In the last month of pregnancy, aim for 7-9 hours of sleep at night, plus naps, as your body needs rest for physical and mental health, but prioritize quality and listen to your body; focus on side sleeping (especially left) for better circulation and minimize back sleeping, and take naps when needed due to disrupted nighttime sleep from discomfort, frequent urination, and hormones, asking your doctor for personalized advice.
Sleep less than 7 h or bedtime after 23 o'clock was associated with increased fatigue levels of pregnant women in the third trimester. Therefore, it is necessary to develop good sleep habits (enough sleep duration and early bedtime) to keep fatigue at a low level for pregnant women in the third trimester.
Sleep problems are worst in the first and third trimesters when the body is going through the most physical and emotional changes. The National Institutes of Health recommends that mothers-to-be spend at least 8 hours in bed each night, so they can get at least 7 hours of sleep.
While the general recommendation is 7-9 hours of sleep per night during pregnancy, some women may feel well-rested with less or more than this. That being said, consistently getting less than 6 hours of sleep per night is not recommended and can have negative effects on both you and your baby's health.
Taking care of yourself and your baby is vital for your family's mental and physical health! And the answer to the question of how many hours should a pregnant woman sleep is as close to eight to 10 hours as she can.
There's no single "hardest" month, as challenges vary, but many find the first trimester tough due to nausea, fatigue, and hormonal shifts, while the third trimester (months 7-9) often brings the most physical discomfort from the baby's size, affecting sleep, mobility, and causing aches, heartburn, and frequent urination. The difficulty often shifts as pregnancy progresses, with the first months focused on adjustment and the later months on physical strain and preparation for birth.
Your health care provider may order you to stay in bed for a few days or weeks. This is called bed rest. Bed rest used to be recommended routinely for a number of pregnancy problems, including: High blood pressure.
Keep up your normal daily physical activity or exercise (sport, running, yoga, dancing, or even walking to the shops and back) for as long as you feel comfortable. Exercise is not dangerous for your baby. There is evidence that active women are less likely to experience problems in later pregnancy and labour.
A new study, led by Columbia researchers, suggests that mothers who experience poor sleep during pregnancy, particularly during the second trimester, are more likely to have children with neurodevelopmental issues, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, as well as sleep problems and emotional dysregulation ...
Common Causes of Fatigue During Pregnancy
Hormones: Rising levels of progesterone make you feel sleepy and sluggish. Increased blood volume: Your body makes more blood to support your baby, which makes your heart and organs work harder. Low blood sugar and pressure: These changes can leave you feeling weak or dizzy.
If you have had a difficult pregnancy or you are ill around the time of labor, you may find it especially difficult to distinguish between the two. Many women describe pre-labor fatigue as a slowing down of the body—much like moving through molasses. They sleep hours upon hours in the few days prior to labor.
Starchy foods are an important source of energy, some vitamins and fibre, and help you to feel full without containing too many calories. They include bread, potatoes, breakfast cereals, rice, pasta, noodles, maize, millet, oats, yams and cornmeal. If you are having chips, go for oven chips lower in fat and salt.
Results: There was a significant positive effect of consuming date fruits on maternal outcomes in the first and third stages of labor. The group of pregnant women who consumed dates had a shortened latent phase of labor, which meant that their cervix reached maximum dilation (10 cm) faster.
A few things to remember so that you don't overdo things: Check with your clinician before starting any exercise routine. Whatever activity you choose, don't overdo it. Drink plenty of water before, during, and after exercise to avoid dehydration.
For most people, the extreme fatigue of the first trimester is soon forgotten. That's because the second trimester often comes with a glow and a boost in energy. So don't worry if it seems like all you're doing these first few weeks is lying around, dozing, or napping. This is normal.
The "3-2-1 Rule" in pregnancy is a guideline for first-time mothers to know when to call their midwife or doctor for active labor: consistent contractions that are 3 minutes apart, lasting 2 minutes each, for 1 hour (or sometimes cited as 3-1-1, meaning 3 minutes apart, 1 minute long, for 1 hour). For subsequent pregnancies, the 5-1-1 Rule (5 minutes apart, 1 minute long, for 1 hour) is often used, indicating labor is progressing more quickly.
Partial bedrest usually means it's usually okay to sit, stand, or walk around for short periods of time. It is sometimes called modified bedrest. Full bedrest usually means you need to lie down most of the day except when you go to the bathroom or take a bath or shower.
In fact, some studies point out that it can have risks like blood clots and loss of muscle and bone strength. For this reason, most pregnancy care providers don't recommend bed rest as a routine treatment. Instead, they recommend reducing your usual activities instead of stopping your activities entirely.
Staying in bed isn't likely to delay early labor and delivery, and it could lead to health concerns. When you're pregnant, being told to stay in bed for a few days or a few weeks might seem like just the welcome break you need.
Signs You Should Stop Working When Pregnant
You're at risk for preterm labor, which includes symptoms like: Abdominal pain, cramping or pressure. Watery, bloody or other vaginal discharge. Increased discharge of any kind.
“For most pregnant women, standing from 30 to 60 minutes [at a time] is considered manageable, but it's important for you to listen to your body's signals.” For many, walking or standing for long stretches makes otherwise common pregnancy symptoms even worse.
Most miscarriages (80%) happen within the first three months of pregnancy (up to 13 weeks of pregnancy). Less than 5% of miscarriages occur after 20 weeks' gestation. The rate of miscarriage may be higher if you consider miscarriages that happen shortly after implantation.
Your body is producing more blood to carry nutrients to your growing baby. Your blood sugar levels and blood pressure are also lower. Hormones especially increased progesterone levels, are responsible for making you sleepy.
Fruits: cantaloupe, honeydew, mangoes, prunes, bananas, apricots, oranges, and red or pink grapefruit (for potassium) Dairy: fat-free or low-fat yogurt, skim or 1% milk, soymilk (for calcium, potassium, vitamins A and D) Grains: ready-to-eat cereals/cooked cereals (for iron and folic acid)