Tips for Surviving the Winter Pregnant

I have read so many stories about the crazy things that people say to pregnant women and thankfully I have not heard most of those things though that is probably due to the fact that often strangers don’t realize I am pregnant instead they just think I am fat or that I gained some holiday weight like so many other people out there.  But no, instead I get to have people tell me how lucky I am to have a winter pregnancy.

Hah. That makes me laugh.

I always politely smile and agree with them, but boy do I think that they are crazy.  This is now my second time with surviving the winter pregnant and even though I have never had a pregnancy during the summer months, but I do know that it is not much fun having one in the middle of winter.  Let me explain to you a few things about being pregnant in the winter.

You still constantly get hot.  Just because it is winter it does not mean that you will not get uncomfortably hot.  I cannot tell you how many times I have to close the vents and open up the windows for a little while because I get so hot.  Being hot in the winter is not a cup of tea.  Everyone still wants you to bundle up in a heavy winter coat, hat and gloves.  Yes, there are times when you feel the cold and need them, but then there are other times when the idea of putting all of that on you instantly start sweating.  Even strangers will come up to you and make comments.

I have actually been told that I am already a bad mother and a bad example to children because I will walk outside in a short sleeved shirt when it is 30 degrees outside.  It still shocks me what people are willing to say to a complete stranger.

Snow and Ice are your enemy.  I don’t care if you are disabled or not; being pregnant causes many if not most women to have balance issues due to the extra weight out front of them.  Due to this imbalance walking in snow or on ice can be very tricky to navigate on and you must be extra cautious because you do not want to slip and fall.  Investing in a great pair of winter boots can be the perfect way to help aid you in walking safely through the ice and snow.  Once you reach the third trimester you might find it hard to put these boots on and take them off so find someone to help you out if you need to.

It’s Cold and Flu Season.  The winter months are some of the most treacherous months due to it being cold and flu season and spending the winter pregnant can be even more treacherous.  They tell elderly people to be careful during these months because of their weak immune system; well being pregnant is the same way.  When you are pregnant your immune system is weakened due to the growing baby inside of you.  Your body lowers your immune system so that it does not attack the foreign cells of the growing fetus.  Due to this it is very easy to catch a cold or the flu and very hard to get rid of it once you catch it.

While you are pregnant there are many medications that you are not allowed to take which means that there isn’t much that can fight the illness.  I was told that I could use a saline nasal spray which is too hard for me to use due to my hands being so weak and I was allowed to take low doses of Claritin, Zyrtec, or Benedryl.  None of these medications seemed to do anything for me.  I just had to ride the illness out even if it gave me pounding headaches and backaches.

Being Pregnant and Dry Skin go Hand in Hand.  When you are pregnant your body is growing and your skin is stretching which can cause itchiness and dryness.  If you are pregnant during the winter you need to be extra cautious because the winter months tend to dry out skin even when you aren’t pregnant.  I highly recommend getting yourself a large bottle of lotion, shea butter, or coconut oil to slather over your skin a couple of times a day to keep your skin nice and moisturized.  This can help to reduce and eliminate the appearance of stretch marks.

Do you have any tips for surviving the winter pregnant?

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Ashley

Owner at Persevering Momma

Ashley is a 30-something woman that recently made some huge changes in her life. She grew up as a Chicagoan and moved to Indiana where she now resides with an amazing man their two cats. She is a new momma and loving every moment with her little man. She also enjoys spending time learning new things, reading, playing video games, spending time outside, and hiking when she is up to it, fishing, and in general loving life.

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