Pregnancy can be a blissful time full of kicking babies, celebrating with family members and setting up the nursery. It can also be a difficult time filled with heartburn, back aches and nausea, all of which are worth what comes at the end, your new bundle of joy. But, there’s something else at the end of pregnancy that is worrisome for many first-time moms, and even second- and third-time moms ““ CHILDBIRTH.
While labor never goes as planned, you can take steps to try to ease the pain like staying in shape, understanding pain relief options and trying to stay relaxed. According to a new study, Vitamin D also plays a role. The study looked at 93 women who received an epidural during labor. It found that women with lower Vitamin D levels experienced an increase in pain and needed more medication. The women with higher levels of Vitamin D didn’t require as much medication.
Many pregnant women have Vitamin D deficiency as is. If you’re pregnant and looking for ways to increase your Vitamin D levels and perhaps decrease labor pain, here are a few items to try:
- Fortified milk
- Fortified orange juice
- Fortified cereal
- Egg yolks
- Salmon
- Supplements
Always read the labels to ensure the milk, orange juice and cereal are actually made with more Vitamin D. Talk to your doctor before starting a supplement regime or eating extra salmon. He or she will be able to help you make those changes safely.
