TOP 7 Tips
There is little doubt that having a baby is perhaps the most amazing experience in a woman’s life, but pregnancy ALSO happens to be one of the most stressful times you can imagine. The moment those two pink lines show up on that strip, you start worrying about things you eat to the small dangers of the house which, normally, you would not sweat about. Worrying about things you need to look out for every single day however will cause a headache spanning all the three trimesters, and that certainly dampens your experience as a ‘mother to be’. So, it is better to start early and do some proofing around the house to accommodate your pregnancy. Here are some tips to get started.
- Change the mats around your house. Those low budget rubber mats might have proved decent enough when you were not pregnant; they really increase the chance of slipping, which is something you might not want to risk during pregnancy.
- For the duration of your pregnancy, you might want to lock up those skinny jeans and hide the key. Instead, go shopping for clothes which are more utility oriented. Shirts and dresses a couple of sizes larger than what you regularly wear to accommodate your growing tummy and comfortable sweats might be the first things you want to invest in, followed by a few shoes for utility purposes. Finally, invest in your undergarments. Given the frequent vaginal discharges, you might want to increase the number of those you own, and add in a few plus sized ones since you will have a case of heavier breasts. Be sure that you tuck your underpants below your belly.
- Let the high pencil heels and wedges be the thing for cat walk for a while; pregnant ladies need to restrain themselves from wearing the stilettos for some time. There is a marked difference in your balance as your centre of gravity will shift and clumsiness becomes part of your pregnant life. It is thus time to buy sensible, utilitarian shoes. That does not mean you need to walk in nurse shoes and suffer; you can simply wear Sneakers, comfortable boots and sandals which suit your fashion needs. Remember to buy them in a bit larger sizes as well, since your feet ARE going to swell, and that the soles should be sturdy and well grooved in so they are not slippery.
- If you are a proud cat owner, run towards the other direction when you need to change the litter box. While pets in themselves are not harmful to your baby, soiled cat litter boxes may cause an infection called toxoplasmosis which damages foetus health.
- Get rid of any paint, paint thinners, air fresheners, carpet cleaners, aerosols and other toxic household chemicals from your shed. Pay close attention to the containers while buying them, since they usually carry warning if laden with toxins.
- Avoid taking too hot showers or a prolonged dip in hot water. Your body temperature should not exceed 102o F for more than 10 minutes; else the baby might get affected. You might want to adjust the water heaters accordingly.
- Stop keeping things around the house which you might either NOT want to fall or what you might need to pick up when it does. Keep glass and other breakable items as far away from corners as possible, and try to avoid handling them since fatigue and dizziness might cause you to drop them. Also, while you don’t need to keep your house spotless, try to keep your floors and staircases clear of objects which might trip you.
While there are a lot of Dos and Don’ts involved during pregnancy, worrying about them is often counterproductive. A lot of proofing can be just done using common sense; if it seems like a bad idea, ditch it, or at least hold off till you ask your doctor about it.
