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Importance Of Folic Acid {Pregnancy}

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During pregnancy, the doctors advise and prescribe few supplements like folic acid, iron and calcium. As I said, I had severe nausea so I could barely eat anything. Because of this, I never cared about taking any of these supplements. When my husband shared the importance of these supplements, I felt really guilty. These supplements are really very important during pregnancy. Today I shall be sharing the importance of Folic acid for the baby.

So why is folic acid so important? 

Folic acid plays a huge part in the development of a baby’s neural tube. Insufficient folic acid has been shown to increase the chances of a neural tube defect in the unborn baby. A baby’s neural tube is the first part of the central nervous system that grows. By the time this part is fully developed, and baby is born, it has become the baby’s brain and spinal cord.

My husband suggested me to also get this supplement from food sources apart from taking the tablets. Some excellent food sources of folic acid include green leafy vegetables – dark lettuces, spinach, greens of all types, broccoli, beet root, lentils and beans and even calf’s liver, fruits sources – oranges, grape fruit, raspberries. If you find these foods too unpalatable for you, then it’s an excellent idea to take a folic acid supplement. Folic acid is also found in copious amounts in non-vegetarian sources such as turkey and chicken livers.

For a pregnant woman, per day intake of folic acid should be 400-600mcg. These are the things I am sharing with my own experience and a bit of knowledge but it is always advisable to consult your doctor before blindly taking anything.

Thanks for such a great post Punam 🙂 And, hope you all find this helpful. Btw, I would like to tell you all about Punam’s blog as well – be beautiful with Punam.
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Dealing With Heightened Sense Of Smell {Pregnancy}

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My sense of smell isn’t strong at all. Even when the food burns when left on the gas for long, I can barely smell it from the next room. But during pregnancy, my nose all of sudden started working and was out of my control. Yes, one of the biggest disadvantages is heightened sense of smell. 

ts not always same with everyone. The strength varies from person to person but for me, it used to result in nausea and vomiting. Doctors say estrogen is responsible for this. When your estrogen rises, your smell sense also rises. So, I followed some things to manage this issue:

  • Well I tried to stay away from cooking and ate those foods I can stand to smell. Even if I used to cook at times, I made sure that I kept the chimney on and the windows open to banish musty odours.
  • Smells tend to cling to the body and nose sometimes. So, I used to carry a perfume or any scent with me all the time. This was helpful especially at some public places. Even the body odours of other people affect me a lot so I tend to stay away from closed spaces like lifts.  
  • Mint and lemon fragrance used to be my favourite, explore yours 🙂
    • Similarly, if you are going to gym, prefer timings when there are less people otherwise you will have to bear that sweaty odour.
    • Wash your clothes regularly with good fragrant detergents but always use light soothing scented products and toiletries. There are so many options available in the market these days.
    • Keep your home open and airy so that it feels fresh all round. Even good room freshener of your choice will help (make sure its not very strong).  Fragrant Candles or diffusers are also very helpful.
    • I always loved to sit in my garden and smell the flowers. It helped reduce nausea as well.
    • Cigarette smoking is injurious to health. Passive Smoking also affects pregnant women. I used to feel puckish if I smell its smoke.
    • Don’t keep your veggies and fruits or any other food in plastic bags. The smell of plastic can make the products also very smelly.
    • Clean your refrigerator frequently so that food kept in it doesn’t smell. My maid used to clean it with baking soda. She said this will banish the odour. Thanks to you, Shanta (no its not Shanta Bai from Kal Ho Na Ho, its actually her name 😀). [Editor’s Note: Vinegar helps as well 🙂]
    And, most important thing during pregnancy is to be happy and calm. Hope the post was helpful. Do let me know your views on the post 🙂 

    As I notified a few days back, Punam is on board as an occasional contributor to Perfect Skin Care for you. Hope you enjoy her posts. And, I also hope she becomes a regular contributor 🙂

    How to deal with nausea? {Pregnancy}

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    Motherhood is a divine emotion. It’s obviously a good news to know that you are going to be a mother but one has to be more responsible and caring coz your body is going to face drastic changes and you have a new life inside. Pregnancy starts with the feeling of nausea and morning sickness for almost all the pregnant women. Today I am sharing my own experience of the first trimester and how I managed them.

    What is nausea? 
    It’s feeling of uneasiness that makes you urge to vomit. It’s not always necessary that one vomits.
    In pregnancy this feeling is stronger in morning. The reasons given are hormonal changes. As I am not a doctor (I am just a doctor’s wife), so I am not going to go into the details. I had severe nausea and vomits till the 5thmonth and then it reduced gradually. But, the degree of nausea differs from body to body.
    Few things that can help you deal with this problem – Do’s
    • As soon as you wake up in the morning, eat something. Don’t keep yourself starving. 
    • If you have a habit to start your day with tea, change it now. Either skip it or add some toast or biscuits with it and even ginger tea can help you but my mom used to say take ginger tea only in colder climate so I avoid it in the summers. 
    • It’ll be great if you take an apple early morning and even before going to bed coz this will help clean your stomach and keeps you energetic.
    • Citrus fruits are a great help in feeling of nausea. I always used to eat or chew lemon or orange slices whenever I felt nausea.
    • Place potato chips or crackers near your bed so that whenever u feel hungry, you can eat them. This can suppress vomit but remember excess of anything is harmful, so just take few bites.
    • Try to get up during night to eat something so that u may not feel too sick and weak in the morning.
    Dont’s:
    • Stay way from strong smells.
    • Don’t starve at all.
    • Stay away from spicy food, colas and caffeine.
    • Don’t get over-tired.
    • Stay away from stress.
    About the Author: This post has been written by Punam. Thank you so much Punam for sharing your experience and I am looking forward to more posts from you 🙂 What say, guys sorry, gals?