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Nine months of pregnancy is a happy time, but also an alarming one for every woman. After all, you have to be responsible not only for yourself, but also for the health of the unborn child. Experts comment on common myths about what pregnant women can and cannot do.
If you follow the prevailing stereotypes, pregnant women should eat a lot, sleep constantly, stay at home and think about the beautiful. However, not all expectant mothers follow these rules. Are they doing the right thing?
1. Pregnant women need to eat for two
After learning about their situation, some women begin to think that they have received carte blanche for all-inclusive meals. You still have to lose weight after giving birth. What’s the difference – 5 kg or 10?
Others justify the desire to eat only buns and cakes by saying that “the baby wants sweets.” Although in fact, the expectant mother just likes to pamper herself. The disadvantage of this behavior is not only excess weight, which will complicate the course of pregnancy, but also serious problems for the child after many years.
Teresa Hillier, an endocrinologist and specialist in hormonal disorders, has proven that children whose mothers gained more than 15 kg during pregnancy are predisposed to diabetes and obesity in the future.
“When a woman gains too much during pregnancy, a process that we call the obesity stamp begins,” says Teresa Hillier. – The child gets used to a supersaturated environment, and as a result, his metabolism changes. As a result, by the age of 10, he is at risk of getting diseases associated with metabolic disorders.”
2. Pregnant women need to lie more
Of course, there are some cases when doctors recommend taking care of yourself for all 9 months and not even getting out of bed without special need. However, in the normal course of pregnancy, a sedentary lifestyle is fraught with complications even before childbirth.
“Nature has laid down that a person should actively move. If you lead a passive lifestyle during pregnancy, the volume of muscle mass will decrease, and fat mass will increase, this is also facilitated by the hormonal background, explains Elena Silantyeva, Deputy Chief Physician for Rehabilitation at the Lapino Clinical Hospital. – This means that the risk of diabetes mellitus, preeclampsia and infectious diseases will increase. The pelvic floor muscles degrade, increasing the likelihood of ruptures in childbirth and subsequent problems. Not to mention stretch marks, cellulite and varicose veins.”
Almost all pregnant women are shown swimming and active walks in the fresh air.
It is not necessary to set sports records during pregnancy. Loads should be consistent with those that you had before. Did you practice yoga? You can continue by eliminating individual asanas. If you were not particularly friends with sports, you need to start in the second trimester and under the supervision of a competent specialist. Almost all pregnant women are shown swimming and active walks in the fresh air.
3. Pregnant women should not dye their hair.
“The components of cosmetics that you apply to the skin, whether it be the head or knees, we then find in the blood plasma,” explains Elena Silantyeva. – Therefore, it is really undesirable to abuse chemical dyes during pregnancy. Now you can find natural alternatives based on henna, volcanic clay, vegetable oils. They can safely dye your hair during pregnancy.
But do not forget that during pregnancy, the hair becomes more porous. And bleaching components (hydrogen peroxide, which is harmless to the fetus) can seriously damage the condition of the hair. And the result of staining is unpredictable.
4. Pregnant women should not use cosmetics
“For a long time it was believed that pregnant women do not have to take care of themselves. But women in any position want to be beautiful and desirable,” says Maria Romanova, head of the rehabilitation department at the Lapino Clinical Hospital. – Taking care of yourself during pregnancy, of course, is not forbidden. Moreover, the skin of the face often presents surprises – dry skin can become oily, porcelain can become covered with pigmentation. Stretch marks may appear on the body, which are easier to prevent than to remove later.
To minimize the risk of striae (stretch marks) on the chest, abdomen and thighs, these areas should be actively nourished with sweet almond, olive or avocado oils. But preparations with extracts of algae, caffeine, camphor, menthol and powerful detox substances should be avoided.
5. Pregnant women should not be massaged.
“Pregnant women are strictly prohibited from only hardware exposure. But there is a special massage for them, it is offered in many perinatal centers and clinics. But only on doctor’s orders. The masseur is obliged to ask the pregnant client for a certificate that her doctor is not against the procedure,” says Alexander Grabsky, kinesiologist at the Lapino Clinical Hospital. – Also, a specialist must know a lot of physiological nuances. Most importantly, the abdomen and lower back are not affected during the massage, so as not to increase blood flow and not cause placental abruption. The procedure is carried out on the back, and in the later stages – on the side, placing a roller under the leg.