When using the toilet during pregnancy, it is best to sit down fully and, for bowel movements, lean forward with feet elevated on a stool. This helps ensure the bladder and bowels empty completely, which can prevent issues like bladder infections and hemorrhoids.
Lean forward, as much as your bump allows. Put your elbows on your knees - try and keep your back straight.
Poor Posture during Pregnancy : Don'ts
Take your time on the toilet. Relax your tummy, don't rush or push downwards to speed up the flow of urine. If you don't empty all of your bladder, you can get bladder infections. Don't hover or squat over toilet seats - always sit down so your bladder can empty fully.
Being active can help prevent pregnancy constipation. Include more fiber in your diet. Choose high-fiber foods, such as fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains. With your healthcare professional's OK, consider a fiber supplement, such as Metamucil or Citrucel.
Your uterus becomes heavier, increasing the pressure on your bowels. Straining during bowel movements and prolonged time on the toilet can increase your risk for hemorrhoids, which are uncomfortable, swollen veins in and around the anus. Constipation is uncomfortable for you, but it won't harm your baby.
Try your best to avoid sitting cross legged especially during pregnancy! This can create an imbalance with the joints and ligaments that hold and grow with your uterus. As your baby grows you want as much even space as possible to allow for optimal positioning for birth as well.
Sports and activities to avoid while pregnant
Any competitive sports where you have to move your body in a way that may not be safe. Activities with unsafe environments — such as spas, hydrotherapy pools or 'hot' yoga. Activities that involve heavy equipment — such as weightlifting, skiing and scuba diving.
When you go to pee, lean forward on the toilet seat and make sure you have good support under your feet. This is the most effective position for the body when it comes to emptying the bladder fully.
Keep your knees and legs straight. Remember not to fold your legs. ◦ Keep changing your sitting positions once every 30 minutes, as sitting in the same position for more than 30 minutes can put excessive pressure on certain parts of your body.
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.
One of the things a husband should not do during pregnancy is to leave her without support. Pregnant women need all the help they can get to overcome fear and uncertainties. She needs someone to remind her that she can survive her journey.
Crying and irritability during pregnancy are common, especially in the early months. These reactions can be in response to something important or nothing at all.
(But between four and 10 can also be normal.) Frequent urination – going more than seven times a day – affects 80 to 95% of women at some point during pregnancy. Nocturia – peeing two or more times overnight – is also common during pregnancy, and it increases as pregnancy progresses.
Most women don't "feel" pregnant the second they get a positive reading on a pregnancy test. In fact, even for women who are feeling nauseous as all get-out the first trimester, that "Oh my God, I'm really pregnant" feeling doesn't hit until sometime in the second trimester.
The "21-second pee rule" comes from a scientific study showing most mammals over about 3 kg (6.6 lbs) empty their bladders in roughly 21 seconds, a phenomenon explained by physics where longer, wider urethras in larger animals use gravity to maintain a similar flow rate to smaller ones, and it serves as a loose benchmark for human bladder health; significantly shorter or longer times can signal issues like overactive bladder or holding it too long.
During pregnancy you should drink 8 to 12 cups (64 to 96 ounces) of water every day. Water has many benefits. It aids digestion and helps form the amniotic fluid around the fetus.
Five key warning signs during pregnancy needing immediate medical attention include vaginal bleeding, severe headaches with vision changes, decreased baby movement, severe abdominal pain/cramping, and signs of preterm labor like regular contractions or fluid leakage, as these can signal serious issues like miscarriage, preeclampsia, placental problems, or infection. Always contact your healthcare provider or seek emergency care for these symptoms.
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.
Do avoid exposure to pesticides, lead, and mercury. Don't smoke or vape tobacco or marijuana, drink alcohol, or use illegal drugs during your pregnancy. If you face addiction or substance use challenges, tell your pregnancy health provider. They can help you to quit and connect you to support groups.
Here are some key indicators of a healthy pregnancy:
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.
Although there is no consensus on the full spectrum of forbidden points,3 those most frequently cited as contraindicated throughout pregnancy (at least before 37 weeks) are SP6, LI4, BL60, BL67, GB21, LU7, and points in the lower abdomen (eg, CV3–CV7) and sacral region (eg, BL27–34).