How to Look After Yourself While Pregnant
Being pregnant presents countless challenges. Your hormones change, your body grows bigger, and you experience cravings like you never have before. Your body may be doing something incredible, but it does so at the expense of your comfort a lot of the time! To make sure you get through your pregnancy with as much ease as possible, here’s how to look after yourself.
Create an Easy Workout Plan
Staying active is important during pregnancy, even if it’s the last thing you feel like doing. Don’t worry – no one expects you to lift heavy weights at the gym or complete a marathon. Instead, focus on creating an easy workout plan that gets you moving. Not only will this help boost your mood, but it will also help combat issues like varicose veins. If you experience varicose veins during pregnancy, which is common, you can get help through varicose veins treatment in Prosper TX.
Avoid Traveling Far
Traveling while you are pregnant should be avoided at all costs. Early on, it might be fine to take a trip, but when you are months into the pregnancy, you should try to stay put. You don’t want to be strapped into a vehicle for hours on end, after all! Planes especially should be avoided in your late pregnancy, as they can increase your risk of blood clots. If you must fly, talk to your doctor first.
Eat Healthy Proteins
You are likely to get lots of cravings during pregnancy, so don’t feel too bad about eating too much of one food. You should, however, make sure you eat plenty of proteins for a healthy mother and baby. That includes eggs, fish, lean meats, and seeds. Remember that you need to eat more than usual, too.
Drink Lots of Water
Pregnant people need more water than the average person. After all, you are larger than you were before! Drinking plenty of water will help flush out toxins, so try to aim for around two liters a day. Carry a water bottle wherever you go if you often forget to drink enough.
Avoid Stress
Stress is one of the worst things for your body while you are pregnant, as it increases your blood pressure which can harm your baby. It’s crucial, then, to avoid stress-related activities as much as possible. Don’t engage in any enormous life events during pregnancy, such as a house move, if it can be helped, as times like those are usually the most stressful. Instead, create a relaxing home environment and keep life simple during your pregnancy months.
Take Up a Gentle Hobby
Keeping your mind engaged with an enjoyable activity is a good habit to practice while pregnant. There are loads of gentle hobbies out there that you could take up – knitting or crocheting is particularly great, as you could make clothes and blankets for your baby while he/she is still in your tummy!
Build a Support Network
It’s hard to do everything on your own while pregnant, so build a support network to help you out with the more strenuous activities. If your home needs a little DIY, for example, avoid doing it by yourself – enlist the help of friends and family. Don’t worry about asking too much of people; after all, you are pregnant! Those who love you should be more than happy to help when they can.
Listen to Your Midwife/Doctor
You must listen to your midwife and doctor for the duration of your pregnancy. As well as keeping track of the pregnancy, they will also give you advice on the best way to keep yourself and your baby healthy until birth. That might include taking supplements, doing exercises, or tips on getting a good night’s sleep.
Take Self-Care Days
Many mothers-to-be spend their pregnancies working. While you might need to for financial reasons, if you ever feel worn out, you must put your health first and take a self-care day. You need to avoid stress as much as possible, after all, and your boss should understand if you explain that your time off is pregnancy-related.
Listen to Your Body
Many people forget just how good the body is at letting you know what is wrong. To stay healthy throughout your pregnancy, it is essential to listen to your body. If you feel like something is wrong, even if everyone else says it is nothing to worry about, schedule an appointment with your doctor. After all, you know your body better than anyone, and no one else is feeling what you are.
In the same way, if your body says you should eat some pizza, go ahead and eat some pizza! While eating well should be the goal, giving your body a little of what it’s craving is not necessarily bad.
Pregnancy should be as stress-free as possible. By using these tips, you will ensure you keep healthy and positive until your baby is born.
