Pregnancy is a pain. This is a fact of life. However, it doesn’t stop women from undertaking the responsibility and gift of entering motherhood. There are many elements of pregnancy that involve necessary pain, such as the physical strain it puts on the body and other things like swollen feet and heartburn that are just part of the fun.

Moreover, there are other pains relating to pregnancy that aren’t necessary. In fact, some pains are avoidable and ought to be avoided as they can be dangerous for the developing baby. Amongst these types of pains is preeclampsia. This is a condition that occurs when pregnant women experience abnormal development of the placenta, the main organ that provides the growing baby with the nutrients it needs. When preeclampsia strikes, pregnant women also experience high blood pressure levels and high levels of protein in their urine. This typically happens around the 20 week mark.

Obviously, preeclampsia is something that pregnant women do not want to experience. It has the potential to cause organ malfunction, water retention, and pain in the abdomen. It can also lead to serious complications with the pregnancy and birth.

Unfortunately, there is no cure for preeclampsia. In fact, researchers and doctors aren’t entirely sure why or how it develops in the first place. However, there are many ways to prevent the onset of preeclampsia. The best weapon in the defence of anything trying to jeopardise your pregnancy is knowledge and awareness. Therefore, knowing how to prevent preeclampsia will help you coast through the necessary pains of pregnancy without any others popping up. Find out here 15 ways you can prevent preeclampsia in your pregnancy.

15 Use Calcium Supplements

In many diets, getting enough calcium can be a struggle. Add to this struggle getting enough calcium for two and it becomes even more difficult. Yet, calcium is highly important in a pregnant diet and one of the key ingredients in preventing preeclampsia.

Calcium supplements are a natural and organic way to boost your calcium intake, given you are selecting the right brand of supplements. Have a chat with the local pharmacist to ensure you are buying the best calcium supplement for pregnancy.

Of course, calcium supplements should be taken in conjunction with a healthy diet that already features lots of calcium rich foods. Like at any stage of your life, you shouldn’t rely on the supplements to do all of the work for you. So don’t be afraid to pour some extra milk or eat some extra cheese to ensure all the calcium is heading into your body, for you and the baby.

14 Engage In Intimate Activities

That’s right ladies, if you’ve got a man around, ideally the father of the baby, get them into bed. There is evidence that suggests semen helps reduce the risk of preeclampsia. This is because the growing fetus is strengthened when exposed to foreign antigens and able to build up a tolerance, which consequently prevents preeclampsia.

Based on this evidence, the presence of semen helps to make the fetus stronger, especially when the semen is swallowed. So, if there is a baby-daddy around, they probably aren’t going to argue with this science. Just make sure they repay the favour! This apparently works best if the male in question is the woman’s only partner, but that part of the science isn’t rock solid so it’s no drama.

In many instances, sex is proven to be good for relieving many pains, aches, and stresses of pregnancy. It also helps to induce labour. And now it prevents preeclampsia along the way. Well, there’s no denying what needs to be done!

13 Gain Baby Weight Not Baby Fat

This is the ultimate trick for staying healthy and well no matter what stage of life one is in. During pregnancy, it seems like a catch-22, since the inevitability of gaining weight is a real force. However, there is a difference between gaining baby weight and gaining fat weight.

Even before pregnancy occurs, you should be aiming to have your body at an optimal weight so that it is ready for fertilisation. A healthy weight range means maintaining a Body Mass Index (BMI) that is within the ‘normal’ range of 19-25, or less than 30. This significantly reduces the risk of pregnancy complications.

Weight issues, such as obesity and yo-yo dieting are not only harmful to the body, but also mess around with hormone levels and the metabolism. In terms of preeclampsia during pregnancy, all of these factors worsens inflammation and swelling, which is linked to the onset of preeclampsia.

12 Eat The Rainbow

Similar to maintaining a healthy weight, a well balanced diet is going to do wonders for every element of pregnancy. In terms of preventing preeclampsia, this type of diet should be rich in vitamins, minerals, and foods that are high in antioxidants. Moreover, this diet should begin before fertilisation does!

In your pre-pregnancy and during-pregnancy diet, stick to foods that are going to give you a load of potassium, aren’t high in salt, and of course make every meal super colourful with fruits and vegetables. Sweet potatoes, bananas, avocados, and those classic leafy greens are right up there on what you should be consuming during pregnancy.

All these good foods help to keep the immune system strong and maintain a low blood pressure. Too many foods that are processed and high in salt and sugar or those deep fried snacks go straight to the blood pressure and increase the chance of developing preeclampsia.

