Are you expecting? I'm sure you have a million things to get done before you're little one makes his or her grand debut, but let me remind you to not forget yourself on the "to-do" list. Here's 10 things every pregnant woman should do for herself:
1. Get massages. Massage is vital for your health, stress reduction, and it feels good. Once baby shows up it will be harder to find the time to get a nice hour massage or be reluctant to spend that money on yourself so take advantage now.
2. Read. Take the weekend off and curl up in your favorite fussy prenatal jammies with a cup of tea and that trashy romance novel you've been dying to read.
3. Watch movies or your favorite TV shows. Indulge in a movie or TV show marathon, because once baby comes, you'll be lucky to get even a 20 minute sitcom in without interruption.
4. Go on a mini vacation. Treat yourself to a long weekend at your favorite resort or vacation home. Pack all your favorite foods and whatever the current cravings and relax.
5. Get your hair and nails done. You're a goddess so allow yourself to be pampered like one.
6. Enjoy quiet time to yourself. Because after baby, quiet "me time" joins the way of the dinosaur, at least for the first few months.
7. Buy yourself new makeup. Why not? It's much easier now to visit your favorite makeup boutique then hauling around a screaming infant with you.
8. Treat yourself to a fancy dinner. Yes, make a reservation to your favorite posh restaurant and order the most expensive entree on the menu you've been dreaming of savoring, because chances are you'll probably not be bringing your baby with out to this venue.
9. Sleep.That's what everyone says, but it's true. If you are in the middle of a project or washing dishes and suddenly feel the urge to nap- DO IT. And do it as often as you want to. Don't feel bad. You'll make up for it the first year after baby comes.
10. Spend time with friends. Enjoy your relationships. Make great memories, because everything changes after childbirth. Even the best intentions of maintaining your connections are derailed after baby moves in.
I’m sure you’ve heard how important exercise is for
pregnancy, so I’m not going to focus on that. I am, however, going to share my
top 3 favorite forms of exercise I did during my pregnancy. As with any type of
sport, make sure you clear it with your doctor or midwife for safety reasons.
1.Swimming. First of all I love being in the water
so naturally swimming became my number one go to sport. Benefits: The water keeps
you from overheating, majority of your muscles are being exercised (more bang
for your buck), it’s gentle on your joints, and when you’re in the last
trimester the water buoyancy gives your body a break from carrying the extra
weight. Cons: You need a good prego swimsuit, or if you are like me, just wear
a two piece and show off your beautiful baby bump, and you get to smell like chlorine
for the rest of the day unless you find a saline pool in your area.
2.Yoga. I didn’t do enough of this during my
pregnancy and I paid for it with a prolong labor. Benefits: prenatal yoga helps strengthen the essential muscle groups
you’ll need for labor and delivery, gives you flexibility, reduces stress, and
very calming to mind, body, and spirit. Cons: Well, I can’t really think of any. Here’s a
fabulous 30 minute video I found online and practiced during my pregnancy,
although not enough. Make sure you drink plenty of water and you have a fan on
to keep you cool.
3.Walking. This is the easiest go to form of exercise
out there and best of all it’s free. Good walking shoes are a must during
pregnancy because of the extra weight and the change of center of gravity for
the body. 15-30 minute walk a day is sufficient. For more of a workout add some
stairs or hills to your walk, but make sure you don’t overheat yourself. The
best way to know you’re pushing too hard is your breath. If you can’t carry on
a conversation because you’re out of breath that means you’re overdoing it.
Benefits: as I said it’s free, you strengthen your legs which you need during
labor, and it’s a chance to get out into nature which has a nice calming effect.
Cons: towards the end of pregnancy it can become difficult to walk as the baby
positions his/her head down into your pelvis (speaking from personal experience
here).
The important thing
to remember is to just move your body and stay active. Happy Pregnancy, mama.
A woman’s body goes through tremendous
amounts of changes through pregnancy and childbirth. With each person it’s
different. Some have stretch marks; others have excess weight that won’t come
off.
I’d always been a thin person for the most part. Not that I
wasn’t incapable of gaining weight, but even when I would put on an extra 10 or
15 pounds I managed to remain slender. I attribute this mostly to genetics and
a vegetarian diet.
So you can imagine when I got pregnant and gained 55 pounds (nearly ½ of my pre-pregnancy
weight) how strange it was for me. For the first time in my life I truly
understood and could sympathize with people who struggle with their weight. I
remember how hard it was to move at 9 months. Talk about walking a mile in
someone else’s shoes. Lugging around an extra 55 pounds is not easy feat, but
through it all I loved my body.
I loved the new layer of cushion I now had. It was nice not
to be so boney anymore. I especially loved my boobs. Goodbye A cup and hello C.
I also loved the dark life line that started at few inches above my belly
button and went all the way down to my pelvis like a natural tattoo of motherhood.
