Tips for Pregnancy

Pregnancy can be a stressful and daunting time for expectant mothers, but there are a number of different strategies to assist in making pregnancy an enjoyable experience.

Pre-Natal Baby Music
Listening to specially designed pre-natal music bring harmony to the environment and helps to relax and soothe the expectant mother and baby throughout pregnancy.

Yoga and Stretching
When combined with light exercise, such as walking, yoga and simple stretching can help to maintain fitness during pregnancy. Yoga has been shown to have positive effects on mood swings, food cravings, cramps, headaches, insomnia etc. but should always be done in consultation with your doctor or health care professional.

Aromatherapy
Aromatherapists believe that burning essential oils can assist in balancing hormone levels and reducing stress whilst pregnant. However, you should consult with a professional aromatherapist to learn which oils are best to use during pregnancy and which scents you should avoid. They can also advise when it is best to use aromatherapy as some believe it should not be used in the first trimester.

Visualisation
Creative visualisation can help to relieve stress and fear of labor during pregnancy. Creative visualisation involves imagining a peaceful and enjoyable scene or memory, i.e. a tropical island, a snow covered mountain, in great detail as though you are watching a movie. Try to incorporate as many of the five senses as possible, i.e. What does it look and smell like? What can you hear?

Hydration
Keeping hydrated during pregnancy is essentially important.Water flushes waste from the body and helps maintain food liver and kidney function for both mother and baby. It is also necessary for increasing the mothers blood volume as the body expands.
Typically, pregnant women should drink 8-12 glasses of water a day, even more if you are exercising.

Eating Healthy for Two
It is important to gain the right level of both calorie and nutrient levels to encourage a healthy pregnancy and healthy baby. Your needs can change depending on what trimester you are in so it is important to consult your doctor or health care professional on adjusting your diet for pregnancy.

Modern Day Music Therapy

For generations, music has been known to calm the mind, soothe the soul and heal the body.

Modern day music therapy for babies is the use of specific sound patterns to encourage a particular change in mood or behaviour.

Research suggests that music for babies based on a soft, regular tempo of 60 beats per minute encourages calm, regular breathing which can evoke a positive response in the listener - even babies in the womb.

As such pre-natal music therapy may help ease the transition from womb to outside world, create a familiar and secure environment for babies and encourage early bonding between mother and child, particularly if played during the last trimester of pregnancy.

Many crèches and hospitals use music therapy as a stress reduction technique for infants and music therapy has also been credited with helping stabilise the heart rate and oxygen intake of premature babies which in turn helps the baby to grow.

Music therapy is also thought to promote creativity and imagination in babies, young children and adults alike.