How to Stay Healthy for Pregnant Women during Chuseok, Avoid This
Sep 26, 2025
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It was established to overcome low birth rates and create a social atmosphere that considers and protects pregnant women through positive pregnancies for pregnancy and childbirth.
This Pregnant Women's Day is especially after a long holiday. The holiday is a warm time with family, but balanced and healthy nutrition, a schedule that does not overdo, a sufficient rest, and emergency preparation are essential so that pregnant women can have a healthier and happier holiday.
The holiday is a precious time to enjoy delicious food and have a rich time with your family. But for pregnant women, fatty and sweet foods can be rather health-threatening.
The holiday table setting does not include pancakes, various fried foods, highly seasoned dishes, and sugary snacks such as Korean traditional cookie and medicine. These foods taste good, but they are high in calories, sugar, and saturated fat, which can quickly raise blood sugar.
Kang Byung-soo, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the Catholic University of Korea's Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, said, `Pregnant women are at high risk of exposure to high blood sugar if they eat casually because hormonal changes can make it more difficult to control their blood sugar. Hyperglycemia during pregnancy doesn't just end up as a mother's health problem. It is known that fetal overweight (giant), postnatal hypoglycemia, and respiratory distress syndrome newborns can have health problems, and fetuses who have been exposed to high blood sugar for a long time during pregnancy are more likely to suffer chronic health problems such as obesity and diabetes throughout their lives after delivery.
Even during pregnancy, balanced nutrition is important. It is recommended to eat carbohydrates, proteins, and fats evenly and reduce salt and caffeine intake. Alcohol and cigarettes must be avoided because they are harmful to the health of pregnant women and fetuses. Folic acid is important for the development of the neural tube and brain of the fetus, so it must be consumed until the first trimester of pregnancy (before 12 weeks of pregnancy). An appropriate level of weight gain during pregnancy should also be maintained.
Professor Kang Byung-soo recommends that the final weight gain in the pre-pregnancy period is generally 11.5 to 16 kg, and for obese mothers, weight gain of 5 to 9 kg is recommended" he advised.
Therefore, for a healthy holiday diet, it is better to bake in the oven or use an air fryer rather than jeon or fried food, and avoid snacks high in sugar. Also, fruits are high in sugar, so be careful of excessive intake. Even if various foods come out at once, it is helpful to eat a small amount slowly, drink enough water, and consume enough vegetables or salads to give you a feeling of fullness.
In particular, high-risk pregnant women need special attention during the holiday season.
Recently, in Korea, the number of high-risk pregnant women who are more likely to have adverse effects on mothers and fetuses due to pregnancy is increasing compared to ordinary mothers.
Major risk factors for high-risk pregnancies include multiple pregnancy (twin), aged 35 or older pregnancy, mothers under 19, past miscarriage, premature birth, birth history of deformed babies, family history of genetic diseases, chronic diseases (diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney disease, thyroid disease, heart disease), underweight/obesity, gestational hypertension, gestational diabetes, and amniotic fluid excess/fertility. In addition, abnormalities that occur during pregnancy, such as gestational hypertension, gestational diabetes, premature birth, fetal growth delay, placenta problems, anterior placenta, premature detachment, and early amniotic frequency, are also high-risk factors.
Due to the recent increase in assisted reproductive techniques, multiple fetal pregnancies are increasing every year.
Professor Kang Byung-soo said, `Using ovulation inducer increases the probability of developing fraternal twins as multiple eggs can be released at once, and embryo transplantation (artificial insemination) also increases the likelihood of multiple fetuses as multiple embryos are sometimes transplanted to increase the success rate of pregnancy. In addition, the increase in gestational age is one of the reasons for increasing the likelihood of a natural multi-fetal pregnancy."
In the case of multiple pregnancy, there are more complications than single pregnancy, and the incidence of morning sickness, gestational diabetes, high blood pressure, anemia, prenatal or postpartum bleeding, cesarean section, and postpartum depression increases. In the case of gestational hypertension, the incidence increases with the number of fetuses, with a incidence of 6.5% in single pregnancy, 12.7% in twin pregnancy, and 20.0% in three-term pregnancy. Therefore, it is very important to have an accurate prenatal review during pregnancy and it is recommended to maintain an appropriate diet and moderate weight gain.
Professor Kang Byung-soo said "During the holidays, various activities such as home visits, long-term vehicle movement, housework, and family response are scheduled, but more delicate health care is essential for pregnant women during this period than usual. Long driving or riding conditions can also increase the risk of blood circulation disorders and blood clots in the lower body. Therefore, long-distance travel must be prepared and careful."
First of all, you need to take a break every hour. If it is inevitable to travel by car for a long time, you should stop every hour to stretch lightly and help blood circulation. You should keep your position as comfortable as possible in the car.
The second is to avoid an unreasonable schedule. Just because it's a holiday, the burden of having to carry out all the schedules should be abandoned. Depending on the situation, it is better to postpone the unreasonable schedule until after delivery. Housework and food preparation also require the understanding and cooperation of family members.
In addition, local hospital information should be checked in advance. If movement is inevitable, information on obstetrics and gynecology hospitals and delivery medical institutions in the area to be visited should be identified in advance. If you have symptoms such as sudden abdominal pain, regular swelling, and bleeding, it is better to visit the hospital quickly, and it is safe to prepare the location, contact information, and available time of treatment in advance.
As such, pregnant women should listen to their physical conditions, and it is of paramount importance to help pregnant women spend the holiday comfortably and healthily through active consideration from their families and surroundings.
If you plan to become pregnant, both men and women will be tested for fertility and health conditions. Before pregnancy, eat a balanced diet mainly focusing on vegetables, fruits, and low-fat foods, maintain an appropriate weight and relieve stress by exercising steadily to build a healthy body. It is also important to take folic acid before pregnancy during pregnancy preparation.
Professor Kang Byung-soo said, `For a healthy pregnancy, balanced nutrition before and after pregnancy, regular exercise, abstaining from alcohol and smoking, maintaining proper weight, adequate sleep and stress management, and regular prenatal tests are important. In addition, it is recommended that both spouses develop healthy lifestyles before pregnancy, and if necessary, take a fertility test through a pre-pregnancy health care support project."
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This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