Then I had my baby. Everything changed. The adorable growing
baby bump transformed into a jiggling flabby mess. While some of the weight
came off in the form of baby & fluids, I still looked swollen and for the
first time I actually felt fat. But that’s not what got me down. No, it was
something that nobody could see except for me, my husband, and gynecologist.
During delivery, I had a 3rd degree perineal tear
and when the doctor sewed me up he’d left some little pieces of skin along the
perineal body which almost looked like hemorrhoids and because of my prolonged
labor I ended up with a cystocele as well. I distinctly remember the first time
I took a mirror and looked down there for the 1st time since delivery.
I literally sat on the edge of the bathtub and cried. I suddenly felt so unsexy,
unbeautiful, disgusting. After the tears dried up and I washed my face, an
avalanche of guilt tumbled over me.
How could I be so vain? I had a loving husband, a beautiful
baby, and a supportive family. All of my friends and even strangers said I
looked fantastic. So why did I care, that a certain part of my body wasn’t the
same when nobody else could see it? Of course I was also dealing with postpartum
depression which made everything ten times worse than it really was.
I didn’t care about my squishy stomach or excess weight. No,
none of that mattered to me. My genital area is what mattered. The fact I had
pelvic pain and that whole region of my body was constantly sore for months
after delivery didn’t help. All my tissues down there were so tight, I couldn’t
stand a tampon. Forget get any kind of intimacy.
Three months of pelvic floor therapy and lots of personal
care and meditation, and seven months after my daughter was born I grew to love my body again. I realized that these “petals,” as my midwife called them,
were just a mark of my transformed life. They didn’t hurt anymore or interfere
with intimacy with my husband. He certainly didn’t care about them.
My daughter is eight months old and now when I look in the
mirror I see a beautiful sexy mother with curves she never had before, a lovely
life line down her stomach, and fabulous toned arms from carrying a baby around
all day long.
Each woman has her own body image struggles. Even the ones
with perfect bodies most of us love to hate have something they despise about
themselves. Don’t judge them, but especially don’t judge yourself. No matter
what your body looks like now, know your battle scars are a mark of motherhood,
one of the most elite titles in the world. You ushered in a new live, a fresh
soul into this world. You are the mother queen of the human race. So hold your
chin high, straighten you spine, and bask in your glory, you sexy mama.
Okay new mama, I’m sure you’ve been given a million
suggestions and more advice than you know what to do with while in the hospital
about what you need to do for yourself when you get home. You’re probably so
tired that you don’t remember or even give a rat’s ass about any of it. So I’m
going to break it down into the top 3 you need to do for yourself: Sleep, Eat,
& Self-care.
Sleep? I know, it sounds as foreign as a pedicure on Mars,
but LET. ME. TELL. YOU. Sleep is where it’s at. When someone says “I can come
hold the baby so you can take a nap” TAKE them up on it, girlfriend. When your
partner is home or a family member you trust is visiting, hand that little
bundle of bewildered joy over, put some ear plugs in, draw the drapes, turn a
fan on, and SLEEP. You may have a hard time getting to sleep at night as you
will be waking every two hours to nurse. If you find yourself in that
situation, drink a small cup of strong sleepy-time tea or take a quick hot bath
with some lavender essential oil. The best way to bounce back from the labor
and delivery is to get rest.
Eat. I had a hard time eating after I had my daughter,
mostly because of postpartum depression, but I knew I had to eat something if I
wanted to have enough milk for her. What helped me with my lack of appetite
were smoothies and milk shakes. Those first few weeks home make sure your
fridge is stocked with quick high calorie snacks that will help you get the
most nutrition. Here’s some healthy suggestions: organic yogurt smoothies,
organic cheese sticks, whole grain crackers, fig bars, fresh fruit, nuts,
energy bars, and Amy’s hot pocket sandwiches and frozen dinners.
Self-care? “Are you on crack?” You might ask. No, darling,
I’m not. Self-care is sooo important. As you get caught up caring for your
baby, you’ll forget to shower, brush your teeth, or even use the bathroom.
Guess what? It doesn’t have to be like that. Your partner can hold the baby for
ten minutes so you shower or brush your hair and put some makeup on. And if you
are in desperate need hygiene care and find yourself alone, you can put the
baby in a bouncy chair or carseat and bring them into the bathroom with you.
Often times the sound of the shower is very soothing for the baby. You don’t
have to take half hour. Even 5-10 minutes can do wonders to your spirits and
give you a much-needed boost of energy.
Congrats mama! I know it’s hard, but you can do this. Just
remember to ask for help.
There are so many products out there for everything that you need and don't need when it comes to nursing so I'm going to keep this short and share with you my favorite 3 that I've gone to time and time again. In my opinion these are pretty much must-haves.