11 Reprioritize The To-Do List

While pregnant women who are battling their changing bodies and crazy raging hormones might start putting exercise at the bottom of the to-do list, it is one that really needs to get bumped up. Exercise has many benefits during pregnancy, especially in terms of preventing preeclampsia. When it comes to reducing inflammation and creating a defence against the stresses that comes with pregnancy, exercise is the way to go. These two factors are major contributors to preeclampsia.

There are many exercises that are appropriate for pregnancy. A moderate walk for 30 minutes, swimming, and pre-natal yoga classes are top of the list. Obviously, avoid intense workouts such as rock climbing or obstacle course running or anything along those lines – that baby bump is going to disagree with those!

Nonetheless, 30 minutes of light to moderate exercise each day will help your pregnancy go much smoother and prevent preeclampsia from ruining the fun along the way.

10 Know The Signs And Symptoms Of Preeclampsia

As we said earlier, knowledge is the best defence a pregnant woman can have. Therefore, being aware of just what preeclampsia is and what it does to the body is highly important. Likewise, knowing the signs and symptoms will help with understanding how to prevent it.

First and foremost, it is highly important to attend pre-natal doctor visits. During these visits, the doctor will check your blood pressure levels and your urine to see if there is an excess of protein. Often, doctors will get a blood test that can help indicate if you have preeclampsia.

The symptoms of preeclampsia are mostly related to high blood pressure levels, water retention, and an excess of protein in urine. In severe cases of preeclampsia, headaches, blurred vision, nausea, and fatigue can be signs. This is mostly in cases where these symptoms are occurring regularly and on an abnormal basis. If you have any concerns, it is always best to consult with you doctor.

9 Avoid Getting Fatigued And Dehydrated

This one may seem like a contradiction when it comes to pregnancy, but it is possible to avoid these things and it is important to do so. During pregnancy, the importance of mindfulness and controlling mental, physical, emotional, and social wellbeing really comes into play and has a big impact. Not only will these things help reduce preeclampsia, but also make the whole pregnancy experience a much better one.

In terms of dehydration, it is essential to make sure you’re drinking 6-8 glasses of water a day. One of the easiest ways to do this is to always carry a drink bottle with you, even around the house. Although that growing baby is going to spend a lot of time bouncing on your bladder and you’ll feel like you’re always peeing it out, keep on drinking!

As for fatigue and stress, make sure you take some ‘me’ time, even if it is just 5 minutes per day. For pregnancy, this can even be just lying down for a rest and elevating the feet, or massaging some oils or creams into your skin.

8 Elevate Your Feet Through The Day

During pregnancy, things start to swell, including the feet. It is typical for pregnant women to experience swelling in their feet up to 2 shoe sizes. The reason swelling occurs is because of water retention in the body. And one of the major factors behind preeclampsia is water retention. See what we’re saying?

While swelling happens regardless of preeclampsia, it is worth being aware of. Giving your body a chance to reduce the swelling naturally on its own will make a big difference. Not only will it help ward off preeclampsia, but will also make you feel much better. Taking 5 or 10 minutes in the morning and evening, in the afternoon too if you can squeeze it in, to elevate your feet will really help.

This can be done by lying on the ground, on a comfortable mat, and lifting your feet against a wall as high as you can reach them. Alternatively, lying on the couch and propping your feet up with pillows is very beneficial (not to mention a comfy way to end the day!).

7 Avoid The Wrong Type Of Beverages

We’ve established that drinking water is essential during pregnancy, even if baby squeezes the bladder and insists it comes on out again. However, there are certain beverages that need to be avoided during pregnancy. Many of these ‘bad’ beverages are linked to the onset of preeclampsia, and are just overall harmful during pregnancy.

These beverages include anything caffeinated, from coffee to Coca Cola, and alcoholic beverages. It is ideal to cut these out completely, or at least limit the intake of them. There are plenty of alternatives available, such as chai teas and herbal drinks to provide natural energy releasing solutions.

Not only will cutting out these ‘bad’ drinks reduce the risk of preeclampsia, but they also make you less dehydrated and will help in the fight for a balanced diet. It just ticks all the boxes to cut out ‘bad’ drinks, and by the end of 9 months it might be a habit to avoid them which will help you in the future, too!

6 Have Your Vitamin D Levels Checked

During the pre-natal doctor visits, which are absolutely essential and should not be missed, having the vitamin D levels checked can be a good indicator as to whether preeclampsia is present, or likely to develop.

