Moms-to-be can always use some good news to balance all the warnings they get from the media and other well-intentioned (?) sources, so I’ve collected some mostly positive info items about pregnancy from all over the world. Some are recent, some hold true for every winter or year-round:
Though the Duchess of Cambridge has undoubtedly suffered a lot due to hyperemesis gravidarum, the condition is rare, and when it’s treated it has no long-term effects on the mother’s or baby’s health.
Your flu shot not only helps you and your baby right now, the antibodies you pass on to your baby across the placenta and through breast milk will protect him or her up to six months after birth. (And the nasal spray flu vaccine is not recommended for pregnant women — I don’t know about you, but I’ll take a needle in the arm over a spray up my nose any day.)
There’s no reason not to travel for the holidays just because you’re pregnant, says the Center for Disease Control. (Just be aware that airlines have a cutoff for how many weeks pregnant a passenger can be, and also be sure to check that your travel insurance covers pregnancy-related issues.)
On the other hand, there’s no need to overdo it on road trips. The CDC advises that a pregnant women shouldn’t travel by car for more than five or six hours a day. No straight shots from Minneapolis to L.A. — oh well.
There are some great mother-to-be gifts to put on your wish list this year — pregnancy blogger Lara Salahi recommends a body pillow that solves many of the sleep problems I wrote about recently.
If you’re craving anchovies, go for it — they’re not high in mercury, and they’ve got lots of omega-3 fatty acid. Same for sardines, salmon, and several other kinds of fish (check out the fact sheet at womenshealth.gov). Just make sure your fish is cooked.
The Times of India, which ought to know about these things, reports that yoga is not only safe for pregnant women, it can actually make labor less painful. There are other benefits, like stress relief and better balance.