How To Keep Your Bones Healthy During Pregnancy

Pregnancy is truly a phenomenal experience that a woman, not only emotionally but also physically, incurs. Starting from the conception, the baby will put a lot of stress and responsibility on the mother. Due to this extra demand that pregnancy causes the bearing mother, along with affecting many other things, it may deteriorate her bone health.

One thing to be kept in mind is that the mother needs to protect her bones not only throughout the pregnancy but also during breastfeeding. It is to maintain good bone health yourself and also provide your little one with a strong bone skeleton. Though pregnancy and what comes afterward is a whirlwind, and one may not experience the immediate adverse effects, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. 

Let us take into account a few measures that will go a long way in providing good bone health:

Calcium

Calcium is an essential mineral that one requires daily, and to cater to the baby that’s growing inside you, your body will do whatever it takes to fulfill the requirement, including theft. Since this mineral can’t be produced from within and one would like to keep their bones and teeth resilient, then one has to confine in the extra calcium through food or nutrients.

Dairy foods like milk, cheese, and yogurt are an optimal choice as they are rich in calcium. One can also take dark green leafy vegetables, but the amount of calcium in them is minute. Another option is checking food labels that have calcium added to them, for example, calcium-fortified cereals, orange juice, soy drinks, and bread. 

Over the Counter Supplements

It’s normal for women aged 19 and above, whether pregnant or not, to not be able to meet their recommended daily intake of 1000mg calcium. Therefore, to prevent a loss of calcium in your bones due to the increased demand, one needs to increase their calcium intake. Another important factor to keep in mind is that for your body to absorb the calcium, it also needs Vitamin D. 

Without enough Vitamin D, your body will lack in producing a hormone called calcitriol, which is also known as the active Vitamin D, hence resulting in inefficient absorption of calcium for your bones. To counter all these inefficiencies, your doctor will most likely prescribe prenatal vitamins that contain a little extra calcium along with Vitamin D so that your bones can fulfill their ever-increasing demand.

Physical Activity

It is good to maintain some physical activity in life, but this can also play a vital role in leading a healthy pregnancy through maintaining and improving bone density. If you have been regular about exercising before pregnancy, then continuing a routine through your pregnancy will not be a problem. However, it is highly recommended that you get the approval of your health care provider as well. 

Healthy pregnant women can carry out a moderate intensity workout regime 2½ hours spread over each week. This might be able to prevent gestational diabetes and provide relief from stress. One exercise that can maintain sturdy muscles and supports your bones is weight training. In weight-bearing exercises, stress is applied to the bone during the workout, and bones respond by becoming stronger.

Healthy Lifestyle

Smoking and excessive consumption of alcohol can cause health complications in general, but specifically in pregnancy, not only are these unhealthy for the mother but also for the baby that’s growing within you. Though little research could be done on mothers who smoked or consumed alcohol, it was evident that maternal smoking and drinking habits caused adverse impact on themselves and their children.

Smoking confines the course of oxygen-rich blood that nurtures your bones. It also distresses the body’s capability to absorb calcium, which can, in return, lead to a lower bone density and fragile bones. Cigarettes contain nicotine, which reduces the creation of bone-forming cells that nurture bone healing. Smoking also seems to interrupt estrogen- which is an essential element to sustaining a hale and hearty skeleton. 

Studies clearly show that alcohol usage can compromise bone health and upturns the chances of osteoporosis. Alcohol can lower bone density and weaken bones’ mechanical possession. Alcohol and pregnancy are negatively associated with each other as it causes malnourishment, and thus damages bones’ well-being by spoiling calcium absorption.

Health Care Providers 

Pregnancy can cause numerous changes in a woman’s body. For all those changes that a woman undergoes, there are healthcare providers who monitor your health and create a nurturing environment for your child. Along with the main health care providers, one can also use the services of a chiropractor. A chiropractor is a professional who is dedicated to the identification and handling of neuromuscular ailments, stressing upon the manual adjustment and handling of the spine.

Pregnancy alters a hormone called relaxin that causes all the ligaments and joints in your pelvic area to relax and come loose. This may cause flux and discomfort in the spine. Chiropractic adjustments during the prenatal period can comfort back pain that is branched from altered relaxin. Furthermore, they can also help in correcting the posture and spinal curvature because of the increase in weight.

Healthy Pregnancy Habits 

Diverse life phases can alter the bone density, but a healthy lifestyle, food intake, some prescriptions, and health conditions can play an essential role in maintaining women’s bone health. We all know that pregnancy is a physiologically and nutritionally high demanding period. Thus, extra food might be required to meet the requirements of the fetus. 

High caffeine intake harms your bones, and in worst cases, it has also been linked to a miscarriage. If you want to save your bones, cut that extra mug of coffee or tea from your routine. Instead, try to incorporate healthy drinks in your diet so that the fetus gets maximum nutrition and your bones don’t lose their health.

Apart from all of the above, there are few other traveling precautions that a car accident doctor recommends since pregnancy hormones can be unpredictable, causing you to feel unwell and extra sleepy. Therefore, one shouldn’t drive while feeling fatigued or nauseous. The queasy feeling, increased pressure on your bladder, dizziness, and nausea are all the factors that make it quite unsafe to drive.

Conclusion

Teenage mothers are at a higher risk of bone loss during pregnancy and are more susceptible to osteoporosis in later stages of life. It is because these mothers are still building their bone mass. Whether a teenager or an older mom, you should be concerned about your health because once the baby is out, you would still energy to take care of yourself and your newborn.

Studies have proved that even breastfeeding has adverse effects on your bone health as women tend to lose 3 to 5 percent of their bone mass during this time. If not taken care of, you will find yourself a victim of many bone diseases at an early age. As you enjoy the wonderful pregnancy time and bond with your child soon after its birth, do not forget that your own well-being will eventually lead to a better life for your little one.