7 Ways to Self Care During Pregnancy
How to Practice Self Care During Pregnancy
7 Intentional Ways to Show your Body & Mind Some Love
I feel like this word Self-care gets thrown out a lot especially for motherhood. Things, like get good rest and go outside, are usually added to the list. If I’m being honest I’m not sure I would call eating well or painting my toenails actually self-care. Self-care for me is intentionally setting aside time to do something just for me and in pregnancy, this need for reflection and bodily attention is never more necessary. So I thought I’d put together several ways in which I personally found self-care in my pregnancy and the tips for finding them for your own pregnancy journey.
1.
Surround Yourself with Other Mothers
Surround yourself with women who lift with their words and empower you to be the best mother you can be.
Whether this is your first baby or your 5th, there is beauty in being with other women. Try and set that time aside to connect with your fellow mom friends and if it’s your first pregnancy definitely seek out those around you walking the same path of pregnancy or new motherhood. I found so much depth in my friendships during pregnancy because I was at my all-time rawest as a woman and walking alongside other women going through the same transformation helped me feel seen and empowered in a way nothing else could
Now I know this is such a hard one during COVID but there are also great online mothering groups that create spaces of power and compassion and I would encourage any mother to seek these out for a little self-love.
2.
Honor Your Boundaries
It’s very important during pregnancy to surround your, body and mind with people who want to encourage you on your path and put boundaries in place for toxic behavior.
Try to shut out the What ifs” and scare tactic types and just focus on the beautiful journey that pregnancy can bring. It’s easy to be extra sensitive and protective during pregnancy so do yourself a favor and hold off interacting too much with those in your life that can add stress, pressure, or fear into your experience. Even if they are a parent or family member or “mean well”, a huge dose of self-love comes when you allow yourself these 9 months (at-least) to be at peace with who you are as a woman and mother rather than feeling the anxiety and stress of others.
3.
BATH TIME
One of my favorite parts of pregnancy was the excuse to soak for hours in a warm tub.
Get yourself some Epsom Salt and lavender oil and just let your aching body rest after a long day of growing a baby.
Epsom Salt can actually help raise your magnesium levels in pregnancy which is important as well as soothe body stress that pregnancy can cause. Lavender is just an incredible aromatherapy way to release stress and anxiety that can be exaggerated during pregnancy.
3.
It’s Ok to get some Body Work Done!
Pregnancy Massage, Physical therapy, Chiropractor…
Your body goes through SO MUCH during pregnancy. And no it is not normal for you to be in pain all 9 months. What I realized in my own pregnancy was that all my bad posture from 28 years was now catching up to my body as I grew a baby. My pelvis felt broken and my back always felt weak. For 30 weeks I just assumed that pain, soreness, and being uncomfortable was simply just the pregnancy reality. Thankfully I was enlightened with the beauty of PT, massage, and chiropractics. Each in their own way helped in re-aligning my body and relieving stress I was carrying in new muscles I barely knew I had.
Now you may be thinking, but that costs so much! Well, I’m here to give you my personal tip!
Teach your husband pregnancy massage!
My husband was open to learning even if he wasn’t always excited to do the massage at the end of the night :P But he truly was my godsend during those last 10 weeks and saved us a LOT of money.
4.
Date Night
Take time to connect with your partner! Going on dates and laughing together is my perfect self-care routine because I’m a total quality time love language person. The more intentional time we got the more loved I felt. So take some nights to just be you, do something silly together, or take a relaxing babymoon to an Airbnb with a hot tub!
5.
Make Time for Quiet Reflection
Take time to connect with your body and your transformational journey into motherhood. I loved reading Ina May’s “Guide to Childbirth” during my quiet time because it brought me both knowledge and depth to all the feelings I was experiencing for the first time.
Journaling was my way of releasing everything I needed to before becoming a mom; fears, failures, expectations, and losses.
It’s ok to be sad about losing something life freedom or adventure when you are pregnant. Especially for first-time moms you just don’t know what it feels like to be on the other side of the motherhood hump. Take some self-care quiet time to process feelings and give yourself grace!
6.
Take Photos of your Pregnancy
Now I’m of course all about capturing the more professional and glamourous style maternity photos but what I mean with this self-care tip is more about photos for YOU!
I never felt more alive and comfortable in my body than when I was pregnant. Every pudge and dent felt perfectly placed as my body was literally making a human being. It was the one thing about becoming a mother that felt so perfectly suited to me. I loved my body unconditionally for probably the first time in my life.
Now I did get a maternity session done and did a few self-portraits of our journey but if I could go back and do it all over I would have taken more time to thank my body and photograph my progress! Now I recognize that not every woman feels this way during pregnancy, body change can really be scary.
