Pregnancy is definitely one of the most defining, challenging, and especially beautiful periods in a woman’s life. I’m not gonna lie, it’s not the easiest time of your life. With the bump growing, sometimes you just wish to get rid of it, only for a few minutes. The next moment you feel a little baby kick, and all the effort you felt before, is literally blown away. It instantaneously fills you with a rush of joy and nothing else matters. Well, yeah those are the beautiful moments, but then you got the morning sickness, or all-day nausea, sleepless nights, acid reflux, fatigue, and hormone imbalance. These are the things I have experienced. There’s a lot more I could add to this list, but every single pregnancy is different, so I can’t really speak for everyone. Overall I can say I had really easy and beautiful pregnancies. During my first pregnancy I beryl felt pregnant at all, only when the bump started getting big, around 8 months pregnant. The second one was a bit harder, but I think a big factor here, was the fact that I had to also take care of a toddler. So I can’t complain. One essential factor that could have been the reason for my easy pregnancies, was the fact that I really took care of myself, ate super healthy, kept working out, and powered through it with no days off. There are a lot of myths telling pregnant women to stop exercising, or eating for two, and those sometimes result in a less healthy pregnancy and post-pregnancy problems.
5 Ways to stay fit and healthy during pregnancy
+ Don’t stop working out
One of the most important rules when exercising while you’re pregnant is to listen to your body. When you have been working out regularly before you got pregnant, you should know your body and be able to read the signs. If you didn’t work out before you got pregnant, then please don’t start now, because that might put too much stress on your and your baby’s health. I have always been pretty sporty. When not pregnant I am running every day, and that keeps me healthy. In addition to my running, I go to the gym almost every day for some weight workouts and yoga classes. I didn’t stop when I found out I was pregnant with my first daughter. Everything your body is used to is allowed. I have adjusted my work-out to the stage of my pregnancy. At some point after 5 months, I stopped running and did the incline walk on the treadmill, or the stair machine. I didn’t really feel comfortable with the baby bouncing in my belly while I was running so I switched to other cardio exercises. As far as weights, I only did weights that felt okay. I wasn’t trying to stretch myself. I could tell it was the right thing to do for me and the baby.
+ Try Yoga
Yoga is a safe way to stay active during pregnancy, even when you have never tried it before. Most yoga studios offer pregnancy yoga, with exercises that help you with pregnancy-related back issues and stability. It helps find physical, and mental balance, which are not only important while you’re pregnant, but throughout your whole life.
+ Eat right
A healthy lifestyle during, before, and after pregnancy are key for mother and baby. When you’re pregnant you need a balanced food plan, including a variety of fruits, vegetables, protein from fish, poultry or lean meat, and whole grains. Not all women will have crazy cravings, but it definitely happens, and that’s okay. You are allowed to treat yourself with some goodies, but like everything in life, moderation is key. During my first trimester, I have experienced an excessive appetite for meat, milk, and eggs. I am not a vegetarian, but I definitely limit my meat intake to once a week and only drink milk substitutes like oat, rice, or soy milk. So it was very surprising for me to want those things so bad. I have managed to add a little bit more of those to my diet and was fine. In my second trimester, I didn’t really have cravings anymore, I have just experienced the space in my stomach gets smaller and a normal portion of food started to make me feel nauseous or caused me to have acid reflux. This is a very common problem in the course of pregnancy. So I decided to make the portions smaller and eat more often. This way the baby and I got enough nutrients and it didn’t make me feel so bad anymore. It is also important to monitor your iron and folic acid levels. Usually, those are checked, but to be sure you can add those as supplements to your diet. In the pharmacy, you can find a variety of pregnancy adjusted supplement packages that will ensure the perfect health for you and your baby. It’s not a must, but definitely worth a try.+ Don’t forget to drink water
When you’re pregnant you need more water than usual. You have to remember that your body has to be able to produce amniotic fluid, extra blood, build new tissue, carry nutrients, enhance digestion, and clear out wastes and toxins. I used to drink 2.5 – 3 Liters a day while I was pregnant, and up to 5 Liters when I was breastfeeding. The amount of water intake varies from person to person, depending on size and activity. Make sure you go to the bathroom frequently and your urine is almost colorless. If that is given then your hydration is on point.
+ Rest, and take breaks
I know I said stay active, but not all day. During pregnancy, you should also give your body a lot of breaks. Take them when your body asks for them. I was never a person who would take a nap during the day or just sit around and do nothing. So it was quite challenging for me to sometimes just give in to “being lazy”. But I did it because I have realized, it is not really doing nothing. In those moments, when I was just laying on the couch, calm, and relaxed, my baby girls just felt that mommy is feeling good and they gave me the thumbs up with the sweetest kicks, and gentle strokes. I enjoyed those moments to the fullest and it became a little ritual a couple of times, every day.