Understanding Prenatal Care
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Understanding Prenatal Care

After I found out that I was pregnant, I decided to focus on finding an excellent prenatal care. I started looking for an OBGYN who could help me with the kind of care that I needed, but it was overwhelming at first. I was nervous that I would choose the wrong provider and that it would complicate my pregnancy, but I was able to find a great doctor who could help me along the way. He walked me through prenatal care requirements, and it was really fantastic to see the difference that it made in my life. This blog is here to help other people to understand prenatal care.

Understanding Prenatal Care

4 Tips For Better Sleep During Pregnancy

Regina Cooper

If there is one thing every pregnant woman needs, it's sleep. However, restful sleep isn't always easy to achieve. Learn about some of the things that could keep you from sleeping better at night.

1. Dietary Concerns

All women respond differently to the hormonal changes that pregnancy causes within their bodies, especially when it comes to food. While someone woman can enjoy spicy wings without any worry, for some woman, a bowl of salad greens sends their stomach into knots. Make sure you know what your triggers are, and make it a point to avoid them, especially just before bed. If you eat a food that causes an adverse reaction before bed, you're likely to spend much of the night tossing back and forth. 

2. GERD

Nocturnal gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD is a condition that affects some pregnant women. Women who deal with this condition have frequent episodes of heartburn. However, the discomfort isn't caused by what you eat, but instead, by hormonal changes. Unfortunately, the symptoms of GERD often worsen at night, which can make it hard to sleep. If you experience acid reflux or heartburn at night, it's important to let your obstetrician know. Your physician might suggest that you eat smaller meals or take over-the-counter calcium carbonate or magnesium supplements to ease the symptoms. 

3. Stress and Anxiety

Carrying a child can bring about a lot of stress and anxiety. From the moment a person finds out their pregnant, their main focus is often to ensure that their child is okay. So, if their baby isn't kicking as much as it normally does or they don't feel like themselves, some people will toss and turn all night with worry. The best way to combat this concern is to visit your doctor regularly. At each appointment, the obstetrician will measure the baby's growth, check the heart rate, and examine your overall health to give you confidence that your body is fine.

4. RLS

Restless leg syndrome, or RLS, has a way of targeting pregnant women when they are still for long periods of time, which is often during sleeping hours. A person with RLS will experience an aching, cramping, burning, and even itching sensations in their legs all through the night. In a pregnant woman, this condition is often the result of low iron or folic acid, which a physician can prescribe a supplement for.

As always, if you have a concern about your ability to sleep at night, you should speak with your obstetrician right away. The better rested and the healthier you are, the better your pregnancy will be.

To learn more about obstetrics, contact a doctor in your area like Xiao-Mei Zeng MD.


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