9 Tips for a Healthy 9 Months
Being pregnant has to be the most glorious and wonderful nine months ever. Or so it is for some.
For others, it's a time of back aches, nausea, exhaustion and too many trips to the toilet. But truth be told, when it is all said and done and all of the nausea is gone, then even you'll agree that it was glorious and wonderful!
I remember thinking that I'd eat so healthy while being pregnant...both times. But both times I had severe morning sickness and it really was just about eating what I could to not get sick. Still, aside from just food, there are other ways to be conscious about your body and health and most of all, your unborn baby's health.
My 9 Tips for Staying Healthy for 9 Months
1. Eat Right...Sort of. Eat what you crave as long as what you crave can't harm you or your baby. Make sure to eat plenty of healthy food and to eat well balanced meals, but don't deprive yourself of caving into your cravings. I had fried chicken once a week and milk and cookies quite a bit! However I personally stayed away from carbonated drinks, raw foods, uncooked meats and an excess of preservatives, pesticides, GMOs and additives.
2. Get Rest. This is a no brainer, but really...get rest. Especially if you're taking care of other children; nap when they nap or lay down and watch Television when they do. For one thing, it helps you bond with them before a new baby comes and it allows you to slow down and just be. That's harder to do once baby comes!
3. Stay Active. Along with all of those naps, don't just be a total bum. I walked quite a bit for both pregnancies and believed it helped with labor and delivery. I also taught dance classes and still did some exercises myself. This can help with too much weight gain and preventing gestational diabetes.
4. Spoil Baby. Start planning and organizing the nursery early on so that no surprise delivery will leave you frazzled. Anything can happen unfortunately, and it's better to have all of your ducks in a row. Set that crib up, install that car seat, wash those clothes and begin filling out the baby book. Start preparing your life for this baby around six months of pregnancy to have a less frazzled end of pregnancy.
5. Spoil Yourself. Something that I enjoyed doing this pregnancy was thinking about some "me" essentials for after baby. I knew that after wearing maternity clothes for nine months that I would be craving some new things. But I also knew that I'd be nursing a lot and would also be a bit bigger than normal. My go to items were button down tops, flowy tops and cute shorts/pants for lounging around. Pilazzo style pants are stylish and stretchy around the waist and loose around the legs! Perfect! I even had a few new head bands for accenting my pony tails postpartum so I didn't look totally unkempt!
6. Educate Yourself. Nothing can be worse than being scared or nervous about breastfeeding and child birth. Educate yourself and prepare yourself with some classes and good books (or some of my blog posts - :) ). You'll feel much more at ease!
7. Hydrate. Because yes, being dehydrated isn't good. It leads to lots of Braxon Hicks and scary false labor pains! Your bladder is already always aching to pee, what's more water going to hurt?!
8. Take Time With Your Partner. Luckily, my husband and I had a small weekend getaway for a wedding when I was around seven months pregnant. It was refreshing and much needed! We also enjoyed several date nights leading up to the birth of our second child because we knew they'd be much harder to come by eventually.
9. Be Mindful of What Goes In Your Body. Not just with food, but everything. I love essential oils, however I found myself shying away from them because I didn't know enough to use them during pregnancy. I never took any medication unless ABSOLUTELY necessary -- and that means that a doctor told me I had to or that I was so sick that I could barely care for my other child. With my first pregnancy, I stayed clear away of the nausea medicine my doctor prescribed which was Zofran. I was so sick but I refused it. With my second pregnancy, I was even more sick and also had a one year old to care for. Unfortunately I took Zofran on occasions only to later on in my pregnancy find out exactly what I was skeptical of -- it is and was NOT safe for pregnant women. Zofran has been linked to many birth defects including cleft palates and heart conditions (read more here). I was SO scared for my unborn child, but am happy to say she is healthy. It taught me an important lesson though. Always trust your instincts and whether pregnant or not (but especially pregnant) be CAUTIOUS about what goes into your body. Whether it's food, medicine, or your lotions -- choose the healthiest and most natural cure for your body and for your unborn baby.
For safe skin care and bath time products for pregnancy, make sure to visit our Baby and Mom Gear sections.