Self-Care Tips to Adopt During Pregnancy
Practicing self-care during pregnancy is a struggle for most women. From attending antenatal appointments to creating a nursery and thinking about the perfect baby shower, it’s easy for your thoughts to revolve around everything “baby.”
Maintaining a healthy pregnancy depends on how well you take care of yourself. In the subsequent segments, we’ll deliver self-care tips you can execute to become a fit pregnant mom and birth a healthy baby.
Let’s get going!
Expecting a Baby? Practice These 5 Self-Care Tips
If you’re expecting a baby and would like to remain in pristine health before delivery, adopt these five self-care tips:
1. Stay Active
Staying active as an expecting mom doesn’t mean you should embark on cross-country marathons. Instead, execute low-intensity exercises like swimming, walking, prenatal yoga, and water aerobics. Besides boosting your overall mood, these activities can improve the sleep and strength required to deliver successfully.
Numerous studies have confirmed that exercising during pregnancy alleviates stress and prompts the release of feel-good hormones tagged endorphins. So, while you have an extended baby bump, beaming with hearty smiles is possible.
NOTE: As seen on the official American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (ACOG) website, pregnant women should engage in moderate-intensity aerobic exercises for at least 150 minutes weekly.
2. Eat Well
During pregnancy, one self-care tip you mustn’t relegate to the background is eating right. Consuming nutritious meals deliver the supplements your baby needs to develop and grow successfully.
Implementing healthy eating patterns will make you feel better and reduce the risks of complications like gestational diabetes and preeclampsia to the barest minimum.
3. Travel With Caution
Although traveling might seem great to unwind, embark on these trips with vital pregnancy notes stashed in your bags. As such, medical staff know your antenatal history and can issue proper treatments when required. These notes are “passports” that ensure efficient care for you and your unborn child during those cross-country adventures.
If traveling via air, wear unique compression socks as your doctor recommends, as they safeguard you from blood pooling at high altitudes. For long-haul flights spanning 12 hours or more, drink increased amounts of liquid and perform stretches when you can.
4. Spend Quality Time With Your Partner
If it’s your first pregnancy, note that the next few months might be the last “quiet” moments you’ll have before the baby arrives. As such, spend quality time with your spouse or partner.
This connection creates the bond required to prepare both parents for the changes brought by an extra family member. Use these moments to discuss your reservations and thoughts as you step into motherhood.
5. Stay Prepared and Know Essential Contact Information
Although you might be tagged overzealous by packing your hospital bag long before your due date, executing this activity on time saves you the hassle of looking for certain essentials when labor begins.
Your bag should feature maternity pads, nappies, and other essentials your baby might need upon delivery. You can never be too prepared; although the chances of using a specific item might be low, bring them with you regardless.
Additionally, have essential contact information (i.e., numbers to your birth center, labor ward, day assessment unit, and emergency services) inscribed on a piece of paper or memorized. These numbers will come in handy for unexpected scenarios.
Parting Shot
We’ve examined five self-care tips every pregnant woman should adopt. By incorporating the activities and habits highlighted above, maintaining a healthy pregnancy and looking “peng” is 100% possible. Godspeed!