Pregnancy comes with significant changes for expectant mothers; a complete shift over a woman’s body and life. If a new mother adheres fully to self-care or integrates various well-being routines in her day-to-day life, it can help in battling either fatigue, laziness or discomfort that she faces. In this parenting post, we will share 10 practices that you can incorporate in your general persona:
Table of Contents
1. Understand your body’s signals
The first step is to understand that your body is changing and fatigue and drowsiness are signals that it sends to let you know that it needs to rest and keep everything running smoothly during pregnancy. So don’t push yourself too hard and avoid unnecessary efforts!
Whenever you feel exhausted, take a short sleep for about 30 minutes. This can help you restore your energy and make your day simpler. If this is not practicable, you can take a minute or so to close your eyes and take a rest.
2. Rest well.
A good night sleep would guarantee you an awakened body. It’s advisable to sleep at most 8 hours before your scheduled time and preferably take a 20 minutes break after every meal. Also, try your best to have an invariant timetable on the days you sleep and rest, it can be of great help.
You will be more sensitive to your surroundings and external stimuli, which makes preparing your sleeping area very important. Avoid bright and noisy environments, as they can cause more stress than rest. If possible, avoid having the television on or anything that could distract you and make you wake up.
3. Use items to improve your comfort
In case you have trouble getting into the right position when sleeping, you can use pillows to lift your abdomen or your back. Do not sleep on your abdomen as it will put a strain on your pelvis leading to discomfort through the night.
Compression stockings can also be effective as they stop your legs from chances of swelling which makes it hard to sleep, along with a hot water bottle that eases lumbar pain.
4. Do physical activities
Physical activities help improve cardiorespiratory fitness, reducing the feeling of tiredness and controlling weight gain, in addition to releasing endorphins that improve mood and disposition.
For pregnant women who do not want to be inactive, walking, cycling and stretching are great alternatives. Swimming, water aerobics and yoga are also encouraged since they not only enhance physical fitness, but they also enhance relaxation.
Remember that you should opt for light activities and that they should only be started after guidance from a professional.
5. Stretch constantly
You should include texting in your daily routine to stretch the body. For instance, If you are seated on your work chair staring at the computer for an extended period , it is advisable to get up from the chair and walk around the room after every 60 minutes. Blood circulation promotes crude blood flow throughout arteries of the body thereby reducing clot formation and also assists in reducing the edema that accompanies swelling of the legs.
If your job allows you to work while standing for twelve hours then there is always a requirement of you not to put stress on your legs and sit down while having employer-scheduled short breaks. In addition, lifting the legs facilitates blood flow even more.
6. Get massages
Pregnant women experience back pain due to the added weight of pregnancy, a nice massage can relieve that while also taking the burden off of the woman’s mind. Furthermore, such massages also help with lymphatic drainage, which promotes healthy blood circulation while also safeguarding against swellings in hands, arms, and legs.
Nonetheless, we point out that such things should be left in the hands of a trained professional as some techniques would initiate certain points that induce woman to go into early labor. The person must also know which techniques can be used to avoid hurting the baby.
7. Eat a variety of foods
Eating a variety of foods ensures that mothers and children do not lack any element and that their energy is also rejuvenated. Consume potassium, carbohydrates, iron, calcium, zinc, fiber, and other such kinds of food that have good health attributes as well.
Foods that are high in fats, sugars or rich in flour take a longer span to get digested and cause more fatigue.
During this time, fruits are of great importance as they are vitamin dense and great for metabolism. Have one or two fruits a day but make sure the type isn’t such that the flavor gets monotonous. Have watermelons, oranges, bananas, acerola, strawberries and so forth in your diet. This will ensure proper nutrition and also a lot of energy!
There are also other foods such as whole grain bread, eggs and kale that are packed with nutrients essential for pregnancy. Iron is also abundant in beef which makes it all the more reason to include it in your diet, along with beans.
8. Create a routine and escape stress
Situations that may worsen anxiety and fatigue during this sensitive period should be avoided as much as possible due to hormonal changes……
Consider planning your work hours so that you don’t have to endure the rush hour traffic and heat during the common sweltering weather. Avoid attempting household chores and all other activities exposing yourself to physical and mental exertion.
9. Be Cool, Relaxed and At Ease
Your own bodily changes, the duty over the arrival of the little one, and the strong emotions might make you agitated and worried. If you are still feeling a bit nervous or over-anxious, take a moment and talk to your partner or a friend about it. You will be feeling relaxed and safe along with finding solace and comfort.
Even if the pregnancy was planned, insecurity and vulnerability have a psychological impact and can be a cause for concern. Changes in life, the pressure placed on pregnancy, and the burden of daily routine can be factors that make women vulnerable to depression, even during a period considered to be happy.
Whenever one is feeling frequent sadness, irritability and a constant feeling of fatigue, lack of an appetite along with negative thoughts, it is advisable that one consults his or her obstetrician. He or she will be able to assess whether you show signs of a mental illness and then accordingly refer you to the specialists.
The most important thing is that you find ways to have a peaceful and complication-free pregnancy.
10. Alert! Time to see a doctor
If your discomfort is very strong and constant, it is a good idea to tell your doctor during your prenatal check-up. He or she will be able to identify psychological or physiological factors that may be making you more tired, such as anemia, hypothyroidism or some electrolyte or vitamin deficiency.
Be aware of the symptoms and follow your prenatal care correctly. This way, you will have a healthy pregnancy for you and your baby.
