Pregnancy Health Hacks

Pregnancy is a weird and wonderful mix of excitement, magic, exhaustion, discomfort and a lot of the time puke. Ive been lucky to have experienced two pretty good pregnancies in comparison to how hard some women find it. I have however suffered from the exhaustion, morning sickness (all day sickness as it should be called!), extreme aversions (I lived on plain potatoes and pasta for the first three months), low mood to the point you wonder if prepartum depression is a thing? And the general discomfort that come with growing a human. There have been a few things that have been saviours along the way and tips I picked up from others mothers and the amazing midwifes I’ve met along the way.

For morning sickness – Apple Cider Vinegar
This might seem like a weird one but I picked up this tip at one of the pregnancy yoga classes and it actually work wonders! Morning sickness occurs due to the change in ph of our stomach acid due to all the crazy hormones, apple cider vinegar works to neutralise the acid returning it to its normal phd level and thus lessoning the horrible sickly feeling. Braggs with the mother is the one I always went for, I loved it diluted in hot water and would drink 2-3 cups of dilutions a day, you can add honey or fruit juice to sweeten it up. For me I loved the tart taste.

For sleep and restless legs- Magnesium oil, lavender oil, Breastfeeding pillow
Sleeping when pregnant is hard, for me as soon as I fall pregnant I’m up at least 3-4 times a night. The hormones affect your bladder from the get go, your uncomfortable (even before bump) and I get a serious case of restless legs.
Restless legs is an actually syndrome, which I was glad to find out and after much research have found the best cure is magnesium oil. Rub it onto your legs before bed and within 2 mins the restless sensation is gone!
Other things that help me get a good nights rest making my bed & room as comfortable as possible, lavender in the oil burner as I get ready for bed, fresh sheets and as many pillows as needed to get comfy, I have always gotten great use out of my breastfeeding pillow during pregnancy, so invest in one early on, its worth it.

Extreme food aversion – Eat what you can and don’t feel bad about it
I was lucky that with both my pregnancies my food aversions dissipate after the 4 month mark but up to that point its torture. Every smell would make me feel sick, the smell of cooking especially to the point where all I could eat was bland food for 3 months. I still tried to eat semi healthy, in that I knew the good foods I could eat and so would eat them on repeat, for me it was oranges, tomatoes, plain rice, plain toast, plain potatoes, plain porridge and tinned soup, not the best but hey it kept me going and trying to eat anything else was just going to resort in my throwing up so I rolled with it.
Supplement with a good multivitamin, most of the the nutrition your baby needs early on can be drawn from your nutrient stores, thats why pre pregnancy nutrition is so important.

For stretch marks – Almond oil
I remember being told this by one of my friends moms when I was like 7 years old, she had zero stretch marks after 3 kids and I asked how? She told me Almond oil and for some reason I remembered it and used for my first pregnancy, resulting in…..zero stretch marks! (bearing in mind I also cary small). But I love Almond oil as its pure, much cheaper that any processed product on market and the ritual of using Almond oil on the bump morning and night for 9 months is so soothing.

For general discomfort & health – keep moving, drink water, avoid salt, eat healthy
This is probably one of the biggest categories and more allies to the second and third trimester, as if your like me the first trimester will involve survival mode – sleeping and eating popcorn on the couch. But yes to feel good during pregnancy you need to try and stay healthy, you feel so much better if you keep up old positive health routines and pick up a few new ones along the way. Pregnancy is a great time to invest in yourself and spoil your self with health.
For me walking and yoga are the two major ways I keep fit during pregnancy, I love walking as I can incorporate it easily into my day, when at work I do the 40mins walk instead of getting the bus, when I’m with Iza we walk everywhere, she’s happy in the buggy and I’m happy to have a happy toddler. On the days when I have time (ie a child minder) I fit in some yoga, if your a beginner get your self to a pregnancy yoga class, not only will it keep you fit but will prepare you mentally for birth.
Another huge part of feeling good when pregnant is what we ingest, drinking 2-3 litres of water a day, avoiding salt and eating healthy (ie limit processed foods/eating out is a great place to start), helps to not only fuel your body & baby but helps keep pregnancy related illness at bay, such as water retention, gestational diabetes, excess weight gain & high blood pressure. Its so worth it to invest time and energy in your diet when pregnant, you’ll be so much more comfortable, have energy and be more likely to have an intervention free birth.

Hope some of these tips are helpful but remember you know your body and your baby, get tips, try them out but ultimately do what feels right for you. Pregnancy can be hard but it can also be empowering and magical we just have to put more energy into the positives.

Char
xx

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