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It’s Pregnancy Week again (12-16 February 2018) so if you are a beautiful mommy-to-be then this post is for you!  Pregnancy is a wonderful time that should be celebrated.  Some women (we’ll call them the lucky ones) are blessed with thick shiny hair, strong nails and beautiful glowing skin, but for some that pregnancy glow can be overshadowed by a few pesky symptoms such as heartburn, nausea and vomiting.

Here are a few tips to keeping these symptoms at bay leaving you to focus on the fun parts of your pregnancy:

• Unfortunately “morning sickness” is not only limited to the mornings and can strike at any time of the day.
• Eat smaller meals more frequently throughout the day (aim for 3 meals with 2-3 snacks in between)
• Dry foods may help to ease nausea, try dry toast or crackers.
• Avoid greasy, fatty and fried foods.
• Avoid very spicy foods and/or strongly flavoured foods, often bland foods are better tolerated.
• Avoid citrus foods and juices such as oranges, lemons, and tomatoes.
• Hydrate! Being dehydrated can land you in hospital so make sure you are drinking lots of water throughout the day even if you can only manage small sips more frequently.  Drink fluids in between meals rather than with meals.  Try to avoid drinking fizzy sugary drinks and fruit juice as these are both very high in sugar.
• Don’t lie down after eating, rather sit upright or propped up on some pillows for 1 hour after meals.  It is also better to eat 2-3 hours before going to bed at night.

Constipation is also a common complaint during pregnancy. Follow these guidelines to alleviate the symptoms:

• Be sure to include lots of fibre in your diet to help prevent or combat constipation.  Insoluble fibre (insoluble in water) helps to add bulk while soluble fibre (soluble in water) softens stools by forming a gel like consistency making them easier to pass.
• Include wholegrain foods such as bran cereal, oats, low GI wholegrain bread/rolls, and brown rice
• Include at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables daily.  Eating fruits and vegetables with their skin will increase your fibre intake even further.
• Beans, lentils and chickpeas also contain soluble fibre so be sure to include these in your diet.
• Exercise also helps with constipation so try to get moving even if it’s brisk walking

Click here to book an appointment for more information on healthy eating during your pregnancy.

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