Vitamin D is an essential one that does wonderful things across the body. There are plenty of vitamin D supplements available which can be taken during pregnancy. Once again, you should check with the pharmacist to make sure you’re buying the best one to take while pregnant. Typically, fermented cod liver oil is the key ingredient in vitamin D supplements.

However, nothing beats 20 minutes of sunshine a day to ensure vitamin D levels are where they should be. This is the perfect excuse to get outside, get that regular exercise, and make your mind feel good as well. However, if you happen to be pregnant during a Canadian winter, you’re just going to have to make the most of the sunshine through the snow and your thermal gear!

5 Take Salty Baths

That well balanced diet that we discussed earlier is going to love some magnesium rich foods. It is easy to get enough magnesium purely through eating the right foods. However, for women who are in the high risk category of preeclampsia, magnesium supplements may be recommended by a doctor.

Some foods that are jam packed with magnesium that you’re going to learn to love during pregnancy include: green leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds, fish, beans, avocados, and lentils. These are very versatile ingredients that can be used in many different recipes so you’ll never get bored of them.

Other ways to boost the magnesium in your life is to take a bath in epsom salts. This one is worth adding to the list of fatigue and stress reduction during pregnancy! Bathing in these salts is great for your skin, your relaxation levels, and your mind as well as magnesium. Alternatively, there are magnesium sprays available for external use.

4 Stock Up On Vitamins

Aside from vitamin D, there are so many others out there that are going to make pregnancy a smoother, and hopefully preeclampsia-free journey. Some key vitamins to keep an eye out for include:

Vitamin B: this vitamin is important for pregnancy and fertility health. An increase in this vitamin will also help relieve morning sickness. It is best sourced through animal products, especially lean red meat.

Vitamin C and E: these two vitamins work together to reduce the risk of preeclampsia. They are best sourced through citrus fruits, especially orange juice. Also, lemon water can help release vitamin C so sticking a chunk of lemon in your water bottle (which will be refilled regularly) is a good idea.

Potassium: this one is best sourced purely through foods and avoided being taken as a supplement. Some foods rich in potassium include bananas and cucumbers. There are also recipes available online to make a potassium broth.

3 Learn About Your Herbs

Herbal teas and mixtures can do wonders for pregnancy in general, and really help in preventing preeclampsia. It is worth talking to a medical professional before embarking on a herbal journey, however, just to make sure they are suitable.

There is such a wide variety of herbs available and many different recipes that you can incorporate these into your diet and lifestyle in many different ways. Some top herbs for preventing preeclampsia include garlic, passionflower, grape seed extract, parsley, raspberry leaf, and hawthorn berry.

These can be made up as herbal teas or added as an ingredient in cooking. Another great one to think about is lemon or lime juice, with a tablespoon of cream of tartar. This works best when it is taken once a day for three days. Pregnancy is a great time to explore more natural, organic, and genuinely healthy ways of having the best version of your body while you host another life inside it. Some of these habits might even stick around after pregnancy!

2 Get A Dental Check Up

There is a lot of evidence to suggest that dental health and hygiene is related to the onset of preeclampsia in pregnant women. While a 6 month dental check up is recommended regardless, during pregnancy it is more important than ever to stay on top of the teeth.

Unhealthy gums that are bleeding or damaged are linked to preeclampsia. If you are showing signs of developing gingivitis, you should get that sorted out before becoming pregnant, or at least early on in the pregnancy. Most of this comes down to the bad bacterias that appear with unhealthy teeth. Your dentist will be aware of safe and sound techniques to get your dental health up to scratch, such as oil pulling which lowers the levels of bacteria in the mouth.

As always, regular brushing and flossing of your teeth should be maintained during pregnancy. These good habits are something that you’re going to pass onto your baby once they enter the world so you want to get them under wraps now!

1 Take Low Dose Aspirin

While it is normally thought to steer away from any type of medicines, there is some evidence out there to suggest that using low dose aspirin prevents early onset of preeclampsia. This is the case if it is given to women who are in a high risk category of developing preeclampsia before 32 weeks.

Of course, this strategy should only be used if its recommended by a doctor. Having a chat with your doctor will help you know if you are in that high risk category. Typically, these are women who have had preeclampsia in a previous pregnancy, women who are overweight, those who have pre-exisiting blood pressure issues, and those who have a genetic history of preeclampsia.

Preeclampsia is more common in first time moms-to-be. Therefore, for those of you out there who are pregnant for the first time, the rest of this list will be highly useful! There are many more natural ways to prevent preeclampsia and using medications, even low dose aspirin, should be a last resort.

Sources: Draxe.com, WebMD.com, TrimesterTalk.com, NewsHealthAdvisor.com