5. How Your Actions Affect Your Baby’s Development
It’s possible you could have diarrhea or
a cold during pregnancy, as well as other viral infections such as the
flu. These problems may raise concerns for you.
• What can I do when I feel ill?
• What medicine or treatment is OK?
• If I’m sick, should I take my prenatal vitamins?
• If I’m sick and unable to eat my usual diet, what can I do?
If you become sick during pregnancy, call
the office. Get your healthcare provider’s advice about a plan of
action. He or she can advise you about what medicine to take to help
you feel better. Even if it’s only a cold or the flu, your healthcare
provider wants to know when you’re feeling ill. If any further measures are needed, your healthcare provider can recommend them.
Is there anything you can do to help
yourself? Yes. If you have diarrhea or a possible viral infection,
increase your fluid intake. Drink a lot of water, juice and other clear
fluids, such as broth. To help you retain fluid, add 1 teaspoon of
sugar to a cup of water or tea; the glucose in table sugar helps the
intestines absorb water instead of releasing it. A bland diet without
solid food may help you feel a little better.
Grandma’s Remedy
If you want to avoid using medication,
try a folk remedy. If you have allergies, try some local honey. Made by
bees in the area, it contains very tiny amounts of the pollen that
causes your sneezes and sniffles. Eating very small amounts of it can
work like allergy shots by helping you tolerate a pollen. Start with ¼
teaspoon a day, and very slowly increase up to 2 teaspoons a day.
Going off your regular diet for a few
days won’t hurt you or baby, but you do need to drink plenty of fluids.
Solid foods may be difficult to handle and can make diarrhea a bigger
problem. Milk products may also make diarrhea worse. If diarrhea
continues beyond 24 hours, call your healthcare provider. Ask what
medicine you can safely take for diarrhea during pregnancy.
When you’re sick, it’s OK to
skip your prenatal vitamin for a few days. However, begin taking it
again when you’re able to keep food down. Don’t take any medicine to
control diarrhea without first consulting your healthcare provider.
Usually a viral illness with diarrhea is a short-term problem and won’t
last more than a few days. You may have to stay home from work or rest
in bed until you feel better.
6. Your Nutrition
You need to drink water during
pregnancy—lots of it! Fluid helps you in a lot of ways. You may feel
better during your pregnancy if you drink more water than you normally
do.
When you don’t drink
water, you can become dehydrated. If you’re dehydrated, you can tire
more easily. Once you’re dehydrated, it may reduce the amount of
nutrients baby receives from you. Your blood thickens, making it harder
to pass nutrients to baby. Dehydration may also increase your risk of
problems.
Our bodies contain 10 to 12 gallons of
water. Studies show that for every 15 calories your body burns, you
need about 1 tablespoon of water. If you burn 2000 calories a day, you
need to drink well over 2 quarts of water! As calorie needs increase
during pregnancy, so does your need for water.
New guidelines suggest you should drink
101 ounces of fluid a day during pregnancy. Water should account for at
least 50 ounces of this intake. Water in food can make up another 20
ounces. The other 30+ ounces should come from milk, juice and other
beverages. Sip water and other fluids throughout the day. If you
decrease your consumption later in the day, you may save yourself some
trips to the bathroom at night.
Keep the consumption of caffeinated
beverages low. Tea, coffee and cola may contain sodium and caffeine,
which act as diuretics. They essentially increase your water needs.
Some of the common problems women
experience during pregnancy may be eased by drinking water. Headaches,
uterine cramping and bladder infections may be less of a problem when
you drink lots of water.
Dad Tip
When you ride together in the car with
your partner, ask if you can help her in any way. You may offer to
assist her getting in and out of the car. Ask if she needs help
adjusting her seat belt or the car seat. Try to make riding and driving
as easy and accessible as possible for her. You may propose trading
vehicles (if you have more than one), if it’s more comfortable for her
to drive the other car.
Check your urine to see if you’re
drinking enough. If it’s light yellow to clear, you’re getting enough
fluid. Dark-yellow urine is a sign to increase your fluid intake. Don’t
wait till you get thirsty to drink something. By the time you get
thirsty, you’ve already lost at least 1% of your body’s fluids.
Your Drinking Water
Water supplies in the United States are
some of the least-contaminated in the world. Most of our country has
high-quality drinking water. Most experts agree tap water in the United
States is safe to drink. Often tap water contains minerals that have
been removed from bottled water.
Fitness waters may benefit you if you’re very active. Ask you healthcare provider for more information.
Drinking water contaminated with chemical
byproducts from chlorine may not be safe for you to drink. Chlorine is
often added to drinking water to disinfect it. When added to water that
contains organic matter, such as from farms or lawns, it can form
unhealthy compounds (for pregnant women), such as chloroform. Check
with your local water company if you’re concerned.
Do not rely on bottled water as
safer than tap water. One study showed nearly 35% of over 100 brands of
bottled water were contaminated with chemicals or bacteria. However,
tap water must meet certain minimum standards if it is supplied by a
municipal water company, so you know it’s safe to drink. In addition,
some bottled water contains sugar, caffeine and/or herbs.
