During pregnancy your body is going through countless changes. Growing a little person inside of you, can take more out of you than you may first realise. There are a few key practices you can implement, to help support your immune system and keep it in fighting form.
Check out some key ways to support your immune system during pregnancy!
Get enough sleep!
Getting an adequate amount of sleep each night, plays an enormous role in your body’s ability to recover and fight off potential sickness – especially whilst it is busy growing a baby! The Department of Health recommends healthy adults get between 7-9 hours per night for optimum benefits. In conjunction with getting ENOUGH sleep, it is also important to get good quality sleep. A lot of women struggle to get comfortable nights rest during pregnancy, a couple of things you could do to facilitate good quality slumber is:
-Avoid exposure to blue light for at least an hour before bed, read a book instead of watching T.V
-If you can’t get your mind to turn off before bed, write your racing through down in a notebook and keep them as a reminder for tomorrow
-Mood lighting. Keep the room dimly lit before bed, potentially using soy candles (non toxic), a diffuser with essential oils or a bed side lamp to help relax and calm down before bed. Dim lighting also encourages melatonin production to facilitate good quality sleep!
-Consider investing in a body pillow. Having a large pillow that supports your hips, legs and bump can make all the difference in how you sleep.
Exercise!
For most women, regular exercise is incredibly beneficial during pregnancy. Working out can improve your mental health, physical health and support your immune functions. Of course, this may not apply to every woman and it is important to discuss with your obstetrician what your plans are and work out what is appropriate and will benefit you the most. Generally speaking, low intensity, low impact workouts such as pregnancy pilates and walking are a great way to get moving!
Stress Reduction & management
Taking measure to reduce your stress can seem nearly impossible, and even be considered a stressful task – but it doesn’t have to be! Making small, simple changes to your everyday routine can help in stress reduction. For example, waking up 10 minutes earlier in the day to sit quietly before the chaos kicks in, or lighting soy candles and watching your favorite tv show after dinner can make all the difference in lowering your cortisol levels. Stress is incredibly detrimental to your immune system, and it is almost impossible to mitigate entirely, but small changes make big impacts!