During pregnancy, our body’s immunity is perfectly timed to ensure you and your baby’s protection. The immune system is aggressive during implantation to help the fetus get fully established.
After that, your immune system decreases, to protect the baby. If your immune system is very active, it might confuse the baby and treat it as a foreign body. This could potentially cause your immune system to invade or attack the fetus.
Your immune system returns to a more aggressive state once the delivery time is approaching, to help induce labor. But most of the pregnancy, the immune system stays lowered to protect the baby.
Having a lowered immune system makes you more susceptible to infectious diseases like the flu, COVID-19, etc. And getting sick during pregnancy is not fun.
When you’re pregnant, taking the medication you’re used to having when you’re sick is not possible. At least not with peace of mind, and certain diseases could harm the baby.
The best way to avoid getting sick while pregnant is to naturally boost your immune system. And also maintain it postpartum, to keep you and the baby safe.
These Are The Top 8 Tips to Help You Boost Your Immune System During Pregnancy
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Eat Healthy Foods.
Eating healthy food doesn’t mean you have to eat steamed veggies every day. It means to include all the food groups on your diet— like protein, carbs, healthy fats, etc. A healthy diet is the foundation of a good immune system.
Eating whole foods, having well-balanced meals, and skipping processed, chemicals-loaded foods helps maintain your health. This is also critical for your baby’s growth.
If you’re not sure how to integrate a healthy diet into your lifestyle, speak to a nutritionist.
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Sleep Well
Many pregnancy symptoms affect your sleep, like nausea and vomiting, leg cramps, fetal movement, physical uncomfortableness, etc. This is all perfectly normal while expecting, but sleeping has a major role in our immune system.
Our immune system releases proteins during sleep. These proteins are called cytokines. Your body needs these proteins to fight against infections and inflammation. A lack of sleep may decrease the production of these protective proteins. ¹
My recommendation is to get a full eight hours of sleep plus a short nap during the day if possible. When expecting, a few extra hours of sleep are often necessary, especially in the first few months.
Embrace this beautiful time and listen to your body. If you’re feeling tired, even if you slept your eight hours or more, take a break or a nap. Your body needs the rest.
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Exercise And Stay Active
If your care provider hasn’t limited your physical activity, exercise is a great way to boost your immune system. Along with a healthy diet, exercise leads to good health and it boosts your immune system.
Working out contributes to a healthy pregnancy by promoting good circulation. This lets your cells to move freely through your body and work efficiently. Also, exercise helps blood flow to your womb, which is crucial for a growing fetus.
Try to practice any type of exercise you feel comfortable doing, like walking, biking, dancing, etc.
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Practice Meditation
Stress has a direct impact on your immune system. Stress hormones like cortisol, lower the number of white cells responsible for fighting infections in your body.
Meditation is a great way to manage your anxiety and stress. The sense of peace and calmness you get when meditating benefits not only your emotional well-being but also your overall health.
Meditation boosts your immune system by helping you control stress and anxiety.
Two great apps to start meditating or get back to it are Headspace and Meditation-Time. They’re my favorite and they’re easy to use and integrate into your daily life.
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Stay up to Date With Vaccination
Having the necessary vaccines— like the flu shot and whooping cough (called Tdap)— it’s very important during pregnancy. They’re key to protect yourself and your baby.
The immunity vaccines give you, protect your baby from certain diseases during the first few months of life. ²
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Drink Non-Dairy Golden Milk,
Golden milk, an Indian beverage also known as turmeric milk, is an immune-boosting drink. Its main ingredients are turmeric, ginger, and plant-based milk. This drink is loaded with antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory properties.
Its main ingredient, turmeric, has a compound called curcumin. Curcumin has anti-inflammatory properties that boost your immune system. ³
Another main ingredient, ginger, has anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which also boost immunity. ⁴
To prepare golden milk you need:
- ½ cup of plant-based unsweetened milk (almond or oat mil are good options)
- 1 teaspoon of turmeric
- A small piece of grated ginger
- A pinch of black pepper
- ½ teaspoon of cinnamon
- Honey to taste (optional)
Directions:
Mix all the ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. Strain and serve warm.
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Protect Your Skin And Use Pregnancy-Safe Cosmetics
Your skin is the largest organ of your body, and its main job is to protect you from bacteria and environmental toxins. When the outer layer of the skin is well-hydrated and healthy, it gets toxins out and it carries nutrients into your skin’s cells.
Anything you put in your skin gets absorbed into your bloodstream. This is why pregnancy-safe products are so important. Using cosmetics with harmful ingredients could harm you or your baby.
For this reason, we ensure all of our products are pregnancy-safe. Our 100% Natural DNA Protection Moisturizer keeps your skin hydrated and healthy. Its formulation helps to filter out any questionable ingredients for the fetus like phenoxyethanol, phthalates, essential oils, witch hazel, etc.
This moisturizer was formulated with expecting women in mind, so you have peace of mind when following your skincare routine.
A well-moisturized skin is also less sensitive to irritants and germs slipping through the lipid barrier when your skin is dry. Shop for our moisturizer here.
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Eat Greek Yogurt
Yogurt has an immune-boosting effect on your body. It contains live and active cultures, and probiotics, which help stimulate the immune system and fight off disease.
Greek yogurt is also high on calcium, vitamins, protein, and promotes good gut health.
Tip: Use vitamin D3 fortified yogurt. Vitamin D has the potential to prevent illnesses such as the common cold and flu. ⁵
Are Dr. Lily Ros Products Safe For Pregnant Women?
Safety is a top priority when formulating our cosmetics. All of our products are safe for pregnant women, but they’re also effective. You shouldn’t have to sacrifice healthy, glowing skin for safety. Not with our skincare products.
With expert pharmacist-formulations, we ensure you get quality products that are safe for you and the whole family. We also share useful information for you to learn about clean beauty, skincare, and health and wellness. And of course, on how to boost your immune system.
We say YES to clean, organic, safe ingredients.
We say NO to harmful chemicals, artificial ingredients, unsafe naturals, and synthetic fillers.
If you’re expecting and it’s causing you to have dry skin, our moisturizer is set to help you out. It hydrates your skin while keeping you and your baby safe. Shop for it here.
Shop our other pregnancy safe products here.
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