This is my third pregnancy and probably the one I have felt my best and enjoyed the most. It’s a time that is physically and mentally challenging and to be honest I’ve never been one to absolutely love being pregnant. That’s why this time around, my goal was to not let my healthy habits slip and create a routine for myself that worked best for this time where everything is ever changing. I’m happy to say that have felt mentally stable and positive, physically strong and fit with minimal water retention throughout the nine months and I would do it all over again exactly like I did. Here are my tips to feel your best while growing a little human:
Meditation. I have said it over and over and I will say it again: a mindfulness practice is life-changing. I’m not exagerrating when I say this, try for yourself and you will see. Meditation teaches us to be present, to be with what is without judgement and to cultivate gratitude, inner joy and positivity. Happiness is not a given, it’s rather something that has to be cultivated every day and no matter what life brings you, a consistent meditation practice will help you access your full potential and become your happiest self.
Movement. Up until these last weeks, I have aimed for at least 30 minutes of movement every day whether that’s a walk, yoga or pilates (besides running after my two girls) and it has helped me stay physically and mentally fit and connected to my changing body. While rest is important, pregnancy is not the time to become a couch potato, as staying fit will help you for an easier delivery and recovery after the baby.
Alkaline & Anti-inflammatory Diet. How we nourish ourselves is a huge part of our well-being and that’s no different during pregnancy. Pregnancy teaches you to listen to your body like no other time and while first trimester sickness meant mostly plain toast, rice pasta and potato chips for me, the rest of the pregnancy I felt best eating my usual plant-based food with lots of veggies, fruit and my daily green juice. Along with the movement, this also helped me to keep water retention and cravings to a minimum because my body got exactly what it needed to nourish itself and the growing baby.
Acupuncture. There is nothing like acupuncture to align my energy and I feel like it helps me balance my mood and hormones especially during pregnancy. I wrote a blog post on acupuncture and pregnancy a while ago, read more here if you are interested in finding out all the benefits of this amazing wellness tool while expecting.
