Trying to stay comfortable during pregnancy can be incredibly frustrating, especially when you enter the third trimester, with pregnancy causing a number of issues such as poor posture and back pain. However, staying comfortable during pregnancy is incredibly important to reduce your stress levels and to allow you to get the right amount of rest before your baby is due. Here are some top tips for what you can do to stay as comfortable as possible during your pregnancy:
7 Best Tips to Stay Comfortable During Pregnancy
Invest in the Right Mattress
Sleep can often seem like an impossible dream during pregnancy, and you might find that you are sleeping in a different position to normal or that you and your partner are struggling to get enough space within your bed in order for you to sleep comfortably. If this is the case, it is important that you are able to buy the mattress size that is best for your bed. This will allow you to sleep on your side or stomach easily and check that you are not sleeping in a hunched position. You should also check that your mattress has a medium to firm softness and that it is made out of a material that can manage your temperature and provide you with support for painful parts of your body, such as your back.
Use a Back and Bra Support
However, you cannot stay in bed all day, and if you are struggling to remain comfortable when you are out and about, you should consider using back support in the shape of a pregnancy belt. This can take the strain off your stomach away from your back and prevent lower back pain and a stooped posture. You should also consider investing in a pregnancy bra as this can support your breasts as they change throughout the duration of your pregnancy, ensuring that you feel comfortable no matter what stage of your pregnancy you are at.
Wear Loose Fitting Clothes
Not many pregnant women want to spend the day in the tight dresses and jeans that they used to wear pre-pregnancy, and so one of the first steps that you should take as your stomach expands is to invest in some loose-fitting clothes. You should also try to buy clothes in stretchy materials, such as spandex. Luckily, maternity wear does not have to be unfashionable, and many of the largest and designer brands that are available offer a wide range of maternity wear which can stay with you up until your baby is born. These will allow you to move around without restrictions and will leave you feeling cooler too.
Enjoy a Recliner
If swollen feet or legs are giving you trouble, or you are struggling to feel comfortable when you are sitting, the best option for you might be to invest in a reclining chair. This can allow you to easily sit down and get back up again without any aches and pains bothering you.
Adjust Your Air Conditioning and Thermostat
When you are pregnant, there is more blood moving around your body, and this can make it extremely hot when you are moving around or even trying to sleep. Therefore, you should install air conditioning within your home, and consider investing in an easily adjustable thermostat, such as a smart one. These will allow you to make your home a cool space, especially during the summer, and control the temperature to suit your needs.
Try Massage Therapy and Heated Pads
If you are experiencing back pain during pregnancy, this can make the period difficult to enjoy, and leave you feeling extremely under the weather. Not only this, but swollen feet can be extremely uncomfortable while you are carrying your baby, making it difficult to move around and carry out your usual daily routine. Instead of allowing back pain to take over your life, you should consider relieving the effects of this through massage therapy or heated pads. There are many handheld massagers and heated pads on the market that you can use yourself, and they are safe for the vast majority of women if they are used correctly.
Invest in Essential Oils
Pregnancy can be a stressful time for any woman, and to ease the pressure on yourself and help you to feel calm, you should consider investing in essential oils. Although not all essential oils are safe during pregnancy, calming oils such as chamomile, lavender, and tea tree oil can all give you their extensive benefits with no ill effects. These include better sleep patterns and a decrease in stress. However, you should avoid taking these in the first trimester, when your baby is first developing.
Sources:
