The cold, icy blasts of winter mean you will have to take special care as you trudge about on icy pavement and snow-filled paths with your bulging belly. Not only will you face hazards as you go from place to place, but you’ll also face dangers of the germ kind — you know, other people coughing, sneezing, sniffling and wheezing in your face when you’re doing your best to stay healthy. So, here are some tips on staying safe and healthy when you’re pregnant during the winter months:
1. Give yourself extra time when you’re going places. It’s hard enough to make mad dashes here and there when you’re not pregnant, but when you’re pregnant, you can’t scamper about as quickly and with the same agility that you had pre-pregnancy. You’ll need that extra five, ten or fifteen minutes to get to where you’re going to and take your time.
2. Despite the cold temps, try to get some fresh air every now and then to give your immune system a big boost. (And remember, in Scandinavia, mothers routinely let their babies nap outside in winter so that their bodies learn how to adjust to the cold.) Also the sunlight will provide much-needed vitamin D and elevate your mood.
3. Exercise to stay healthy and try gentle exercise regimens like walking and yoga or enroll in a prenatal exercise class. Yoga has the added advantages of alleviating back pain and helping you control your breathing, which will be extremely useful when it comes time to deliver your baby.
4. Carry less and do your back a big favor because during pregnancy, your ligaments become looser and softer, such that they are not capable of supporting joints as effectively, which makes you prone to injury. Also, don’t shovel snow because that activity requires too much twisting and back activity.
5. Wear boots with no-slip soles on the bottoms to help give you traction when you’re outside.
6. Stay hydrated by drinking lots of water. Winter air can be really dry — and so can air coming from furnaces, which can make you overheated and sweaty.
7. Take lots of vitamin C and eat garlic to ward off germs.
8. Get rid of germs by being vigilant about washing your hands and avoid touching your nose and mouth.
9. Avoid saunas and hot tubs even though your body may be aching for warmth because they’re just not compatible with your pregnancy’s health issues and your baby-to-be’s growing body. In a sauna or hot tub, you risk raising your body’s core temperature to more than 102 degrees, which can hurt your baby’s developing body and brain. Also, when you’re pregnant, you’re at greater risk for experiencing dehydration, dizziness, and lower blood pressure and hot tubs and saunas will only accentuate those problems.
10. Avoid most winter sports, no matter how avid a sportswoman you are, because of the risk of injury. Downhill skiing, ice skating, snowboarding and so on are off limits because your big belly throws off your center of gravity and balance.