How to Boost Your Immune System Safely While Pregnant

When you are pregnant many things change inside your body, you might have morning sickness, back pain, cravings, mood swings, swollen ankles and not to forget that there is another human growing inside your belly. With changing hormones your immune system can get weakened as well. Getting sick while pregnant is not great and in some cases might have consequences for your baby. That’s why it is important to take care of yourself and your body. There are tips and tricks to boost your immune system and make you more resistant to illnesses.

Why is my Immune System Weakening While Pregnant?

The reason for that is simple. Your immune system is responsible for attacking foreign things like bacteria, viruses, etc but as your baby is a foreign invader as well, your immune system would attack it if there would be a change happening. Research has found that the timing of the immune system change is exactly timed to prevent the body from rejecting the fetus.

Getting sick while pregnant is not great and in some cases might have consequences for your baby.

What Can I Do to Prevent Getting Sick in The First Place?

Taking care of yourself while pregnant is very important. Your body needs extra care as it is going through extreme change and works hard to develop your baby and keep you alive.

It is crucial to invest in your health. This can mean different things such as taking time for yourself to rest, eating healthy food, staying in bed to sleep, meditating, etc. Listen to what your body tells you. Taking time for yourself is for sure not selfish.

Eating nutritious food with many vitamins and minerals is important and these two ingredients are directly linked to a strong immune system.

Don’t forget to exercise and get fresh air to keep your body healthy. There is also the option of avoiding heavily crowded places and washing your hands regularly to avoid catching any bugs.

Ways to Boost my Immune System

• Get Enough Rest

Yes, sleep and rest are important and might even be one of the most important steps to take. Letting your body recharge and giving it a break from all the stress and hard work of the day is crucial for the body to work properly and protect you and the baby. Your immune system, like all the other tasks your body has to perform, only works with a good amount of rest.

• Drink Enough Water

Honestly, water might actually be the cure to many things. It for sure is for staying healthy. Drink 2-3 liters of water throughout the day. Water is recommended but tea can also be counted. Coffee, sweet drinks like sodas, and energy drinks do unfortunately not fall under the ‘healthy’ category and should be avoided.

It helps to have a water bottle or a big glass of water that you measure your water consumption in. If you have a one-liter water bottle you only need to drink two to three of those a day and you can bring it wherever you go and measure your water intake even on the road.

• Eat Nutritious Food

You are what you eat! Again this turns out to be very true. You can’t be healthy and boost your immune system only from burgers and fries. It is important to eat vitamins and minerals that can be found in fruits and vegetables. Try eating protein and a low sugar diet and rather choose complex carbohydrates such as oatmeal, wheat bread, quinoa, whole grains, beans, etc. Eating a balanced diet and a good variety of fruit and vegetables can also help you recover way faster if you get sick. But don’t worry, eating a burger once in a while won’t harm you or your baby at all. Sometimes it’s important to eat that comfort food for your mental health and overall happiness so don’t restrict. As long as you switch things up and mix fruits and vegetables, complex carbohydrates, and protein you can allow yourself to have a cheat day!

• Think About Vitamins

As your body needs especially many vitamins and minerals to keep your immune system up and running and your body healthy there is the option to take additional vitamins. It is hard to eat as many of them as needed for two people. They don’t replace the vitamins you take in with food but can further help you stay healthy. Talk to your doctor about which vitamins would be beneficial for your situation.

• Exercise Regularly

Exercising on a regular basis is important for so many aspects of life. Not only does it increase the blood flow, lowers stress, and strengthens antibodies, it also makes the immune cells perform efficiently.

• Avoid Stress

Stress for most is difficult to define and you need to listen to your own body and health to see what works for you and what does not. Being stressed out and nervous can weaken our immune system. The stress hormone called corticosteroid in your body can block and stop your immune system from working properly and you can get sick more easily.

Coming back to taking care of your body, it is important to check in with yourself to see if you need rest. Think about taking on less work while pregnant if that makes you feel better. Remember it’s not selfish to take time for yourself.

In conclusion

Being pregnant is often referred to as a miracle yet sometimes while you are in that stage it might not feel like that. It’s important to listen to your own body and do what feels right for you. With these steps above like eating healthy, drinking lots of water, getting rest and exercising regularly, and more you can boost your immune system and keep yourself and your baby healthy and strong. If you choose to take vitamins, ask your doctor or nurse about it and check what will work for your body.