Throughout the course of pregnancy, i.e. the 9 month period, a woman’s body goes through many changes, both physical and mental and immense care is required to maintain the health of the woman and the unborn baby. One needs to be more cautious when she is working, which requires sitting in one place for long hours, meeting deadlines and dealing with work-related stress.
An Uttarakhand based Gynecologist, Dr. Vijayalakshmi said that this phase can be quite tiring for women having to go to office regularly, due to which they have to compromise on their resting hours and need to be extra cautious. Therefore, here are a few things that need to be kept in mind.
Take short breaks at regular intervals
Dr. Vijayalakshmi says that many times, office work requires sitting for prolonged hours in one place, which can eventually cause many problems. Therefore, in this case, it is very important for a pregnant woman to take frequent breaks in between and move around a bit. Apart from this, instead of rushing things, remember to move gently, in order to lessen the risk of falling or experiencing a jerk.
She mentions that during pregnancy, as the weight of the woman begins to increase, swelling or pain in some parts of the body may also be experienced, particularly in legs. Sitting with legs not resting on the floor can further make this problem severe. Therefore, make sure to keep a small table or stool under your feet for support. This will provide relief from pain and swelling of the heels.
Benefits of exercise and meditation
Dr. Vijayalakshmi explains that many times when personal stress and work stress, both are experienced together, a woman may begin feeling more agitated. Therefore, regular practice of yoga and meditation can be helpful here. Apart from keeping the mind calm, yoga can help in keeping the body fit and active. However, since many exercises need to be avoided during pregnancy, one must practice yoga only under expert supervision.
Quality sleep is a must
Sometimes, women work for long periods during pregnancy, due to which they do not get sufficient time to rest, which further affects their sleep cycle and this can affect their health negatively. Therefore, good sleep is as important as a healthy diet is. Women must avoid overworking during pregnancy and work in a manner that they get sufficient time to rest and have a proper sleep hygiene. 7-9 hours of quality sleep is recommended.
Wear comfortable shoes and clothes
Be it office or home, our expert advises wearing comfortable clothes and shoes, to avoid any complications during pregnancy. Wearing high heels in such a condition, for long periods can cause many physical problems and also increase the risk of falling. Therefore, high heel footwear must be completely avoided during pregnancy. Also, as the woman nears her delivery time, she gains more weight and all the weight gets concentrated on the heels, which can further cause pain and swelling. Therefore, comfortable shoes and slippers must be worn.
Have a proper balanced diet
Dr. Vijayalakshmi mentions that it is very important for pregnant women to have the right diet, at the right time and in the right amount. Usually, from the second trimester, a woman’s appetite increases. Therefore, if a woman is working, she must always carry dry fruits, fruits and other nutritious snacks along to munch on. She must avoid eating chips, biscuits and other such unhealthy foods.
Also Read: Tips to take care of your little ones during summer