1. Night Nursing Bra. You want a bra that is comfy to wear at night, doesn't have underwires or too constricting, and easy to access your breasts. Trust me when you're tired and have to nurse in the middle of the night the last thing you want to deal with is clasps and hooks. If you're worried about leaking milk, just insert nursing pads (see #2) before you go to bed and keep a couple of extra by the bedside.
Majama's has a great organic easy bra and tank. I love their nursing products because they are so practical, plus they are made in the USA and organic.
2. Nursing Pads. If you're a first time mom, you will very likely need nursing pads because when the newborn nurses on one breast the other will start to leak. I tried several different types of pads including organic cotton reusable ones, but in the end I used Lansinoh disposables, especially during the period when I had thrush and sore bleeding nipples. Reusable ones are great too. You choose what is right for you.
3. Milkies Milk-Saver Breast Milk Collector. Okay, so you might not think this is a must-have, but if you're leaking milk every time you nurse think of all the milk you could be collecting without even having to pump! I didn't leak as much as most women did and I collected in one day during daytime feedings enough for one feeding. By doing so I built my milk supply in the freezer pretty quickly so when I had to go back to work I didn't have to worry about my girl's food supply. Why not save those drops?
This is for you new mommies out there in honor of Breastfeeding Awareness Month. By now, you've discovered how painful breastfeeding can be. If your nipples are sore, bleeding, cracked, and tender, here's the top 3 remedies that helped me.
1. Breast Milk. It's true. Breast milk is loaded with all sorts of antibodies and healing properties. My nipples used to get really sore after a full day of pumping at work, but I started to express a few drops, rub them on the sore parts, and then let them air dry. Within a day they healed and looked as good as new. If you're dealing with an yeast infection or thrush, then you might not want to use breast milk until the yeast has cleared (speaking from experience.)
2. Gel pads. The lactation specialist brought me two sets when I was in the hospital. I used those puppies around the clock for weeks! Tip: put them (in a plastic baggie or container so they don't dry out) in the fridge to cool them off and when you put them on, you'll feel like you're nips are getting a spa treatment.
3. All Purpose Nipple Cream. This is a prescription so ask your provider if your nipples just don't seem to heal and are cracking or bleeding. APNC is a compound that includes anti-yeast and an analgesic to help with the pain. If your dealing with thrush on top of sore nipples, this is the miracle magic solution. Make sure you slather it on generously.
It does get better. I promise. My nipples didn't feel "normal" until after eight or so weeks, so give it time. You're doing great, mama. Happy Breastfeeding!
It seems like a lifetime ago when I found out I was pregnant,
but I do remember thinking after a week, “Meh, this isn’t too bad.” Jinx! The
following day I woke up feeling like all the contents & organs inside my
abdomen decided to pose a revolution against me. Never once did I puke, but the
never ending nausea made me wish sometimes that I did. Oh, and the whole “morning”
sickness is BS, because I had it 24/7.
After scouring dozens of blogs, websites, and forums
dedicated to all things pregnancy related, I learned a few things that helped
me endure the first trimester. Here are my top three:
Exercise: You’re probably thinking what the heck am I
drinking, right? No, seriously, exercise helps. Part of the nausea comes from
being so tired as your body adjusts to the new hormones and starting building a
new human. Exercise helps boost your energy level. In my case, I worked 4/10
hour days/week. I needed all the energy I could get and then some. My exercise
of choice was swimming. It was gentle enough, but still a great workout. I
learned that 20 minutes in the pool every morning before work, helped me get
through the day and reduced my nausea.Going for 15-20 minute walk worked too.
Ginger: My two favorite ginger tricks are the gum and fresh
ginger slices in my water bottle. The gum I kept in my purse for emergencies. The
fresh slices I would put in my bottle in the morning and drink it all day long
and then put new slices in the water bottle by my bed at night. The volatile oils
inside the fresh ginger helps with nausea.
Motion Sickness Bands: I bought a pair right before our 7
year anniversary vacation to Victoria, BC. The capital of British Columbia is
located on an island, in case you didn’t know. Plane or boat are the only two ways
to get to the island. We usually take the ferry over. You can imagine the dread
I was feeling about going on this vacation 8 weeks into my pregnancy. Despite
my anxiety, I still wanted to go. This would be our last real vacation before
the baby. Plus Victoria happens to be one of my favorite cities in the world.
We took the train up to Seattle and then caught the ferry
from there. Between train and boat, I knew I needed something. Ginger gum and
the motion sickness bands were my best friends on that trip. Not once did I
experience any unbearable discomfort while we traveled there and back, besides
itchy wrists (the bands are pretty tight). I wouldn’t recommend continuous wear,
but if you’ve got a trip coming up or need to drive somewhere but aren’t
feeling so hot, they do help.
All of the aforementioned tips never took away my nausea
100%, but the reduced it significantly enough so I could function throughout the
day. Something is better than nothing in my option.
Comments welcome. Don't forget August is breastfeeding awareness month. :)
