Pregnancy Self-care
- alexdoveri
- Nov 10, 2020
- 4 min read
8 Pregnancy Self-Care Acts that are getting me through pregnancy. I won’t sugar coat it... I’ve hated being pregnant. I could rant for days about all the lies women tell each other about the ”joys” of our changing bodies creating life. But I won’t bore you with those antidotes and instead focus on what has made all these changes manageable!
1. Bath time! - light a few candles, put on some soothing music and throw in a bath or bubble bomb. This is the easiest way for me to rest and unwind. My belly might not fit under the water anymore, but it soothes all those booty and foot aches. I take 2-3 baths a week. But I won’t lie I was a big bath taker prior to pregnancy as well.
2. Massage - Another self-care routine I do regardless of pregnancy. When things started to open back up after the first lockdown, a massage was the first appointment I made. I get a massage every other week and Laura at Loÿly has gotten into all those pregnancy body aches. And the best thing of all... they have a pillow with a big belly cut out so I can lay face down!
3. Float tank - Husband got me a float at float on a few months ago and on the weeks I’m not getting a massage, I’m floating. If you have never been, they are pretty neat! It’s a sensory deprivation tank. you float in about a foot of really salty water in the dark with no sound for about an hour and a half. The pluses for pregnancy: Aches and pains melt away in the salt water, you get to feel absolutely weightless, your brain completely shuts off, and I sleep so soundly after a float. It has this weird experience of feeling like you are in a womb and I get some real bonding time with D, who kicks the whole time.
4. Walks - Give me a good podcast. Maybe a Pod Save America (or really any crooked media podcast), TodayExplained or Gabfest and set me out to walking! Now that it’s raining more I’m walking a bit less. But still getting a few 3-4 mile walks a week. I love walking through all the beautiful neighborhoods and parks in the area. I was running and then walk/running up until week 33 but then the urge to pee constantly became to great.
5. Skin care - Everyone tells you about some magic “glow”, what they don’t tell you it is because you are oily... Or that during your first trimester your skin will look like a teenager going through puberty. I invested in a new skin care routine and made it a priority. ZO Skin health’s exfoliating polish has been the holy grail leaving my face baby smooth with each use.
Stretch marks have also been a fear of mine and my BioOil 2x+ a day since the end of the first trimester has helped soothe me nerves. I know it’s mostly genetic, but hey I’m 37 weeks and still none, so fingers crossed!
6. Hypnobirthing - This might be one of the more “out there” things I‘ve been doing. An acquaintance in Scotland recommended it and once I started looking into hypnobirthing I found it was more common in the UK. I don’t know how it will effect my actual L&D,,,, BUT for the climate of the world right now, the affirmations, mindfulness exercises and mediation have helped calm my nerves and take a lot of fears I’ve had around pushing a little person out of me. I’ll do a deeper dive and review on the GentleBirth App that I’ve been listening too.
7. Exercise - Where I haven’t kept up my Pre-pregnancy workouts, I have kept active. Laying around and waiting is no fun! What has been fun is getting motivated by other fit moms that have put together pregnancy safe workouts that I can do from home. They aren’t my hour long lift sessions anymore or running long distances. My workouts are normally using lighter weights and average 30 minute sessions. It helps me sleep, should assist in an easier labor, and will make for a better transition once I’m cleared for the gym.
8. Date nights - I can’t get enough date nights with Husband. Covid has made it much harder and meant getting more creative. Over the summer it meant picnics, this fall it’s meant finding outdoor dining options and having special nights in where we make something new. Everyday that passes is one less day it will just be the 2 of us. As excited I am for D to arrive, I will also miss romantic nights out that dont require planning. We were even lucky enough to sneak in a mini babymoon at Salish Lodge for a long weekend, eating breakfast in bed and cuddling up together in silence.
I’m sure everyone has different things that helped them through the ups and downs during Pregnancy. Hit me up in the comments and share what your self-care musts are.
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