Control your Stress

Stress and work can never be separated. When you have a load of work you will surely take stress, which drains your energy. To control stress, make a list of your task and set priorities, do relaxation exercises, take out your frustration by sharing it with your partner, colleague, or friend.

Schedule your Checkups 

Taking the routine checkups are important when you are already struggling with your job and the toughest pregnancy time. Tolerance towards any test due to your office could be unsafe for you. So, if you have any upcoming appointments with your doctor, explain to your boss or submit the schedule to the HR department and take a half-day off from work.

Plan your Meal

Feeding yourself healthy regularly is good for your baby as well. But you never know, what is going on with your daily office schedule. When you eat and drink properly, it keeps you healthy, active, nourished as well as controls your nausea. Make your busiest day comfortable, and plan mini snacks that you can easily take in the office too.

Sit Comfortably

Comfort comes first when you are already going through periods of discomfort. It might look awkward to take pauses of minutes after some while, but it is also essential to keep yourself adjusted in the area you are sitting.

Adjust your chair at a comfortable level, take a stool to keep your feet at ease, wear cozy dresses, practice some stretching exercises, if you feel dizzy or have nausea take a break, follow the job safety concerns and always try to keep the water bottle in your reach.