Surrogacy, just like the challenges that come before it, may seem like a bewildering and challenging experience. This article contains several tips that are sure handy and will make for a wonderful surrogacy experience.
To start with, it is essential for you to eat five or six well-balanced meals every day. As a surrogate mother, this will help you to get all the nutrition that you need, as well as the calories. You should not be eating junk food all day which contain no nutritional value at all. Doing so will only make you gain more weight.
Drinking plenty of water is always a healthy choice and is essential even to those who are not pregnant. Many women experience dehydration, which results in constipation and other difficulties related to it during pregnancy. Keeping yourself hydrated will not only leave you feeling refreshed, but will also fight off headaches, cramps and dizziness.
Take your supplements as well as your iron pills. Many surrogate mothers will more or less get anemia at some point during their pregnancy. Your body needs a lot of iron reserves for the birth and even after. Ask your doctor early about taking an iron supplement to keep your levels high and prevent anemia.
Learn relaxation techniques and make sure to practice them at least once a day. Allot some time within the day for breathing and calming exercises. A short walk to the park is also not a bad idea and will help you as you are nearing your term. These exercises will also relieve stress that comes from being a surrogate mother and keep your spirits up.
Try to avoid some of the chemicals that would be harmful to your body, such as paint and toxic supplies around the house. These will end up getting into your bloodstream and could affect the overall health of the baby that you are carrying. Be extra cautious with regards to literally anything with chemicals and make sure to read the label first.
Remember that even the best-laid plans can change, including the birth plan. Try to be flexible about the details, and do not beat yourself up if everything does not happen exactly the way you had envisioned it.
Most importantly, be sure to follow the instructions of the intended parents. They are, after all, the one who will take care of both you and the baby and will always have your best interest in mind. If ever you feel that some of their advice is unreasonable, then make sure to reach out to your attending doctor for anything that seems “off”. You know your body better than anyone and if something doesn’t feel right, then use that intuition and give your practitioner a call. They will decide if it’s something they need to check out or not, but don’t hesitate to seek help.
Whether it is your first time to be a surrogate mother or not, the listed tips will prove to be very beneficial. It wouldn’t hurt to do some reading on how you can better prepare for what’s to come. This will give you a good head start and have all your questions answered.