Top 10 Safety, Caution and Benefits Of Drinking Lemon Water During Pregnancy
Pregnancy completes you as a female and the joy of bringing a life into this world is simply indescribable. However, like everything else, Pregnancy holds its own set of Pros and Cons. It is quite normal to have everyone from your maid, to your next-door-neighbor, your mom and of course your mom-in-law to tip you on (literally) what is the best for the baby right from the diet and foods to eat while pregnant (there are some particular foods that help you) to the exercises you should do. Lemon juice or Lemons to be more precise have a special place in ‘pregnant-hood’. For some pregnant women, it helps keep morning-sickness at bay, while for the mom-to-be it helps combat nausea. But, you will be surprised to know that Lemon water has a lot more to offer than you can think of. Its one of the best natural home remedies. Let us take a look at some of the advantages of consuming Lemon juice for moms-to-be.
Is Lemon Water Safe for Pregnant Women:
1. Lemon Juice has Antioxidants:
As a super-rich source of Anti-oxidants, Lemons are best known natural cleansers. Consuming Lemon juice during pregnancy will surly help you flush-out the toxins from your systems and keep infections away. A nice, tall glass of freshly-squeezed Lemon juice is a great idea to start your day, as not only does it help you with your morning-sickness but provides anti-oxidants too.
2. Lemons for Baby Care
Babies can also benefit from Lemon water. Yes, Lemons are a rich-source of Potassium, which helps in the bone-development of the fetus. Study has also associated Lemon juice to the brain development of the baby, so be sure to take your daily glass of lemonade.
3. Helps in indigestion
Pregnancy comes with its own set of discomforts, indigestion being one of them. It is normal for pregnant women to suffer from indigestion as your entire system is haywire. However, here your good-old Lemons come to your rescue. By keeping the digestive system ‘well-oiled’, lemon water is sure to allow you to eat all you fancy and as much you fancy!
4. Blood Pressure Check
A fluctuation in your Blood Pressure is one of the most common aspects of pregnancy. There are women who suffer from high Blood Pressure and some suffer from the Low Blood Pressure. Lemon juice is known to keep your Blood pressure under-check when pregnant, so its a good drink to be taken during your pregnancy if suffer High blood pressure.
5. Reduces Swelling
Swollen feet are something most pregnant women suffer from. This is termed as ‘Edema’. This specific condition is unhealthy, painful and uncomfortable as well. To keep Edema at bay, swallow a spoonful of Lemon juice with lukewarm water. This helps reduce Edema greatly and also ease out the pain that comes with it.
6. Easy Labor
Labor can be painful and long. Some study show that consuming Lemon juice from the fifth month all the way till your delivery date helps in easing-out the stressful labors. Make it a habit to drink fresh Lemon water with Honey every day to help you on the day of your delivery.
7. Heart Burn
Heart burn is one of the common complaints during pregnancy. This is usually accompanied with bloating of the stomach that leads to a ‘congested’ feeling in the heart making breathing though in some cases. However, consuming Lemon water after meals is a good idea if you have been suffering from this symptom lately.
8. Vitamin C Deficiency
Pregnancy is one such condition where you mysteriously suffer from certain deficiencies that would normally never occur to you. Vitamin C deficiency is one such condition that is experienced with most pregnant women. This sometimes becomes so severe that you need to rely on supplements to overcome your deficiency as it might lead to complications during child-birth. Drinking lemon water during pregnancy can help you stock-up on your Vitamin C requirement. The best part is, it is all natural with an overall health benefit to go with it.
9. Constipation
One of the most embarrassing ‘side-effects’ (if I may use the term) of pregnancy is suffering from Constipation. However, with your daily glass of lime, constipation should soon be history as well. This is mainly because Lemon stimulates the Liver, making your Bowel-movements smoother.
10. Mineral Intake
Lemon is packed with various useful Minerals that are vital during pregnancy. Various important mineral like Iron, Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Pantothenic acid are stored in this power-food. Other than that, Lemon is also rich in Vitamin A, B6 and E.
11. Heat Strokes
Often women suffer from horrible ‘heat-strokes’ when pregnant. This is mainly due to the ‘hormonal-influx’ which is common during the phase of pregnancy. You will be surprised that the tiny little Lemon can actually rescue you from the horrors of heat-strokes as well. Lemon juice helps regulate the normal temperature of the body, bringing down the body heat when it tends to ‘fire-up’.
12. Regulating Cholesterol Levels
Consumption of lemon water in pregnancy helps in maintaining the Cholesterol levels. This is mainly achieved as Lemon juice helps in expulsion of harmful toxins from the body, thus reducing the blood cholesterol levels.
13. Caffeine Alternative
This is a new one; I come across during my research as undisputedly, the most important pointer in the entire list (according to me!). Study has shown time and again that it is always a good idea to avoid caffeine during your pregnancy. This is mainly because; caffeine has the tendency to seep-in through the Placenta and can potentially affect the fetus. But, for those of us who cannot survive without our daily cup of coffee, it can be a huge task. For this, you can sip-on your lemon juice as it is filled with natural electrolytes. This will keep you fresh, alert, awake and hydrated throughout the day.
14. Stretch-Marks
This is more of a post-pregnancy tip, nevertheless an important one. Though your baby is worth every bit of trouble that you face during pregnancy, however, the stretch-marks are downright ugly! To get rid of this, a more natural approach would be the good old Lemons. Squeeze a single Lemon and apply the juice all over the stretch-mark. Leave for about 20 mins and wash-off normally. Thought there are various over-the-counter medications available to get rid of stretch marks, you can embrace a freshly squeezed lemon as well for a more ‘organic’ method.
Caution For Drinking Lemon Water During Pregnancy:
Despite Lemons being your ‘savior’ during the pregnancy, it is always advisable to check with your trusted Gynecologist once before consuming it during your pregnancy period. While the Lemon juice might help you breeze through your morning sickness and nausea, it is however a good idea to report to your doctor if the symptoms tend to persist for long. Be sure your Lemons are organic, as the store-bought or packaged Lemonade can counteract with your medications (if any) due to the preservatives present. Lastly, never prepare your Lemon juice in freezing-cold water, as this could surely lead to cough and cold during pregnancy.
So, my dear pregnant ladies, now that I have listed above some of the best sought-after benefits of Lemons, go ahead squeeze yourself some and get sipping on the delicious natural drink!
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