Pregnancy is the most beautiful phase in a woman’s life and a unique journey. It’s also is the ideal time to practice self-care. To think about your baby, you first have to think about yourself — you have to be healthy to be able to bring that baby safely into this world.
Pregnancy is a time of reflection and time to try and change the way you live your life. Always be aware that your well-being is linked to your baby’s and that it’s crucial to stay healthy during the pregnancy.
That’s why nurturing and self-care are an important part of any pregnancy. Here are some ways that can help you nurture yourself during pregnancy.
-
Be active
Just because you’re growing a human doesn’t mean that you can’t be active. Quite the contrary, being active and moving around during the pregnancy is highly recommended.
During the first part of pregnancy, you can keep exercising as long as you’re comfortable with it. 20 to 30 minutes of moderate exercise is recommended and you will reap the benefits later during your pregnancy and even after it.
As your pregnancy progresses it will be more difficult to do certain exercises, but you can still go on walks, swimming, do light stretching, yoga, and any low-impact activities. If you’re not sure what you’re allowed to do, consult with your OBGYN.
-
Know when to take a pause
Self-care is knowing when to take a pause. Follow your body’s cues and whenever you feel like taking a break — take it — guilt-free. In the end, it takes a lot of energy to grow a baby.
If we’re being honest, the whole 9 months of your pregnancy should be a time to take things slowly and simply enjoy the state you’re in. So, don’t feel guilty if you don’t feel like doing things. During your pregnancy take things slowly, meditate, sleep, nap, read, paint — do whatever makes you feel happy and relaxed.
Take a seat, put those swollen ankles up, and take a breather whenever you feel like it — that’s self-care in its purest form.
-
Pregnancy diet
During the pregnancy, creating a healthy eating plan is highly important. When pregnant you are eating for two and that’s why you need to focus on foods that give you higher amounts of nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, protein, fibre, carbs, iron, and healthy fats.
Create a healthy diet plan with nutritious pregnancy food — give your baby the right start to life. Eat dairy products, legumes, vegetables, lean meats and proteins, eggs, fish, whole grains, and so on. The more colourful your diet, the better. Good food, apart from helping your baby grow and develop in the right way, will also improve your mood.
However, during the pregnancy, your hunger levels will be all over the place. In order not to overindulge and gain unnecessary weight, eat the right kind of food — snack on healthy snacks such as nuts and dried fruit. If you crave sweets or junk food, it’s okay to eat some from time to time, but try to control your cravings.
-
Clean up your skincare routine
Another thing that should change once you find out that you’re expecting is your skincare routine. The skincare products you’ve been using before pregnancy may not have been 100% safe and many of them are absorbed in your skin and your body.
When you’re pregnant everything that is absorbed into your body is also absorbed into your baby’s body — so you can see why cleaning up your skincare routine is necessary.
Try switching to products that are safe and that contain natural ingredients. Apart from that, you’ll notice that your skin will change during pregnancy — which is absolutely normal and yet another reason to change your skincare routine.
Taking care of your baby starts by taking care of yourself. This is why you should make sure that you take things slowly, and start thinking about yourself a bit more. Take a break, eat healthily, do what you love, and enjoy your pregnancy.
