Pregnancy is nine months long & with proper preparation many of the ordinary discomforts and beauty problems of pregnancy can be avoided. The inevitable result of bearing a child is that the infant draws upon the mother's reserves, thus making her undernourished, sickly and pale. To avoid this eat a nourishing diet. If the daily supplies of food are sufficient, the bones, teeth, hair, eyes, skin and the mother's other reserves will not be drawn upon and the infant will be properly supported on 'income' & not on mother's 'capital'.
A pregnant woman should daily take:
- At least four cups of milk
- Two or more fruits, one of which should be citrus
- Two or more vegetables, one of which should be deep green or yellow; one dish of potatoes
- One or more eggs or more of either meat, fish or poultry
- Three to four servings of either whole grain or bread
- Four tablespoons of butter
- One multivitamin tablet
- Two calcium tablets
- One fish liver oil capsule.
Problems, Prevention & Treatment
- The food mentioned above will provide for the maintenance of the mother's body with enough extra to take care of the tissue growth of the infant, enough calcium and vitamin D for basic development & enough iron to prevent anemia in the mother and to supply all the needs of the infant.
- Constipation is a very common problem during pregnancy and, if not checked, it gives rise to a number of embarrassing skin blemishes. Drink at least eight glasses of water every day to prevent constipation. Besides, include laxative fruits like figs, punt's and beetroot in your daily diet.
- As the abdomen becomes larger, the skin stretches. Fibers of the connective tissue immediately underlying the skin separate and give rise to white stretch marks. To avoid these, it is always wise to massage the abdomen and the breasts regularly with oil from the first month of pregnancy right to the last and even after delivery for a few months at least. On no account scratch the abdomen and the breasts, because this will leave scratch marks for ever afterwards on the skin. If you feel very itchy, gently very gently rub the skin with your hands.
- If you are planning on breast feeding your baby, you should begin preparing your nipples from the sixth month onwards. Once everyday, draw out each nipple by gently pressing your thumb and index finger down on either side of the nipples and gently rolling the nipple out. After your nipple stands out, massage it well with little olive oil. Nursing will not cause your breasts to become flabby, if you wear well-fitting brassier. Buy yourself a few maternity dresses, which today come in many attractive designs and shapes. Do not forget that a large 'percentage' of attractiveness is accounted for by good grooming and good posture.
- The clothes should be comfortable and well fitting with allowances for future expansion. Also discard high heeled shoes and wear comfortable low heeled flat shoes.
- Towards the later months many women develop varicose veins. Varicose veins is a disease in which the veins become very enlarged and protrude out of the skin. Varicose veins mostly develop in the legs. The women who develop this condition are the ones whose occupation requires standing or sitting for long periods.
- It is wise that during pregnancy, you do as much of your work as possible in a sitting position with your feet propped up. When you have to be on your feet, it is better to move around than to stand still. If you develop this condition, wear plastic stockings before you get up from your bed. Report your condition immediately to your doctor. Besides, you should lie down at least once every day for at least one hour in a body slant position.
- Sometimes swelling of legs, ankles, feet, fingers and face too-may appear during the last months. The cause of swelling is the retention of water in the tissue spaces of the body; a high intake of salt favors the retention of water, which is why you should eliminate or use very little salt in your diet and reduce the intake of liquids.
- The pressure of the body on the large blood vessels in the later months may give rise occasionally to bouts of light headedness and sometimes fainting. If this occurs, you will feel better if you lie down for a few minutes. Also increase your intake of iron.
- Sometimes your sleep maybe interrupted by hard muscular cramps in the calves of your legs. Massage the cramped area vigorously and apply hot water bottle or heating pad to the area.
- Heartburn and flatulence are the other common disturbances of pregnancy. Heartburn is a kind of burning feeling which is noted at the lower end of the breast bone, therefore, the name Heartburn. To prevent this eat smaller meals at regular intervals rather then the bigger ones. To prevent flatulence or the formation of gas in the body, eat light and nourishing foods rather than rich and heavy foods.
- Proper care of the skin and hair is especially important during pregnancy. A daily bath with a mild fragrant soap is a must. Clean your skin both morning and night with milk cream to which a little lime juice and turmeric powder has been added. Every morning before you go in for your bath take a teaspoon of curd and mix in a few drops each of almond oil and essence of rose. Rub it well into the skin and remove with cotton wool. This will soothe and feed the skin.
- For the night make this skin food to four tablespoons of cream of milk add one tablespoon each of almond oil, cucumber juice, honey, rose water and lime juice. Mix well and put in a small jar and store either in the fridge or a cool, dry place. Apply every night before going to bed. Remove in the morning with a piece of cotton wool, then splash on cold water. This will put a bloom on your cheeks and sparkle in your complexion.
- Wear minimum of makeup. If you have a tendency to develop rashes it will be exaggerated during pregnancy. Sometimes pigmentation of the skin takes place or the formation of small areas in which the minute skin veins become prominent. There is no remedy for these ailments but they disappear soon after pregnancy. You should give up all our social engagements and lead a very moderate life. Your motto should be early to Bed and Early to Rise. Good sleep, fresh air, regular skin care, exercise coupled with right diet should give you health, strength and beauty throughout the time you are 'expecting'.
