Last Updated on 5 years by Namrata
Gardening is a healthy activity that relaxes the brain. It kills stress and helps in keeping us happy. Gardening while pregnant is a nice way to keep the body healthy.
Gardening is not a strenuous activity where extreme physical movement required. Putting soil in a pot, mixing fertilizers to soil, planting a plant, watering the plants, these are some activity some people loves to do in free time.
Though gardening is not contradicted during pregnancy, you should keep few things in mind what to do and what not to do during pregnancy.
Activities/Sports not to do during pregnancy
1.Do not paint the walls, anything. Paints contain harmful chemicals that are hazardous for your baby.
2. Do not wear high heels. As belly increases in size, the center of gravity changes, and you may fall down.
3.Don’t sit or stand for long during pregnancy. Body blood circulation should be maintained by moving here and there. Standing or sitting for long may cause swollen feet.
4. Sports like gymnastics, downhill skiing, snowboarding, ice-skating, horseback riding, outdoor cycling, hockey, soccer, basketball, diving, bungee jumping, and rollerblading should be avoided.
5. Activities where there is a rapid change of altitude, involve deep flexion or extension of joints should be avoided.
6. Activities involving Jumping, bouncing, and sudden, jerky motions should be avoided. Lying flat on your back for long periods is also not recommended.
7. There are few Yoga postures to avoid during pregnancy. These are Belly Down Posture, Lying on your back posture, Crunches, Forward folds with feet together, Twisting Posture, Deep Backbends, Hot Yoga, Heating Breathing Techniques & Breath Retention.
8.Cleaning litter box while pregnant: Cleaning litter box while pregnant is not safe at all. Litter of pets contains many harmful microorganisms that can reach to your stomach if you are not careful. And from you, you may give infections to your baby. Toxoplasmosis is one such disease that spreads from infected cat’s litter.
To prevent such unfortunates, wear gloves and masks when cleaning litter box. After that wash your hands properly with soap water.
9. Digging while pregnant: Digging while pregnant is not safe as digging involves stretching of belly muscles.
10. Fertilizers during Pregnancy: Adding fertilizers to garden soils, it is always better to leave this part to someone. If, you plan to do so wear gloves and masks. Wash your hands properly with soap after touching fertilizers.
Chemicals present in the fertilizer are not good both for the baby and the mother.
Gardening is okay to do during pregnancy unless it is not involving immoderate bending of the body, hindrance to the normal flow of oxygen, sudden motions, and deep flexion or extension of joints.
Growing Indoor plants while pregnant
Growing indoor plants when pregnant is a pleasing idea to keep yourself busy. Beautiful flowering plants in pots can be kept at the Corner, Tabletop, Windowsill of your living room. Color has an appreciable effect during pregnancy.
Keeping all the dos and don’ts mentioned above in this post, you can plant variety of plants indoors.
1.African Violets: This water-loving plant blooms beautiful dark-colored flowers. African violet loves sunlight too, you can keep on the window sill.
2.Spider Plants: Spider plants name came from its resemblance of growth to little spiders. It is tough grows well in most conditions, you can at the corners of the room.
3.Bromeliads: This tropical plant needs little sunlight and a little humid environment. Its exotic-looking foliage will give a distinctive look to the room. You can place a few pots of Bromeliads on the tabletop.
Also Read:
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Can you rake leaves while pregnant?
Raking is not a strenuous activity. But, raking makes to bend the body. To avoid banding of the body you can use a rake with a long handle. Raking leaves is safe until it is not strenuous and you are using the right tool.
Digging while pregnant: is it safe?
Digging is a strenuous activity with stretching the muscles of the belly. Digging with a shovel, spade or a digger is not safe at all. Leave the digging part to someone and take active parts in watering and pruning the plants.
Can i do landscaping while pregnant?
Yes, you can do landscaping while pregnant if it does not involve picking up heavy objects, pressure on your belly, tiring works. Stay away from chemicals when you landscape.
Toxoplasmosis and gardening while pregnant
Toxoplasmosis is a disease resulted from infection of Toxoplasma gondii parasite which is found in infected cat’s feces. If humans ingest that parasite through food or not cleaning hands properly before taking food.
Symptoms seen are muscle pain, fever, and headache, and these can last for weeks. Medication can prevent getting worse.
The best way to tackle this parasite is to avoid exposure. During pregnancy if mother infected, she may give infection to her baby too. So, avoid touching garden soil bare hand or even with gloves during pregnancy.
Things you can do in your garden during pregnancy:
1.Watering Plants
Watering plants also a satisfactory activity you can do when you are pregnant. Take out your watering can and water plants when needed.
2.Pruning
You can also keep your garden plants in the size you want. Trim the branches that weeping different way. Make the shape of the plant you would like to have.
3.Observe your garden
Sit at the corner of your garden and observe bees, butterflies collecting nectar, birds chirping, flowers that are blooming. These scenes can greatly affect your brain and will keep you peaceful.
4.Harvesting
Harvesting vegetables from your own garden is something that everyone loves to do. Pay attention if you have an allergy to some vegetables/fruits, and also to small spikes on them.
