5 Herbs To Include In Your Diet During Pregnancy

5 Herbs To Include In Your Diet During Pregnancy

 

Pregnancy is one of the most beautiful phases of a person’s life. It is one of the crucial phases where our bodies experience many changes physically and emotionally. Due to these changes and the baby’s growth, our body requires more nutrition during pregnancy. It becomes essential to take a nutritious diet during pregnancy for the mother and the baby. When a pregnant woman eats healthily, she lowers her risk of anemia, low birth weight, and birth abnormalities. Eating healthy throughout pregnancy and taking supplements like Kratom Red Borneo might also alleviate unpleasant pregnancy symptoms.

Importance Of Diet During Pregnancy

A healthy diet is the only source via which our body gets all the essential nutrients. A healthy diet becomes necessary during pregnancy because a mother doesn’t eat only for herself but also the baby. Various reasons mentioned below highlight the importance of a healthy diet during pregnancy.

  • Successful Fetal Growth

A baby needs a balanced diet to grow properly. Folate or folic acid, vitamin C, vitamin A, fiber, fruits and vegetables, whole grains, calcium, and a proper quantity of protein and fat are just a few of the essential vitamins and nutrients that will ensure a healthy baby. You should consume at least 300 calories more each day than you typically would. You don’t want to overdo it, though, because it might lead to issues like gestational diabetes.

  • Fewer Complications

Fighting harmful pregnancy cravings may be challenging, but it is well worth it in the long run for the benefit of your and your baby’s health. You might be at risk for issues including gestational diabetes, urinary tract infections, anemia, and your baby being born with birth abnormalities if you don’t consume a balanced diet. Nutritional support throughout pregnancy can also help with labor and delivery.

  • Increased Energy

Fatigue is common during pregnancy. Our bodies go through various hormonal changes, especially in the early weeks of pregnancy. During pregnancy, it becomes difficult for a mother to control fatigue. A wholesome diet helps in increasing energy and controlling fatigue. Eating a healthy diet every 3-4 hours during pregnancy is essential.

  • Improvement In The Sleep Cycle And Quality Of Sleep

Various factors like nausea, backache and frequent bathroom breaks disturb the sleep cycle of a mother. Eating a wholesome diet helps in having a quality sleep.

 

Common Problems During Pregnancy

There are various problems which mostly every pregnant mother goes through-

  • Bladder and bowel problems

Because of the hormonal changes in your body, you may develop constipation. Hemorrhoids can develop during pregnancy due to constipation or pressure from the growing baby and uterus. Incontinence is a frequent issue that can affect you before, during, and after pregnancy. When pregnant women cough, laugh, or sneeze, they may be unable to avoid a minor leak or a rapid surge of pee.

  • Fatigue

During pregnancy, it’s usual to feel tired or even exhausted, especially in the first 12 weeks or so. Tiredness will not hurt you or your kid, but it will make life more difficult for you. If you’re suffering from morning sickness, exhaustion might exacerbate your symptoms.

  • Headaches

A shift in hormones during pregnancy can commonly cause headaches in women. The number of headaches experienced by expectant moms may grow or decrease.

  • Indigestion And Heartburn

During pregnancy, many women have indigestion and heartburn. It can be unpleasant or uncomfortable. You may do several things to prevent or treat indigestion and heartburn, especially if it’s moderate. Heartburn might be mistaken for a more dangerous disease called pre-eclampsia. Changes in your hormone levels may cause indigestion during the early stages of pregnancy. Indigestion becomes prevalent in the second or third trimester.

  • Morning Sickness

Most women’s symptoms are modest, and they may go about their daily lives regularly with just a few minor dietary modifications. Early in pregnancy, nausea and vomiting (morning sickness) are typical. Morning sickness affects 8 to 9 out of every ten pregnant women at some point throughout their pregnancy.

In addition to the health issues above, according to this expert dentist in Raleigh, pregnant women are also more prone to periodontal diseases. Thus, iron is a must in their diet.

5 Herbs To Include In Your Diet

 

Most herbs help with pregnancy and are safe to consume in moderation. There have been few instances of adverse effects in pregnant women, and when they have, it has been due to the use of unsafe herbs. However, herbs that can help during pregnancy are-

 

Ginger

Ginger can be helpful during pregnancy. It can calm your stomach and reduce nausea. You can always keep a little supply of ginger candies or crystallized ginger and eat ginger throughout the day in modest amounts. Large amounts are not required, and a daily intake of up to 1 gm of what would be equivalent to the dry powder is advisable.

Dandelion Leaf (Taraxacum officinale)

Dandelion leaf tea improves digestion and encourages the production of bile. It effectively cleans and nourishes the liver and helps treat constipation. The coffee-like flavor of roasted dandelion leaf, which contains calcium and iron, makes it an ideal morning beverage.

There are various benefits of having dandelion during pregnancy such as-

  • It helps in preventing and treating pre-eclampsia and strengthening the liver.
  • It helps to eliminate excess water retention.
  • It helps in the better functioning of kidneys.

 

Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)

Lemon Balm, often known as “Melissa,” is a mint with a strong lemon fragrance. Lemon Balm’s leaves, stems, and flowers are useful for medical reasons. The name “balm” relates to balsam. It was one of the most significant sweet-smelling oils in ancient times. Herbalists have used lemon balm to treat any central nervous system problem. The soothing and gas-relieving properties of Lemon Balm are due to terpenes. Lemon Balm includes flavonoids, polyphenolics, and other chemicals responsible for its anti-herpes and thyroid-regulating properties. When peppermint and lemon balm are combined, they can help settle an upset stomach.

 

Nettle Leaves (Urtica Dioica)

Nettle leaves are a nutritional powerhouse and have a good amount of chlorophyll. It has high levels of iron, calcium, and folic acid. All these are vital during pregnancy. Nettle helps strengthen the kidneys, which is critical during pregnancy since your kidneys must work twice as hard to maintain your enlarged blood volume and adrenals. Nettle also helps the vascular system and decreases fluid retention. It also helps in increasing the production of breast milk.

 

CBD

CBD has a wide range of therapeutic effects. It relieves chronic pain, anxiety, depression, insomnia, nausea, and vomiting. However, taking CBD while pregnant or nursing is highly discouraged by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). People should avoid CBD during pregnancy due to the lack of knowledge about its effects on a growing fetus. Though it has some benefits, it is unsafe to have it during pregnancy. It can lead to various complications. People choosing this option should try it at their own risk. One can intake CBD in multiple ways, including topicals, gum, sublingual drops, and gel caps.

 

Conclusion

We see herbs can be an excellent option for instant relief in some cases. There are various benefits that these natural medicines provide, but it is important to note that they may react differently to your body. So, always be super cautious before trying anything new in your diet during pregnancy.