It is never too late to start something new! And what better time than pregnancy? Soon, you will have someone so adorable who will look up to you for everything. That cute little human is going to copy whatever you do, whatever you say, and watch every tiny detail about you!
If you have been waiting to change any of your habits or add new habits to your lifestyle, you can start now. You have to make sure the habits are safe to start during pregnancy and do not stress yourself anytime. Here are some of the habits that you can include in your lifestyle if you haven’t already.
Take your prenatal vitamins. We often tend to ignore the medications unless we really need them. During pregnancy, it is important to take your prenatal vitamins if your doctor has asked you to. You can check the importance of multivitamins here, and only when you are healthy, you can take care of your baby.
Since your baby is deriving its nutrition from you. Your body should have all the
necessary nutrients to support you and the baby. Prenatal vitamins can also support
you in your recovery during your postpartum period.
Join a prenatal yoga class. Yoga helps in overall well-being, and it brings a balance to your energies and calms you from within. Hormonal changes can bring so many changes physically and emotionally. Yoga will help you in these times. It can also help you during labor. Join a reputed and authentic organization for the yoga class.
Before joining any class, make sure to check with your healthcare provider. Also,
after you have joined, let the expert know your health condition if any so that if any
precaution needed, it can be advised.
You can wait to complete your first trimester or join at the end of your first trimester. It
is recommended to wait for the first two months of your pregnancy to be completed
before you join any kind of class.
Most of the yoga classes for pregnancy cover certain asanas, breath work,
and meditation. Talk to the expert before you join.
Watch what you eat. Your nutrition is important, as your baby will be receiving all the nutrients from you, include a variety of food in your diet. Ideally, your body's needs are to be planned before you conceive, but better late than never. You can start now.
If you are in a dilemma regarding the nutrition aspect, consult a nutritionist and get a
diet plan for you. Every individual’s needs are different, and based on your present
body condition, the diet will be planned accordingly.
There are a few basic things that you can focus on like avoiding highly processed
foods (canned foods, chips, carbonated drinks, canned juice, food with a lot of
preservatives and additives.)
Include fruits in your diet. You need not go overboard to eat exotic fruits, choose
those that are locally available and seasonal fruits. Fruits also help you with
hydration, help you in your bowel movements, also help you with your sugar
cravings.
Track weight gain. Tracking your weight gain does not mean, you stand on the weighing machine every day! Your weight has to increase gradually, and most part of the weight gain can be controlled with food and exercise. We will not worry about the part that is not in our hands, like our genes, or the medical history of the family.
Too much weight gain can put you and your child at risk. You can talk to your healthcare provider
regarding weight gain, or consult a professional nutritionist.
There is something called stress eating, where a person eats mindlessly when he/she is stressed.
This can cause unnecessary weight gain because you want to divert your emotions by eating.
Keep yourself active, and seek help if you need support.
Emotional health is also important in order to keep your physical body healthy way. Stress can be
due to various reasons, talk to an expert about it. Do not suffer alone.
Avoid smoking and alcohol. It’s important to stop tobacco smoking, drug misuse, and alcohol consumption. These have been linked to serious complications and risks for both you and your baby. Drinking alcohol during pregnancy is linked with a wide range of problems in the developing baby. Any alcohol that is consumed enters the fetal bloodstream from the mother’s bloodstream.
Smoking and consuming alcohol are harmful to anyone. And when you are pregnant,
it is best to avoid it so that there are no other complications during pregnancy.
Massage your body. Massaging your body with oils is a good skincare routine. Your skin is undergoing so much stretching and pulling, massaging can help moisturize your skin. Also, it helps in reducing stretch marks that are inevitable. Your skin might be itchy due to the stretching, massaging helps in retaining the moisture, which in turn, reduces the itchiness.
Unconsciously we hold certain muscles, there could be stiffness in the back, and
your legs may ache from standing, your shoulders might ache from sitting, and heals
can ache from walking, all these muscles can be relaxed with the help of a good
massage.
A relaxing massage can put you in good sleep, which is most important during your
pregnancy. Massaging routine can also help you during your postpartum period.
Join a pregnancy support group. It is good to have pregnant mommy friends, as it is easier to share your experience, learn from their experience, and such support groups help you to share your thoughts, which you may not be comfortable sharing with anyone else.
You may also get to know about various issues other mothers are facing. Support
groups can encourage you in taking care of your health. You may get contacts of
experts which otherwise would be a little difficult to find.
Plan your postpartum period. This is the most neglected but the most important one! Self-care does not end till pregnancy. You have to care for yourself after childbirth too! The first forty days after childbirth can determine the next forty years of your life. Once the baby is here, most of the time is spent with the baby, and if not planned, things can get stressful. You can check out our courses to prepare you for your postpartum period.
Every mother who did not plan regrets not planning. She wishes that she could have
planned the postpartum period during her pregnancy so that her health was taken
care of. What you must know is, planning does not mean you will not face issues, it
means that you will be able to reach the solution sooner, you will not be as stressed,
and your mind will be prepared to face any challenges.
If you have not planned, then it is time you plan for your postpartum period. You will
be surprised to see the changes a baby can bring in you and your family!
Catch up on your sleep. If you are not able to sleep during the night, make sure to rest whenever you can. Don't be surprised by sleepless nights! Having good sleep can help you relax.
When someone says now is all you get to sleep! They are right! Get a good sleep
while you can. There will be a lot of sleepless nights ahead when the baby arrives.
Strengthen your core muscles. Consult a physiotherapist or prenatal yoga expert and go for a core examination. Your abdominal muscles and pelvic floor goes through a lot of stress, stiffness, stretching, and strengthening your core muscles can come a long way during your childbirth and in the recovery during your postpartum period.
Weak core muscles can cause a lot of problems like backache, urinary
incontinence, frequent urination, diastasis recti, and constipation. Do not start any
kind of practice on your own. Get in touch with an expert and work on core
strengthening. You will be surprised by the benefits of strengthening the core
muscles after you have worked on them.
Though it takes time for a habit to set in, the key to any habit is being consistent. If you are consistent in your commitment, a habit will automatically be set.
Would you like to get a contact with a Physiotherapist or a Pre-natal yoga expert?
Did you get your core muscles examined?
- Yes
- No
