My Tips for a Healthy Pregnancy
As I write this I am currently 10 days away from my due date and I am a big ball of emotions. My family and friends feel like the past 9 months have “flown by”, yet for me it is a tad more complicated than that. A friend of mine put it perfectly when she said, “the days go by so slow but the weeks and months go super fast”. That is exactly how I feel. There are many days, especially now, where I feel as if I have been pregnant forever! Then I have moments where I am like I could have a baby in my arms…tomorrow. Crazy!
Before I go further, I do want to be clear I didn’t love pregnancy but I also didn’t hate it. I talk a little bit about my struggles in this previous post. However for as much as I complain, I have had such a healthy pregnancy (so far). You can contribute this to pure luck, genes, or the fact that I am under the ago of 30 (until Saturday anyways). I think each of those things may play a role, but the biggest factor is how I continued to take care of myself. When you are pregnant this simple task can really be a constant struggle because everything gets harder. Simply walking up stairs is a breathless task in itself!
Below, I put together a list of how I got through the past 9 months fairly unscathed and what has helped me stay healthy.
If you have any tips on how you or someone you know well stayed healthy during their pregnancy please feel free to share in he comment section!
Tips to a healthy pregnancy:
Before you even get pregnant make sure you are healthy and in good shape. Pregnancy is so much easier when you are healthy and in control of your body. It will be better for you and for the baby. I have also heard it helps with delivery…stay tuned!
Stay active! Now there are exceptions especially in your 1st trimester where you may be struggling with morning sickness, headaches or a feel like you’re perpetually hungover (this was me). But by week 13-14 you should start having more energy and feeling more “normal”. Take advantage of this- go to the gym, go for walks, and do things with your friends and family. Even in your third trimester when you can barely more, force yourself to have at least a couple hours of activity a day. This will help give you energy too.
Exercise regularly. This coincides with the staying active category but it pertains more to the type of exercise I did. I work out 5-6 days a week with a mix of cardio and strength training.
Strength training- I do this at least 3x a week. if you were lifting weights before pregnancy chances are your doctor will give you the ok and even encourage you to continue. This is what helps retain muscle, burn fat and keep your resting metabolic rate high which helps you burn fat while sitting on your couch! It can also help with childbirth and recovery. The more in shape you are the easier it is to get back to you pre-pregnancy body. Our pregnant bodies actually are prone to muscle loss, which is why it is so important to keep with strength training.
Cardio- I work out a gym that is big on high intensity cardio and I wouldn’t have it any other way! It is the best type of fat burn you can get. Yes, it is harder and I need to take more breaks but I do it. You can too.I also incorporate a long walk usually on my off days. If you aren’t into high intensity then walk or run. I had to give up running at week 14 due my constant urge to pee!
Don’t overdo the carbs. Try to stay away from bread, pasta and rice and limit it to 1-2 days a week. I start my day with gluten-free rolled oats, 1 tbsp peanut butter and fruit.
Snack healthy. I have totally upped my snack game since I’ve been pregnant, but I try to snack smart. I am a huge fan of Skinny Pop and Halo ice cream. These two items alone have gotten me through the past 9 months.
Eat lots of greens, veggies and healthy fats. Most of the week for dinner I eat what I post on the blog! I usually always have a protein and some type of veggie. Sometimes there will be a carb like sweet potato fries. Yum. And for lunch, I still stick with a salad.
Drink lots of water. No soda. No juice. I drink so much freaking water that I practically live in the bathroom, but it is so good for me and for the baby. Sodas and juices just contain unnecessary sugar. Besides wouldn’t you rather save those calories on a donut? Just saying.
Relax & INDULGE. Give into those cravings. I have for sure! Life is too short and how many times do you plan on being pregnant? I only plan on doing this one more time, so I may as well enjoy eating. This is the time where you can relax a little bit with your diet. Have that little treat at night. I have had my fair share of cookies, donuts and real ice cream (not Halo) this pregnancy. I have baked cookies at least once a week for the past 4 months! And I have eaten more donuts in the past 9 months than I have in the past 9 years. I eat pasta and bread at least once or twice a week now. For me, this is huge. I would say my “cheat meals” have increased from 1-2 a week to at least 4 times a week. Even my daily meal planning is way more lax than pre pregnancy Angelica. I may be sober, but I am definitely you’re girl if you want to get a donut or a cookie sundae…
Bottom-line: The biggest key for me was staying balanced. I keep working out because it gives me energy, boosts my endorphins, maintains my sanity and helps me to stay in shape. I indulge frequently but try to not overdo it to the point where it can get unhealthy for me and for my baby. I listen to my body and let it tell me what it needs. If I don’t feel like working out then I stay home or go for a walk instead. If I am tired, I nap. This was hard for me to do because I like to be so in control all time (talk about that here), but I have learned to let go. My body is growing a tiny human. It is amazing and all I can do is sit back, relax and patiently wait to meet my baby girl.
