Parental leave is very different from real leave. Even before it began, the life of a woman who is preparing to become a mother changes dramatically and does not always become like a fairy tale. In this article, we offer a selection of things to help you feel comfortable during the wonderful but difficult period of pregnancy. You should not save on yourself, because the future of the baby, who will soon be born, depends on your health and good mood.
1. Special underwear, clothing and footwear
Perhaps, only during pregnancy, a woman's body can change so much in a short time. Unsurprisingly, picking clothes is getting harder than ever before. After all, a pregnant woman needs to find not just a beautiful dress, blouse or jacket - the thing also has to fit on a rounded belly.
You don't have to go to a maternity store when looking for clothes and shoes. You just need to follow the recommendations: choose dresses, sweaters, wide-cut T-shirts, which are now in fashion, and shoes and boots with low heels, suitable for walking with babies.
As for jeans, pants and tights, they should still be special. Products that are sewn for pregnant women are distinguished by a special cut, due to which they do not put pressure on the stomach. The following items are 2 in 1, that is, they are suitable for both pregnant and lactating mothers: cotton panties and bras with wide straps, T-shirts and sweaters with comfortable wide cutouts.
2. Bandage
When the belly grows up, gynecologists recommend that the woman put on a bandage. In late pregnancy, it becomes an indispensable accessory for many. The bandage performs 2 useful functions at once - it helps to support the stomach and relieves some of the load from the back.
Bandages used during pregnancy are divided into 2 types. The reinforced version is a belt, the lightweight one is panties. The bandage will provide invaluable help to the expectant mother if she has weak abdominal muscles. The main thing is to put it on correctly. This should be done in the morning after waking up, lying in bed.
3. Fitball
The exercise ball will allow the pregnant woman to comfortably do muscle strengthening exercises that are used during labor. Even more important, the fitball helps expectant mothers to relax their back, and the load on it due to the rounded abdomen is very high. In addition, performing simple springy movements is calming - a kind of meditation.
A gym ball will also be useful after childbirth. It can be used to rock the baby or do exercises to help with infant colic.
4. Special pillow for sleeping
Pregnant women often complain of insomnia. Not only does the expectant mother care about the upcoming changes in life, but also the stomach does not always allow to take a comfortable position for sleeping. For such cases, they came up with a special pillow in the form of a horseshoe. Its size and shape allows it to fit comfortably under the belly. When a baby is born, this pillow will serve as a feeding accessory.
5. Cosmetics without fragrances
Sometimes, due to toxicosis, the life of the expectant mother literally turns upside down: all the smells and tastes that a woman used to love begin to disgust, there is an allergy to something that has never caused such reactions. Salvation for a pregnant woman suffering from toxicosis will be perfume-free cosmetics.
Fragrances are substances that are used to muffle the odor of a cosmetic base or to create a new, more pronounced and lasting fragrance. Previously, only natural ingredients were used for these purposes, in the worst case - with the addition of synthetic ones. However, modern cosmetics manufacturers use synthetic fragrances everywhere, and they are potential allergens. Therefore, expectant mothers should make a choice in favor of perfume-free products. Moreover, now they produce cosmetics specifically for pregnant women - shampoos, creams, balms and much more.
