In collaboration with Aptaclub.
Being pregnant, whether it’s your first, second or many more along is an exciting time for everyone involved. Welcoming a new baby into your family is a big deal and the journey to get there can be a stressful and tiring one. Looking after yourself during your pregnancy and preparing yourself for birth both physically and just as importantly, mentally, can feel overwhelming. There is so much to think about, it can be difficult to know which way to turn, which can make some stages of your pregnancy feel like a struggle.
Now that I’m in my third trimester with my second baby (I know, it’s gone so fast!) despite the common symptoms of nausea, tiredness, and heartburn that I’ve been experiencing so far I’ve really been enjoying this pregnancy. It’s been totally different from my first with Aiden and I’ve learned a lot about myself along the way, especially on what makes me thrive during pregnancy and what doesn’t work for me. There have been some key aspects of this pregnancy that have really helped it be a positive and happy time for me and us a family so far that I thought I would share them with you all.
Have Faith in Your Body
I can remember, before I got pregnant with Aiden, being so fearful about labour and what’s involved. However, the more I educated myself on the subject with books, classes and speaking to family and friends the less scared I became and the more I began to trust my body to see me through. Obviously, I wasn’t the first woman to ever give birth, which put things massively into perspective for me, billions of women have given birth before and got through it. Our bodies are geared up and equipped for this massive event, it’s in our DNA to give birth and acknowledging this really helped — and afterwards, pelvic health physiotherapists like Movement Laboratory treat conditions in women that are often under-addressed, in clinic settings designed to make those conversations easier.
So rather than feeling scared about going into labour I actually felt empowered knowing that my body knows exactly what it’s doing, which helped me to relax into it more and I think this definitely helped get me through to the end.
Don’t Feel That You Have To Have The Perfect Pregnancy
Firstly, perfect doesn’t exist so there is no point chasing it. I’ll be the first to say that I have had a “perfect” pregnancy, both times around. There is so much out there that I wanted to try because I felt that it’s what I should be doing to have the ideal pregnancy. However, there just isn’t the time to do it all and I’m still here and my baby is still thriving without doing everything I thought would make it perfect.
Try to Stay Active
Since I sit at a desk all day and work by myself at home, staying active is a priority for me to support my mental health, the physical side effects are just a bonus. Keeping up my fitness routine in some capacity was important to me during my first pregnancy and now during my second. I felt that it really helped prepare and strengthen my body for labour the first time around and I’m definitely feeling the benefits during this pregnancy too. Obviously, it’s important to talk to your midwife or doctor to ensure that your routine is safe for you and your baby, but if you’re given the all clear then you’re good to go!
Exercising during pregnancy can be a controversial topic for some and many have said that they were met with a chorus of disapproval when exercising, with 40% mentioning pressure being the main cause behind stopping any fitness. Also, nearly a third (29%) described themselves or their pregnant friends as feeling ‘ashamed or guilty’ as well as being fearful that they might hurt their unborn child. Due to this, Aptaclub created Active For 2, a campaign to educate pregnant women about the benefits of exercise and show them how to stay active safely during their pregnancy.
This free resource has a wealth of information, including video fitness guides that have been created by expert coaches, showing pregnant women what types of exercises they can do during each trimester. The exercises focus on running, yoga, swimming and strength training, so there is something for everyone.
Surround Yourself With A Village
One thing that I regret not doing during my first pregnancy is making the effort to make new friends. Our family and friends at the time were too far to simply pop round for a cup of tea or help take care of the baby, so like many in the same situation, we were pretty much alone.
Once I started going to baby classes, this is when I really felt the value of having a supportive group around me and I made a lovely group of mummy friends who I still see to this day. My friends really got me through that feeling of isolation that having a baby can bring and saved my sanity. We went out for coffee dates, shopping, walks in the park, playgroups, classes and even took a postnatal exercise class together – it was the best time!
It’s true what they say, it really does take a village to raise a baby and having a network of people around you that you can laugh and cry with is a total godsend.
Follow Your Bodies Hunger Cues & Cravings
If you’ve been following my Instagram, you will know that I’ve been constantly eating during my second pregnancy, seemingly more so than my first. I’ve been honouring any hunger cues, which notably helped soothe my nausea and sometimes meant eating smaller meals 6 or 7 times a day, especially in my first and second trimester. If this is what my body needed to do to grow a healthy and happy baby then so be it. I think it’s important not to feel guilty or over-pressurised about your food choices; it’s all about moderation and allowing yourself to honour your cravings to help support you and your baby through pregnancy.
Do What Feels Right For You
You can read all the books in the world and follow them to the letter, but we’re all different and some of the advice in said books may not suit our needs. This doesn’t mean that we’re a failure or we’ve done something wrong. It means that we’re humans who are a diverse bunch, which should be celebrated. For me, it’s really important to always nourish your body authentically and be true to yourself.
