Sleeping. Resting and sleeping is good during pregnancy, but from the 5th month onwards you should no longer lie on your back. The weight of the embryo puts pressure on the blood vessels and restricts the oxygen supply. In addition to dizziness and increased back pain, the foetus may not get enough oxygen.
Get up. The best way to get up from a lying position is to lean on your elbows at the side and let your legs slide onto the floor from this position. Do not stand up too quickly.
Children's room Set up. During pregnancy, you should avoid moving furniture and painting the future baby's room. The solvents in the paint can be toxic to the unborn baby.
Laundry. To load and unload the washing machine, the pregnant woman should squat down and keep her back as straight as possible. It is best to squat down and keep your feet apart. Hold on to the washing machine with one hand. It is dangerous to bend over at the front with your back bent, while the weight of the laundry puts pressure on the centre of your body.
Gardening. It goes without saying that physically demanding gardening work should be completely avoided during pregnancy. Always wear gloves for small jobs to protect yourself from toxoplasmosis caused by cat faeces.
Ironing. Ironing puts particular strain on the legs and back and should therefore be done for a maximum of 30 minutes at a time during pregnancy. To minimise one-sided strain, you can alternate putting one foot on a footstool while ironing.
Sweepingscrubbing and vacuuming. Under no circumstances should the pregnant woman bend forward when sweeping, scrubbing the floor or vacuuming. Always work with a straight back. It is best to limit cleaning to one room at a time to avoid having to lug heavy equipment from one room to the next. When sweeping up dirt, it is better to use a hand brush and a dustpan with a long handle so that you don't have to bend your back. During pregnancy, you should also be careful not to fill the dirt or water bucket too full.
Cats. Cats can transmit toxoplasmosis, which poses no great risk outside of pregnancy, but can be dangerous for the unborn embryo. Cats that run around outside are the main ones to watch out for. Always clean the litter tray with rubber gloves and wash your hands thoroughly after stroking the cat.
Household cleaner. There is no need to worry about normal household cleaners during pregnancy. You should not use the pregnancy months to experiment with new products or to mix household cleaners. Industrial cleaning products such as those used in commercial kitchens or cleaning companies can be risky. These products are more aggressive and toxic for the baby. Rubber gloves and masks can be used as protection.
Shopping. The best way to avoid heavy lifting during pregnancy is to have your shopping delivered. Large purchases can be ordered by phone or online. If the pregnant woman does have to go shopping herself, the weight should be divided into two bags of equal weight, one for each hand. Lift these with a straight back and bent knees without jerky movements.
Dealing with children. Depending on the child's age, you can explain the situation to him and ask him to help his pregnant mother. Of course, it is unavoidable to hold a small child in your arms from time to time, even during pregnancy. In this case, it is important to keep your back straight, not lean forwards and support the child on your hips with its legs outwards. This protects the back and prevents the child from kicking the pregnant belly.
When bathing children, you should kneel on a cushion on the floor and wash the child with an upright back. If the child is older, you can ask them to stand up to be washed.
