Rest always when you can. Take naps. Take some time out for yourself every day – to relax and clear your mind.
Move more – do light exercise, attend specialized pregnancy courses (fitness or yoga), but do not overstrain. Discontinue exercises if you experience any discomfort or sense that you are getting too tired.
Walk at least 30 minutes every day. Walking is excellent exercise, not only for muscle tone and general fitness, but also for improving blood circulation, and reducing stress and constipation.
Drink plenty of fluids – it is important for skin hydration, as well as for the improvement of blood circulation. And it helps your kidneys flush out toxins that should be eliminated. Try and drink at least 1,5 – 2 liters of fluids a day, preferably water. Besides water you can also drink milk – an important element of a healthy diet, as well as fresh fruit juices – because of the vitamins. Limit the intake of coffee, and do not drink alcohol at all.
Have a balanced and varied choice of meals. You shouldn’t diet, but do not eat for two either! Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables. Wholemeal foods are rich in fibers and will reduce the risk of constipation.
Eat regularly and sensibly. Do no skip meals. Observe if you taking in enough calories, vitamins and minerals. Your baby is growing quickly and takes all the nutrients it needs from your blood. That’s why your diet is so important.
Do not ignore the signs of your body. When you want to eat something, do not deprive yourself of it. This is your organism telling you that something is missing and should be provided.
Watch your weight. Although weight gain is strictly individual, try to keep it within the suggested norm range. Be strict to yourself; your future health and wellbeing will depend on it. Excessive or insufficient weight gain during pregnancy hides risks for the baby as well.
Educate yourself – read books about pregnancy, ask your doula and your doctor, and visit prenatal classes and courses. This will help you to feel more confident and better prepared for the changes that lie ahead – for the birth, care and upbringing of your baby.
Your breasts will start growing right from the beginning of your pregnancy. They might feel tender, tense, and are likely to become a lot more sensitive to touch. These changes are caused by pregnancy hormones, which increase the blood flow and change the structure of the skin. For maximum comfort, wear bras made of soft and natural materials with wide straps, preferably without underwire or excessive padding. Bras should fit well and support your growing breasts. Depending on how your breasts grow, you may need to go up a size several times throughout your pregnancy.
To preserve the elasticity of the skin, gently massage your breasts while taking lukewarm showers.
If during pregnancy your nipples are leaking colostrum, wash your breasts more carefully and regularly apply special softening creams to avoid dry skin. The nipples and areola should not be washed with soap, but with cool water only.
Breastfeeding is the most natural way of feeding your baby, but it may take a bit of practice until you synchronize with your baby. In the beginning, nipples can become irritated, cracked and painful. Use specially developed nipple creams with pure lanolin to restore and protect the skin and soothe pain or discomfort.
Nipple balm contains a specially selected combination of active ingredients that helps to soothe, care for and protect nipples that are sore, irritated and cracked as a result of breast-feeding. It is developed specially for breastfeeding mothers and is harmless for the baby. It does not need to be washed off before breastfeeding.
Pregnancy hormones loosen your joints and muscles in preparation of the birth, so that your baby can pass through the pelvis more easily. These same hormones, however, can cause discomfort during pregnancy in the form of back and lower-back pain that may increase as your baby grows.
To avoid or to reduce the pain, use a pillow to support your lower back when you are sitting. Choose chairs with high and comfortable backrests, so your whole back can relax.
Wear shoes with low heels and a comfortable anatomic footbed. At the end of the pregnancy you will probably have gained weight, and your centre of gravity will have shifted; it will be more difficult to keep your balance and low-heeled shoes will reduce pressure on the spine and subsequent back pain.
Avoid carrying heavy luggage and uneven loads.
Keep your spine straight when lifting things. If you have to lift objects off the floor, do not bend over, but crouch down slightly, so your body’s load is shifted to the feet. Remember this when going about your daily household chores, such as cleaning the bath or making your bed.
In general, try and avoid activities that require repetitive bending over, as this doubles the pressure on the spine.
Your body changes a lot throughout your pregnancy, and most of these changes directly affect the skin.
On the one hand, under the influence of hormones, the skin becomes drier and more sensitive, and normal regeneration processes and the synthesis of elastin and collagen are affected. On the other hand, the skin is challenged and stretched by your growing belly and overall weight gain. Therefore, to keep it moisturized and nourished and to soothe irritations and itching, your skin needs special care – even from the very first months of pregnancy.
Maintaining skin elasticity is essential in helping your skin cope with the stretching and shrinking, and regaining its form, tightness and tone after birth.