Make Some Time To Relax
Things are about to get really crazy with a new baby, and I’m expecting that life with two is going to be chaotic. When I can I’ve scheduled in some “me time” where I can relax and focus on myself before the baby arrives. It doesn’t have to be long, but when I take some time for myself I feel so much better and I’m making the most of it while I still can. I went for a lovely pregnancy massage the other week that was amazing, however, sitting reading a book can have the same calming effects.
Here are some ways that you can practice some self care in under 10 minutes if time isn’t your friend.
Have you had a happy and positive pregnancy? Why? Also, do you trust that your body knows what is best for you?
*Advertorial brought to you in association with Aptaclub, but all opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that allow me to do what I love, bringing you wellness content and recipes to help you find your version of balance.
Interesting way for a formula company to get around legislation that prevents them from advertising in the UK 🙁
As a fellow blogger, I understand that revenue streams are important, but I am a little disappointed in this partnership.
Hi Bibi, thanks for your comment. With both my pregnancies, I have experienced the huge physical and mental benefits of exercise. So many women are scared to exercise during pregnancy and I think a campaign that promotes a positive outlook on this topic and offers a way to support mother and baby safely is one that I’m happy to collaborate on. What people may not be aware of is that I actually turn down a lot of work (and money!) if the proposed project isn’t aligned with my ethos or blog. This campaign is something that I’m wholly passionate about and totally in line with the message that I’m trying to convey.
These sound like some great tips, it must be hard on your body and mind when you become pregnant as there are so many different changes going in within you and around you.
Oh yes definitely! It’s a huge thing for your body to go through, but I have found that mindful exercises can really help.
Thank you for these tips! I’m not pregnant but will keep these in mind for the ifs and whens!
Debs @ https://tiger-mint.com
My pleasure! Happy to hear that you found it insightful.
wow so much helpful information here! really helps put things into perspective
Thank you! 🙂
Thank you! 🙂
Lots of super valuable advice here. I think as soon as you become a Mother you lose most “me time” and immediately start feeling guilty for EVERYTHING! 😀
This is so true! But to be able to look after your baby you need to look after yourself too.
Awesome tips for pregnant moms especially those who are experiencing this for the first time! Such an exciting time in your life and you have to make sure you’re taking good care of yourself. I don’t think there’s such thing as a perfect pregnancy,being positive all the way can really help!
Not at all, nothing is perfect. It’s about finding what works best for you and your baby and being kind to yourself.
Great tips for a healthy and happy pregnancy. I wish you have a wonderful third trimester. Not long to go now!
Thank you so much! Not long at all…eek!
These are some great tips. It has been quite a while since I was pregnant – my son just graduated uni, haha – but it is so important to follow your bodies cues and do what feels right.
Oh wow! Congratulations to your son on his graduation. 🙂
These are great tips for any new mum to be or mums with young kids. I remember making friends at the baby and toddler groups and that helped a lot as we moved when our kids were very young too and we did not have that support system.
Having a network of friends who understand what you’re going through can be a light relief and so needed.
I have to admit that despite having gestational diabetes throughout three pregnancies, I sailed through them with no issues
That’s amazing! I hear that gestational diabetes can be awful!
Your post was so positive and encouraging! I don’t have children but I know even from now that I am very afraid of the labor. It’s interesting that reading books and learning about it makes you less afraid and more empowered.
Thank you! I think being scared of labour can make the experience even worse because you’re all tense. If you relax then it definitely helps the process.
I can not believe you’re almost at the finish line with baby #2, I am loving your advice in this post, very informative for all women wanting to be pregnant.
Me neither, ha! Thank you. 🙂
It’s very important to stay active during pregnancy as it helps strengthen the body. It’s also important to make time to relax although this can be hard if you already have children..
I found keeping active really helpful for my mental health too as well as during labour.
Great tips. I know a few mums who have found it difficult to eat much during their pregnancies without feeling sick, so I will definitely pass on your tip about eating maybe 6-7 smaller meals per day.
It can feel hard to eat, but obviously, it’s really important that you do. I found eating smaller regular meals really helpful early on.
I’d certainly agree with all this, especially ‘Do What Feels Right For You’ – learning to trust yourself and your decisions is really important for your body and piece of mind.
Great tips specially for the new moms. My cousin currently pregnant with her first baby. I will definitely pass on your tip to her hope so she will be benefited from here. Thanks for your insightful article.
I really enjoyed reading this. I’m 12+2 with baby number 1, conceived after a long campaign of IVF. For the first few weeks I was far too scared to do any of my usual exercise (I usually run 4 miles to work at least 3/4 times per week).
But in recent weeks, as things have got a bit more stable, I’ve really got into water aerobics – which is the only pregnancy-safe exercise i’ve found that replicates the burn of running! plus my feelings about swimming have transformed since buying an underwater MP3 player.
My midwife was really pleased with me for exercising 3/4 times per week when I saw her yesterday. She says too many pregnant women don’t exercise.
So – a roundabout way of saying good on you for promoting exercise in pregnancy! And I hope everything is going well with you in these last few weeks.