Thinking of visiting the beach in your pregnant state? I bet you like the idea of the fresh air the beach is sure to bring. Perhaps, you crave enjoying a small dose of heat from the sunshine in summer. Pregnancy can be tough and a weekend getaway by the beach could just be a perfect way to relax.
Wondering how safe the new life in you would be while you have fun at the beach? Well, the safety of your unborn child is guaranteed so long you keep a couple of tips in mind.
“What tips?” You ask.
This article was written to answer that question. All you have to do is follow through till the very end.
Now, you’re wondering why this is important as a beach is literally a big body of water (if you know what I mean). However, remember that being on the beach means exposure to the sun, more often than not. While you are pregnant, you do want to be dehydrated and if you would achieve this while being exposed to the sun, then you must consciously take water. You do not want the baby to be short of oxygen or nutrients, a situation dehydration can bring about.
As a rule of thumb, if you are out under the sun for up to an hour, then you should drink a minimum of eight ounces of water. In a case where you can’t get enough water or you aren’t just interested in water; juice, tea or any safe drink will be good.
You want to avoid sunburns as much as possible since they have the tendency to cause congenital anomalies. However, the truth is, you cannot totally avoid the sun while you are on the beach.
Hence, all you’ve got is preventive measures to ensure you and the baby are not harmed. First off, you want to avoid being in the sun for a long period of time, at a stretch. Staying under the sun at a stretch should not exceed 30 minutes. Simply put, after every 30 minutes of sun exposure, ensure you move to a shade to cool off. While at it, use a sunscreen every two hours.
Sunscreens are very important while on the beach, especially for pregnant women. Ensure you use SPF 30 at least.
When it comes to choosing a sunscreen in pregnancy; first, ensure you pick a sunscreen that is oil free. Pregnancy makes women acne-prone. Using an oily sunscreen would only make things worse.
Second and lastly, avoid the use of any sunscreen with Oxybenzone as its active ingredient. A possible link has been established between the chemical and certain birth defects.
Having the ocean’s water sweep over your belly might be all the calm you need. So, it is totally alright to take off your famous maternity dress, get into your bikini and swim with your bulging belly. All you need to do in a bid to ensure your safety while swimming is ensuring there is no harmful creatures around you. Some creatures found in water bodies have the ability to sting and you don’t want any more discomfort.
Riding a roller coaster is definitely an amazing part of visiting the beach, but while you are pregnant, do away with rollercoasters. If there’s one thing that is unsafe for pregnant women while on the beach, it is definitely this.
While riding a roller coaster, it gives a force that has the ability to prematurely remove the placenta from the wall of the womb. Such abruption to the placenta (which connects the baby to the mother—a mechanism to deliver oxygen and nutrients) could lead to the death of the baby and in extreme cases, the mother.
Need you more reasons to avoid roller coasters while pregnant?
It’s hard to spend a weekend at a beach resort without having some Salmon, Catfish, Crab or Shrimp. However, while pregnant, ensure your consumption of seafood does not go above 12 ounces a week. The exception to this rule is Tilapia, which you can eat as much as you desire.
With these tips at your fingertips, it’s totally okay to pack your things for a weekend getaway at the beach.
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