How To Avoid Swelling When Pregnant

Edema, otherwise known as swelling, will affect almost all women at some point during their pregnancy. Swelling or Edema is most often the result of excessive levels of hormones coursing through your body.

Really, the best thing you can do to combat swelling is to drink far more fluid. It may seem counter intuitive, but the more juice and water you drink the less water your body will hold onto and the less puffy you will be. You should be working to drink at least 10 eight ounce glasses of water per day. Also try to avoid diuretic beverages such as tea and coffee, which contain caffeine. These are more likely to dehydrate you than invigorate you during your pregnancy.

You might also consider wearing some support stockings during your pregnancy. These will not only help combat swelling, but may help prevent or minimize the effects of varicose veins later in pregnancy. Most medical care suppliers carry support hosiery that works well for women during pregnancy.

You should look for support hose with a medium grading minimum, meaning they provide firm support. Compression hose can often be purchased online. You can also ask your healthcare provider where you might purchase a pair or two.

What Would I Do Without My Doula?
By the time my husband and I finally got pregnant the first time, I had done a lot of reading about birth options and we had already decided to have a midwife instead of a doctor. We believe that pregnancy is a healthy state of being, and unless something came up, a midwife was the best way to go for us. Besides, where we live, a midwife can deliver babies at hospitals, so I felt that was the safest way to go. (Although, now, I feel I could have had my babies at home... but that is a whole other article!).When I was a few weeks pregnant I came across an article on doulas, but I had never heard of a doula so I wasn't quite sure what to make of it. A doula is a woman who supports women through childbirth. "Doula" is an ancient Greek word meaning "serv...

How To Pick The Perfect Wedding Dress
Perhaps the biggest worry of a bride-to-be, is picking out the perfect wedding gown. There are many questions you need to ask yourself before you ever step foot inside a bridal shop. Below are just a few of the questions you need to ask yourself before making this big decision.How much are you willing to spend?The truth of the matter is, your wedding dress is only a fraction of the total cost of a wedding. Before you go picking out a dress, you first need to decide how much out of your “whole” budge you are willing to spend on the dress. There are many great looking gowns out there for a very reasonable cost, as well as beautiful gowns which can cost as much as mo...

Stress And Pregnancy
Stress Relief During Pregnancy If you truly want to ensure a great pregnancy, you should work on keeping a healthy and positive physical, mental and spiritual state. There is substantial evidence which suggests that a mother’s physical and mental wellness during pregnancy can affect not only the outcome of their pregnancy but the well being of their child later in life. You relationship with your baby begins at the moment of conception.There are many things aside from physical factors that can impact your pregnancy. Stress is one of the more common problems many pregnant mothers face at some point during their pregnancy. While stress in and of itself isn’t a...