Pregnancy is accompanied by immune changes that can make the expectant mother and her child more vulnerable to infections. Also during this period, she needs to strengthen her immune system by maintaining a suitable lifestyle.
How do you strengthen the immune system during pregnancy?
Before preparing for pregnancy, when we are still in the stage of using a fertility tracker, it is also better to improve the immune system of the expectant mother, because it changes and adapts under the influence of hormonal changes. She becomes more vulnerable to certain diseases that can affect her health and affect the development of the child. Since many medical procedures are prohibited for pregnant women, it is important for her, as well as for her child, to maintain her immune system throughout the entire period of pregnancy using natural, safe and easy-to-use remedies.
Pregnancy, immunity, and physical activity
Maintain regular and appropriate physical activity. Generally speaking, regular and moderate physical activity has an immunostimulating and protective effect against infections. For pregnant women, two and a half to three hours of moderate-intensity physical exercise per week has a positive effect on their health and the health of their child. Physical activity brings the mother mental and psychological well-being. This helps to limit the risk of constipation, hypertension caused by pregnancy, or gestational diabetes, avoid excessive weight gain, and reduce the risk of urinary incontinence.
What types of activities should you do if your legs get heavier at the end of pregnancy?
To improve blood circulation, especially in the third trimester, when the veno-lymphatic compression of the child is strong, it is recommended to walk for at least twenty minutes a day, swim (if there are no medical contraindications), and exercise in the evenings. Several pedal movements, lying on your back or even massaging your legs from ankles to knees. Venous fixation is often required in addition to these personal hygiene measures.
Maintain a balanced diet
A healthy and balanced diet is an important factor in maintaining and strengthening immune protection throughout life, and even more so during pregnancy. Recall that a balanced diet consists of five fruits and vegetables a day; bread, cereals, and other slow sugars (legumes) with each meal, dairy products three times a day and proteins (meat, fish, or eggs) every day. However, it is advisable for pregnant women to follow certain dietary measures or even give up some foods. It is recommended to limit the consumption of certain foods, such as:
- Coffee, tea and energy drinks that can affect a child’s heart rate;
- Foods rich in vitamin A, such as liver, which can lead to overdose, which may increase the risk of certain fetal malformations;
- Soy, one of the compounds which is suspected of violating the endocrine system;
- Foods rich in phytosterols are recommended for people with too high cholesterol (margarines, yogurts, milk drinks, vinaigrette sauces).
Immune system, pregnancy diseases
Toxoplasmosis is caused by a parasite naturally present in the ground and transmitted through cat urine. Precautions should only be taken by pregnant women who do not have immunity: refrain from eating raw or undercooked meat, smoked or pickled meat, and game (freezing for at least three days at a temperature of – 18 ° C kills toxoplasma cysts); vegetables, fruits, and aromatic herbs are thoroughly washed and, if possible, peeled.
Listeriosis is an infection caused by the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. It can be present in food, even if it is stored in a cold state. Infection occurs, in particular, through raw milk and raw milk cheeses (camembert, brie, Munster, pont-l’eveque), industrial grated cheeses, some meat products (rillettes, foie gras, etc.), raw or smoked fish, shellfish, etc. crustaceans in raw or cooked form. Therefore, the best prevention is to avoid all raw foods except fruits and vegetables.
Avoid stress not to decrease your immunity
Stress can activate the body’s defenses, have a harmful effect on health, and provoke pathologies. Whatever its causes, it is important to deal with them in order to preserve your immune system. Relaxation techniques, breathing exercises, and meditation help to control it better. Sophrology, yoga, prenatal singing: various methods can be offered as part of the preparation for childbirth and parenthood.
Good night
The role of sleep in immunity is the subject of many studies. Although the mechanisms are currently not fully explained, sleep seems to play an important role in the effectiveness of the immune system and protection against infections.
Those that occur in the first trimester may be related to hormonal changes and/or pregnancy-related stress. To prevent them, it is important to maintain regular waking and sleeping times and avoid sleeping too late. It is best to deal with drowsiness in the late afternoon by going for a short walk or swimming.
Conclusion
Pregnancy is a time of significant changes in a woman’s body, particularly regarding the immune system. These changes can increase vulnerability to infections, but maintaining a healthy lifestyle with balanced nutrition, physical activity, adequate sleep, and stress management can help strengthen immune defenses.
