BENGALURU: Coconut oil is a great superfood for pregnant women. It has anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties that can help prevent cold, flu and other viruses.
Consumption
By including one tablespoon of the oil in your drinks or meals and also replacing coconut oil with other ingredients in cooking, one could keep one’s immune system strong during pregnancy. If you’re struggling with morning sickness and nausea, consuming a little coconut oil in your drink or meal can help you relieve with this symptom.
After breast milk, coconut oil is the second best source of lauric acid which help them to strengthen both mother’s and the baby’s immune system. Drinking one spoon of coconut oil every day will help it pass on to your baby through mil.
Good for skin
Coconut oil is a cleanser, moisturiser, hair conditioner, body lotion, after sun, even shave cream and salve for rashes and scratches as it is one is 100% organic and smells great as well. Applying coconut oil is suggested to ease the discomfort of vaginal dryness, a side effect of pregnancy. It is also a great solution for soothing sore or cracked nipple while one is breastfeeding. Using a little coconut oil on baby’s nappy rash and irritation as it is completely natural and gentle for baby’s skin.
Applying coconut oil from third month till ninth can help pregnant women reduce the stretch marks because of its moisturising properties and inclusion of Vitamin E. Make sure to apply coconut oil liberally on all parts of the body wherever there are stretch marks. Doing this from early stage and continuing it after delivery can help and repeating this at least twice or thrice in a day for better results.
The author is a consultant obstetrician, gynaecologist and laparoscopic surgeon, Dr Sita Bhateja Multi- Speciality Hospital