You set in the clinic to get yourself checked from the gynae. And voila Happy news. You are pregnant. The joy of the news is unexplainable. A fast gushing feel rushes inside you and you are on cloud nine. Just when the woman leaves her paternal home and comes in her husband’s home, starts off a new birth for her.

Similarly, she is now all set to be born again with the arrival of her own baby.  Pregnancy is the very familiar word associated with a woman. However, she is always acceptable about the journey and the roller coaster ride that this phase brings along. Starting form morning sickness to mood swings, the experiences are mind blowing moments. The series of continuous dysfunctions seem endless. A woman generally has the vague idea that childbirth is links with unbearable pain and danger. A mixture of tales about painful delivery causes the woman to tense up while giving birth. This leads to complications while going through labor.

The Pain Story
Childbirth and pain are often linked with each other since a long time as normal contractions are rendered to difficult labour. It is very essential to have positive thought about labor and not Painful thoughts. Often the scare of pain makes a woman weak and vulnerable to pain, so she seems helpless in the hands of pain and succumb dreadfully making her feel the pain feel more intense and troublesome. What the woman does not understand that her body is designed to give birth to babies. The simple fact endures an easier delivery. An optimistic nature helps in achieving the impossible.

The Brain- the powerhouse

The Brain is the controller of emotions and any pain in the body sends messages to the brain. It is however the decision of the brain to let go of the pain or interpret it. Each woman is different. And so is their pregnancy, but their attitude towards pain should be same. It should be positive. She need not be afraid that anything bad is going to happen. Letting go and being at ease is the first step towards a highly normal delivery. If a woman is tense her uterus muscles will also be tensed and this would lead to a painful delivery. If however she is in a relaxed state of mind, her uterine muscles will also be relaxed thus ensuring a smooth delivery.

There are certain points in the body where tension tends to accumulate. The steps to relax these points are as follows:

• Relax your forehead and do not frown at all.

• Relax your jaw. This enables the vagina to relax too.

• Relax your spine.

• Relax your shoulder, elbows and hands.

• Relax your feet.

A relaxed body enables the muscles to use minimum energy and oxygen and hence the blood flow in the body is efficient. This ensures a healthy and alert baby. Tension anywhere in the body should be completely avoidable at any cost.

Relaxation and Deep Breathing:

It is very important to do deep breathing exercises before childbirth. This would completely relax your system. It is important to take a deep cleansing breath which means to empty your lungs. Breathe in through the nose and finally exhale through the mouth. Afterwards do waists level breathing. Place your hands on your waist and breathe in and out deeply with force. The breathing practice should neither be too fast nor too slow. Then is the chest level breathing. Place your hand at your chest and deep breathe. It should be gentle, shallow breathing. The tongue should be placed on the roof of the mouth. This practice should be done for thirty seconds. Next is the jaw level breathing, in which it is necessary to stress on the letter? T?. This should be done thirty seconds.

The Good Diet:

Diet in Pregnancy should also be carefully planned. It is a myth that an expecting mother should eat for two but is completely incorrect. She should eat nutritious food. Though the expecting mother always has an urge to eat specific food item, her calorie consumption should always be in check. In order to avoid putting on too much weight a strict diet should be followed incorporating essential food groups like cereals, fats, proteins, carbohydrates. Females who have a sweet tooth should compensate with jaggery, raisins, fruits that satiate the feeling to eat something sweet. Which acts like replacements for sugar. Reducing oil and having steamed vegetables will help in maintaining the normal body weight. Salt should be taken in moderation to stabilize the blood pressure. Baby inside the womb takes in several nutrients that it requires. For example Iron to store in the liver. It also takes the calcium form the mother’s body to make bones and teeth.
 

Foods essential for a healthy baby :

• Iron which is present in green leafy vegetables. It is also found in fish.

• Calcium which is obtained from milk and milk products. Eggs are also a good source of calcium. It is also present in green leafy vegetables.

• Protein is as essential for you as it is important for the baby. It is present in pulses and eggs.

It is advisable to cut down caffeine products like tea, coffee, and cold drinks since they upset the digestion. Women who drink cold drinks in excess do not lose weight easily. The instant energy boost that the body gets from cold drinks soon wears down once the effect of sugar sublimes. Caffeine being diuretic causes more urine to be passed. It also leads to heartburn, sleep disturbances and anxiety.

How to keep Fit:

During these golden days, women tend to feel lethargic and tired. This should be avoided by involving in some activity like reading, painting, learning music, embroidery, writing or anything that keeps you occupied. Yoga and walking should also be a part of the fitness regime to maintain a healthy balance. Yoga tends to stretch your body and makes your muscles more supple. It is also recommended for easy delivery. Post pregnancy yoga helps in losing weight to a large extent. Giving birth to a child is one of the most memorable instances for the mother. She should not have negative feelings like pain or depression which can counter effect the natural process of childbirth. This golden phase should be enjoyed as she is nurturing the most beautiful creature created by God inside Her.