Immunity is a certain function of the body, due to which it can respond in time to viruses and harmful microbes. As a result, a person has a certain protective barrier. This article will talk about what happens with immunity during pregnancy and is it true that in such a period it is catastrophically weak?
Pregnancy with reduced immunity: features of the condition
Among pregnant women, rumors quite often circulate that in this wonderful period of life, the future mother’s immunity is very much reduced, as a result of which she needs to protect herself from viral and colds diseases on time.
If we consider this issue from a medical point of view, in fact, such a belief about weak immunity is only half true, because physiologically during pregnancy, the woman’s body is activated and, as it were, increases her defenses.
Moreover, many women confirm that it was during the period of bearing the child that they were less likely to get sick and were less prone to colds than in the usual state.
It should be noted that immunity during pregnancy can indeed decrease more, but only under certain conditions and lines of bearing a child.
For example, the first serious malfunction in the immune system occurs in the first trimester of pregnancy, when the body has not yet "understood" what is happening to it and perceives the fetus as a foreign body.
In this state, a woman feels weak and weak. She may have obvious signs of poisoning and even flu.
The next dangerous period for the state of immunity during pregnancy is the second trimester, when the fetus begins to actively grow and develop its body systems. In this condition, the child will need much more vitamin and nutrients, so the mother’s body acts here as a kind of reserve. For this reason, immunity can decrease dramatically, especially if external factors and the unhealthy diet of the expectant mother contribute to it.
Moreover, as medical practice shows, it is the second trimester of pregnancy that is most often accompanied by viral and catarrhal diseases in women, as well as allergic manifestations that have not been observed before.
Pregnancy with reduced immunity: causes, symptoms
In medicine, two types of immunity are distinguished - a congenital form and an acquired one. The first type develops in a child even in the womb, and the second - occurs during life after vaccination, as well as past illnesses (chickenpox, for example). During pregnancy, a woman uses the forces of both types of the immune system in order to be able to fight pathogens.
It should be noted that when carrying a child, the female body must protect not only itself from diseases, but also the unborn child, who does not yet have his own protective forces and is very susceptible to external irritants and viruses. For this reason, it is very important to know why immunity can decrease and how to properly increase it.
The following reasons are distinguished, due to which the future mother may lose immunity:
1. Improper nutrition. This includes a poor diet with a lack of nutrients. Particularly negatively affected is the lack of fruits, herbs, meat and vegetables on the menu.
Lack of nutritional stability also plays an important role, that is, large gaps between meals, irregular eating habits, overeating, and the most dangerous thing is to follow too restrictive diets.
In addition, the use of products with a high content of sugar and carbohydrates will lead to rapid saturation, but will not affect the strengthening of the immune system.
2. The complete lack of active physical activity and a sedentary lifestyle. In this state, the body not only does not receive the necessary energy charges, but also suffers from oxygen starvation. This can lead to dizziness and severe weakness.
3. Living in a poor ecological environment, as well as the unfavorable psychological situation at home, which is why a woman is constantly worried and stressed. The latter factor can very strongly affect not only immunity, but also the general course of pregnancy.
4. Failure of the digestive system.
5. Hormonal malfunction in the body - this is one of the most dangerous and frequent causes of impaired immunity and its weakness. Unfortunately, this is a purely physiological process that cannot be changed. Thus, the body responds to changes and releases more specific hormones.
According to statistics, even if a woman feels fine already before giving birth, her immunity is still a little weakened, because the body continues to protect the baby and give all its protective functions to help him.
Weakened immunity can be identified by the following characteristic symptoms and signs:
1. Great weakness and lack of strength.
2. Headaches.
3. Dizziness, which usually occurs after exercise.
4. Increased sweating.
5. Fragility of nails and hair, as a direct result of vitamin deficiency and lack of nutrients.
6. Dry skin.
7. Pallor.
8. Exposure to any viral and colds.
How to raise immunity during pregnancy
Not all wives know how to raise immunity during pregnancy and what to do.
In fact, boosting and strengthening the immune system in this position is not very difficult. To do this, it is enough to follow the following medical recommendations:
1. Follow proper diet. This implies the use of the optimal amount of healthy food - fruits, cereals, vegetables, herbs and juices. It is also very useful to eat lean meat, fish, seafood and nuts.
To normalize the digestive tract, a woman must definitely consume low-fat sour-milk products. It can be yogurt, cottage cheese, kefir or yogurt. The main thing is that these products are regularly present in the menu of the expectant mother.
2. A woman must always carefully monitor personal hygiene. This is especially true for washing hands before and after eating.
3. It is important to learn to observe a certain diet and eat at the same time. At the same time, meals should be frequent, and portions not large. So you can saturate your body, and at the same time avoid overeating.
4. Many women during pregnancy have a tendency to fast food, fatty, sweet and smoked dishes. Despite this, nutritionists warn that such food is very difficult to digest, and may cause digestive disorders in a pregnant woman. For this reason, it is best to minimize or even eliminate junk food from the diet.
5. To further support your body, a woman should definitely take vitamin complexes. Now there are entire programs that accurately describe which vitamins and in which lines of pregnancy should be taken. With their help, it is possible to maintain immunity and lay the foundation for the proper development of the fetus.
In addition, most healthy vitamins can be obtained from food, especially from the liver, beans, herbs and fruits.
6. In order to avoid unwanted "surprises", even during the period of pregnancy planning, a woman needs to submit a complete list of tests to identify sexually transmitted diseases, compatibility with a partner and general clinical pathologies. If necessary, it is better to immediately undergo a course of treatment than to carry it out during the period of gestation of the baby.
Thus, you can protect yourself and your child before conception.
7. Regular physical activity is beneficial, but only if pregnancy is stable. If there is a risk of miscarriage, then you should limit yourself only to long walks in the fresh air.
8. In the absence of contraindications, hardening may be practiced. This is an excellent and proven method for quickly strengthening the immune system and activating the body's defenses.
9. Avoid stress and nervous strain, because this will not only reduce immunity, but can also negatively affect the entire course of pregnancy.
If you follow these tips, you can not only strengthen the immune system, but also simplify the course of pregnancy and minimize the likelihood of the development of various diseases in the unborn child.
