I'm Sick ~ Hints for a Healthy Pregnancy

I hate these feelings! I always hate being sick. I can attest that it is super hard to be a mom and sick. Not only is your body telling you something is wrong and it needs time to recover but you have to take care of your family, big or small.

I don't know why I never take my own advice but I'm working on it. I'm finally 'sleeping when the kids sleep' even though my kids are older. I've been trying to get over 10 hours of sleep a night and that seems to be helping my cold a bit.

For those of you who are pregnant right now I have some "Hints for a Healthy Pregnancy" This handout was something I found from a great Doula Tracy Hartley.

Hopefully something on here will help you during your pregnancy woes:


Morning Sickness (A favourable sign that the pregnancy will continue successfully)
 Drink plenty of fluids – preferably water or juice
 Eat small, frequent, non-greasy meals with little odor
 examples are – crackers – preferably whole grain for nutritional value
 fresh fruits, unsugared
 cold chicken
 a piece of (whole grain) toast before getting out of bed
 papaya enzyme tablets
 peppermint oil or peppermint tea
 chamomile tea
 liquid chlorophyll
 raw almonds
 parsley (tea or in salads)
 extra vitamin E
 extra rest
 reduce stress
 cut back on vigorous exercise
 Vitamin B6 (strengthens the immune system, aids nerve impulse transmission, assists with energy metabolism, and synthesizes red blood cells. A large banana provides almost an entire milligram of this B vitamin. Brown rice, lean meats, poultry, fish, avocados, liver, whole grains, corn, and nuts are also high in vitamin B6. So, provided you can tolerate them, you may want to add some of these foods to your diet along with the vitamins.)

Heartburn
 Redhots or fireballs (sounds crazy, but it works!)
 Eat slowly
 Eat several small meals
 Tums/Roliads

Constipation
 drink plenty of fluids – preferably water or juice
 use a footstool while sitting on the toilet
 eat fresh fruit and roughage
 moderate exercise – walking

Backaches
 rest
 massage
 hot or cold packs
 exercises to strengthen the abdominal muscles and to decrease the curve in the lower back



Headache
 warm, relaxing bath
 massage
 tension reducing exercises (such as should circling)
 relaxation routines
 hot packs or cold packs on the back of the neck or shoulders
 cold packs on the forehead

Cold, Hay Fever, Runny Nose, and Cough
 cool-mist vaporizer
 saline nose drops
 rest
 liquids
 honey and lemon

Sleeplessness (common in late pregnancy)
 take a brisk walk each day
 warm bath
 warm milk
 massage
 soothing music
 a dull book (if you find yourself awake in the middle of the night)

Things to Avoid During Pregnancy
 tetracycline (a commonly prescribed antibiotic, may retard bone growth and affect tooth development)
 Over-the-counter medications including:
 decongestants
 cough medicines
 sleep medications
 headache remedies
 aspirin
 paint fumes
 rug shampoos
 lawn chemicals
 cleaning solvents
 pesticides
 x-rays
 caffeine
 cat litter
 cigarette smoke (including second hand)


Hopefully I feel better by following some of these tips!