We strongly recommend that you use moisturizing and nourishing oils and creams specifically developed for pregnant women on a daily basis. Apply these with gentle massaging movements on the whole body, for example after a bath or shower. Regular massages activate the blood circulation and strengthen the skin. Turn your massages into a daily ritual, a moment of relaxation and tranquility for body and soul. You will find that massages are also a great way to bond with your baby, who in the later stages of pregnancy is likely to respond to your touch.
Maternea Stretch Mark Oil combines a special selection of high quality ingredients including plant oils and vitamins, which improve and normalize the condition of the skin by keeping it hydrated, nourished and elastic.
Stretch marks are one of the biggest concerns of pregnant women. Caused by in-depth ruptures in the structure of the skin, they often appear during pregnancy. Due to increased hormone levels, the body cannot keep up with the demand for constructive components such as collagen and elastin that are needed to support the rapid stretching of the skin. Stretch marks commonly appear on the belly, thighs, breasts, and buttocks. The development of stretch marks is probably genetically determined, but whether and to what extent they will appear also depends on the skin color, age and weight gain of the mother. Over time stretch marks will fade, but unfortunately, they never completely disappear.
You can, however, prevent or limit the development of stretch marks by using specifically designed creams that activate collagen and elastin production, increase skin elasticity, and stimulate cell regeneration in the deeper layers of the skin where stretch marks are formed.
Maternea Stretch Mark Cream contains specially selected natural active ingredients, plant oils and vitamins, with high penetrating ability to maintain the skin’s elasticity, deeply hydrate and protect it while retaining its smoothness and softness. The active ingredients help skin regeneration and lighten already formed stretch marks. Like all scars, stretch marks should not be exposed to the sun.
For best results, use anti-stretch mark products frequently and consistently, starting early on in your pregnancy. Apply at least two times a day, with circular massaging movements; this stimulates the blood circulation and has a relaxing effect.
To further reduce the likelihood of developing stretch marks, try to gain weight gradually from the beginning of the pregnancy. Keep a healthy, balanced diet, especially during the second trimester, when your appetite will suddenly return after it had disappeared earlier on in your pregnancy.
After birth, your skin also needs special care. Its elastic characteristics have changed during pregnancy, so it is important to use products that are specially developed to help your body recover and tone up again. Specialized skin care will activate the cell metabolism and help restore the damaged structure of skin affected by stretching and weight gain.
Maternea Firming Cream contains a complex of selected active ingredients that helps the skin to regain its firmness and tone after birth. The cream hydrates and softens, stimulates regeneration of the skin’s damaged structure, and improves the blood circulation. The combined effect of the active ingredients provides a softer, smoother, tighter skin and reduces the signs of cellulite.
After birth, it is recommended to take up light exercise as soon as you feel ready and your doctor or midwife permits.
During the period of your pregnancy, you’ll have to treat your skin with care. You may even have to replace some or all of your usual cosmetics with products for sensitive skin.
Feel free to enjoy some beauty treatments – light peels, masks, or massages, but steer clear of aggressive components and chemicals. Mild and regular cleansing will keep your skin looking radiant throughout the entire pregnancy.
To prevent the appearance of pigmentation marks, always protect your face from the sun with a hat. Use a sunscreen cream, but carefully read the product information and watch out for allergenic chemicals that it might contain.
Your pregnancy puts extra strain on your legs, especially during the second half, when they need to carry not only your weight, but also that of the baby.
Whenever possible, lift up your feet. This relieves the feeling of heavy legs, helps the blood to flow easily, and can help prevent thrombosis.
During the night, try and sleep with your feet raised, to reduce pressure on the veins.
Avoid clothing that can hinder the blood flow such as tight shoes, socks, or underwear.
Steer clear of hot showers, keep your feet out of the sun, and make sure they don’t get too hot.
Give your feet a break whenever you can. Try not to stand or sit in the same position for long periods of time.
When sitting, do not cross your legs, so as not to interfere with normal blood circulation.
If your feet are tired and heavy, apply a special cooling and soothing foot cream that will relieve the feeling of heaviness and discomfort.
Wear comfortable and supportive shoes, with a low and stable heel. Your growing belly and increased weight shift your center of gravity, and put extra pressure on your feet.
Many pregnant women find out they go up a size in shoes, so make sure you wear the right size.
Keep moving – walk every day to strengthen the muscles that affect the cardiovascular system and help blood circulation.
Your hair also changes during pregnancy. Around the second trimester you will find that it becomes fuller and shinier. This is again caused by pregnancy hormones, which make you lose less hair than you normally would. You may also experience that your hair becomes more or less greasy, because hormones also affect the sebaceous glands.
Two to six months after giving birth you will usually start to shed hair. The extra hair you retained during the pregnancy will fall out now. Don’t worry, this is a normal process, and your hair will be back to its pre-pregnancy state within several months.
