While it can be an incredibly exciting time, pregnancy and early motherhood can also be a time of high anxiety. Staying strong and healthy both physically and emotionally can help control stress and allow you to better enjoy this special time.
Staying Fit
Maintaining a certain level of fitness throughout your pregnancy is essential for keeping your body, your baby and your mind healthy.
Both American College of Sports Medicine and American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, ACOG, support normal healthy pregnant women continuing with their established exercise programs throughout their pregnancies. Those who have not established an exercise program prior to pregnancy but would like to begin one will need to consult with their physician first and then proceed slowly.
Be mindful that while you may not see many outside observable changes during your first trimester, there are major physiological changes happening within. As a result, fatigue may occur earlier in your exercise routine than you are used to. Pay attention and listen to your body.
Overheating is often a concern during exercise. Surprisingly, fit pregnant women are able to regulate their body temperature more efficiently than sedentary people. That being said, staying hydrated, working out at cooler times of the day and making sure your exercise environment is well ventilated are all vital elements for productive and mindful workouts.
Of special note: the added weight that occurs around the abdomen in the second and third trimesters can actually alter your posture, as well as your center of gravity. That extra 25 to 30 pounds can cause increased strain your back, as well as your abdominal muscles. Exercise programs requiring balance and agility may be more challenging at this time. A great alternative at this point in your pregnancy can be exercise routines developed for practice in the pool.
In addition to the physical benefits exercise provides, Katie, a local mother of four, says her determination to stick with it paid off. “Even though I felt like I could barely move near the end of my pregnancy, I made sure I exercised for my physical and mental health. It gave me a lot of confidence in my body for the delivery and the recovery.”
After your delivery, the ACOG states it is okay to gradually resume exercise as soon as you feel up to it. However, your doctor or midwife will likely want you to wait until your postpartum checkup. If you delivered via C-section, you will need to wait until you are fully recovered and cleared by your physician to resume or begin any exercise regime. Once your doctor has cleared you, find programs that feel easy for you and build from there. Consistency will be more important than intensity. The feeling of accomplishment from a ten-minute walk will go much farther than experiencing frustration after attempting a more difficult endeavor and falling short. Don’t underestimate the stress on your physical and emotional self from your own body repairing itself, your lack of sleep, relatives and friends and an unpredictable schedule, to name a few things. Start off simple, listen to your body, give yourself emotional boosts and celebrate the small successes.
Setting Boundaries
Your life is about to change. Once the news is out that you have gone into labor or brought the baby home, the onslaught of well-intentioned family and friends usually ensues. While their interest and desire to be involved is appreciated, it can be overwhelming and intrusive if clear boundaries are not established. This can be handled in a simple conversation prior to you going into labor so everyone is on the same page about what is expected just after the baby is born. Unfortunately, setting boundaries is easily overlooked in the excitement of an impending birth. Having that simple conversation with friends and family will help you avoid any unnecessary stress, misunderstandings, hurt feelings or possible resentment later on and help make future visits the wonderful experiences they are intended to be.
While their interest and desire to be involved is appreciated, it can be overwhelming and intrusive if clear boundaries are not established.
If you start the dialogue early, you will also have the opportunity to ask friends and family how they would like to be involved and expectations they may have. Friends may want to just drop in with a meal or hold the baby, while others (such as grandparents) may want to be there for an extended time. Understanding the differences can help you optimize their wishes while meeting your needs.
Your wishes on things like diet, discipline, hygiene, experiencing baby’s firsts, drop-in visits, who is in the delivery room, etc. should be addressed so everyone important to you has a clear understanding of your intentions going forward. Something simple like designating certain days or times for family and friend visits can provide the space you will need for the private, quiet bonding moments between you and your baby, as it lessens feelings of guilt you may have about leaving anyone out.
Self Care
An area often overlooked for new moms as well as veteran moms, is self-care. Once the baby comes into the world and the demands of nurturing this new life begin, the nurturing of you as an individual can easily be lost in the frenzy.
Donna, a local mother of two shares, “One of the best pieces of advice I received was to stay on one floor for the first two weeks after the baby was born. Even going up and down stairs is a big strain on the body. This advice made me remember to rest and that my body needed to heal. Sharing this with my family helped make them more cognizant of my own health and not just the baby.”
Self-care is less about a day at the spa and more about daily rituals and actions that support you physically and emotionally. There is not only a new life in your world and home, but you are evolving into a new person with new roles. Trying to be everything to everyone while ignoring your own physical and emotional needs is not at all practical in the scheme of things and will eventually exact a toll.
“One of the best pieces of advice I received was to stay on one floor for the first two weeks after the baby was born. Even going up and down stairs is a big strain on the body.”
Decide what you need, whether it is time with friends, time outdoors, exercise time or quiet, alone time and schedule that time into your plans. Even if it is a few hours once a week, it is an important habit to start.
Introducing self-nurturing rituals into daily life is a simple way to start. Discover inspirational practices such as this one from the book Shortcuts to Inner Peace by Ashley Davis Bush: before getting out of bed place one hand on your heart and one on your belly. Take a minute to breathe deeply into your belly and visualize the light of love filling your inner core. As you breathe in, silently say to yourself, “I am loved.” As you breathe out say, ”I love.” Let that resonate and then begin your day. Take a minute periodically during the day to take eight to ten slow breaths inhaling through your nose. Deep diaphragmatic breaths can lower stress, calm the body and help contribute to a better sense of well-being.
Joining a mother’s support group and staying connected with friends and family is also a vital part of self-care. Social interaction and creating a support community is important in maintaining your own identity. One important key to remember is that babies don’t need all the latest gadgets or lots of “stuff.” What is most important is love, touch, food, sleep and doctor visits. Taking the steps toward maintaining your own physical health, setting boundaries with family and friends, and setting up simple routines for self care are all pieces that contribute to giving your baby what she truly needs—a healthy, happy, focused mom.
