From the moment you come to know that you are expecting, your life changes. Lots of thoughts and changes surround you like mood swings, bodily changes, trouble sleeping, anxiety, and worries about the baby, relationship, finances, and many more. On one end, it’s a very beautiful phase of a woman’s life whereas on the other end it’s also a very nervous one too. Keeping yourself happy and calm during this phase is very important so that you can easily cope up with these changes. Let’s deal with these aches of pregnancy by making some little changes and make yourself happy during this special phase. Following are some tips to keep yourself happy during pregnancy:
TAKE OUT TIME FOR YOURSELF: As women keep on doing things for others, now is the perfect time to slow down a bit and think about yourself. Give yourself some time, pamper yourself, and do stuff that makes you feel good. You can enjoy a massage, spas, pedicure, shopping, warm bath, listening to music, reading books, and many more to relax yourself. You can also take out some time to connect with your baby by talking and singing, which gives you happiness every single day.
EAT HEALTHY: Due to hormonal and physical changes during pregnancy, you start to feel fatigue and less energetic as time passes. A healthy and well-balanced diet plays a very important role at this time. It will make you feel energetic, gives you a healthy pregnancy, and makes you feel happy. By taking proper nutrients your body can easily deal with those changes. Your diet also impacts your thinking to a great extent. So a healthy diet makes way for a healthy mind.
EMBRACE YOUR CHANGING BODY: There is a drastic change in your body during pregnancy. Don’t get stressed out with your weight gain, stretch marks, swelling, rashes, and acne. These all are temporary. Just remember that you are creating a new life, so just embrace these changes and time period. Don’t compare yourself with anyone as everyone’s body behaves differently during pregnancy. I know that you don’t have control on how your body changes during this time, but you have control over how you feel and react to those changes. The more you accept and embrace these changes, the more you will feel good and happy.
TAKE PROPER REST: During pregnancy many women feel exhausted and tired, which directly affects their immune system and mood. As sleeplessness increases anxiety, anger, frustration, and sadness, so to relax and taking proper rest should be your priority during pregnancy. Proper sleep helps to regulate your hormones and hence affects your baby’s development. For so many reasons, it’s very essential to take proper good night sleep and small naps during the day whenever you need to.
EXERCISE OR PRACTICE YOGA: As exercise helps to release endorphins which make you feel relaxed and happy. So a little exercise is recommended during pregnancy, as it not only uplifts your mood but also helps to reduce feelings of pain and improve your sleep cycle. For that you don’t need to do any heavy exercise or go to the gym, all you need is some light exercise like brisk walking, or some yoga poses. Just 30 minutes a day and you are sorted. You should consult with your doctor about the exercise and yoga poses that you can do during pregnancy.
MEDITATION: We all know that meditation has enormous benefits for our physical, mental, and emotional health. It helps to relax, improve sleep, gives you a positive outlook, makes you feel strong and energetic. By all these reasons, meditation makes your pregnancy happier. Just practice it for about 15-20 minutes a day and you will feel the difference in your mood and the way you think.
DON’T OVERTHINK: During pregnancy, lots of thoughts like how the delivery is going to happen, whether this will be a normal delivery or surgical, what if I’m not able get back to my shape after delivery, whether I’ll be able to be a good mom etc etc go through your mind and these thoughts and questions make you stress and you become nervous. Whenever you feel its getting a bit overwhelming, just stop there, take a moment and focus on the moment and visualize that you are carrying a beautiful baby in your arms. Don’t expect too much, be flexible with the changes, live in the moment, and enjoy this beautiful phase of your life Don’t overthink and get yourself stressed about what is going to happen, just accept the way it is and enjoy every moment of this phase.
TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR: If you have any questions, worries or doubts about your health, baby’s development and labor period, don’t hesitate or start assuming yourself by taking advice from others or by surfing it in google. Talk to your doctor and clear your doubts. By having a clear picture from your doctor, you will feel relaxed and happy.
GET A MASSAGE: Prenatal massage is very relaxing for your aches, back stiffness and swellings. Massage imparts relaxation by improving blood circulation. This is really helpful during the third trimester. Make sure to get your massage done by some professional/massage therapist.
LET YOUR LOVED ONE’S PAMPER YOU: During this special phase, let your loved-one/partner pamper you. Allow your partner to take care of you and do things together that you love the most. These little gestures, care, and support from his side will make you happy. His support means a lot during this phase.
JOIN A GROUP OR FORUM: You can join different pregnancy groups and read their experiences during pregnancy and share yours. This way you can get informed about the changes or experiences that every pregnant women goes through, so take their advice, and make new friends, it will make you feel lighter. Make sure the group you join should have good and authentic info rather than myths or false info. Also, by feeling part of a community, you wont feel alone in this journey.
EXPRESS YOURSELF: Spend time with the people you love and express what you are feeling during this phase. This will make you feel lighter and happier. You can also reconnect with your parents as how they went through this phase. Don’t try to suppress your feelings as this will make you more grumpy. Just express the way it is. Sometimes you get relaxed just by expressing or sharing.
WRITE IT DOWN: Many women write a journal or diary to express their feelings, emotions, and their whole journey of pregnancy. It’s also one of the great ways to vent out your emotions, which put you in a happy state of mind. Some write notes, while others make vlogs. Even after so many years, these memories (like the first kick, baby shower etc.) will definitely put a huge smile on your face.
Staying happy during your pregnancy is very important but a little challenging as well. Try to make some changes in your lifestyle and positive mindset to make your pregnancy period lighter and happier. And you’ll never get this much free time once the baby is born, as you get more responsibilities. So just enjoy this phase and do more of what you like the most. Remember that all these changes are temporary and will be gone once the baby is born. Just imagine yourself carrying your cute little baby in your arms. This feeling simply subsides everything. Motherhood is a beautiful experience, hope this article will help you make your pregnancy happier.