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Having a nap aids fetus development

(China Daily/Agencies)
Updated: 2010-05-26 09:53

Expectant mothers, especially those who feel stressed, need to rest several times a day to help development of the fetus. If possible, they should put up their feet now and then or take a regular midday nap, advises Christian Albring, president of Germany's Association of Gynaecologists.

Additional rest is necessary if the pregnant woman's abdomen becomes hard frequently, she is often short of breath or has back pains.

For pregnant women who feel stressed, relief can come from relaxation techniques, such as progressive muscle relaxation, developed by the American physician Edmund Jacobson. This will lower blood pressure and calm breathing, heart rate and bowel activity, Albring says.