This is not going to be the article that tells you to eat your veggies, stay hydrated, exercise and go for long walks. Although you should really do all of those things — pregnant or not! This is my advice as a mother of two and longtime editor in the early parenting world.
By Sandy Pedrogao
1) Sleep
You’re creating life! You need sleep and lots of it. It’s so important to listen to your body and when your body tells you that it needs a little rest, it’s time to have a nap. Don’t fight it; it’s good for you.
2) Don’t Stress
This is the time in your life to really take it easy. Take time for yourself, stop and smell the roses. You won’t ever have this moment again. This moment is unique to you and your baby. Take up meditation. Be in tune with your body, mind and soul. Join a prenatal yoga class and do your best to relax no matter what life throws at you.
3) Take Pictures
This is one thing that most of us don’t do enough of. It’s really a beautiful thing to be able to look back at your pregnancy through pictures. Take photos of your bump, your face, your partner, your home. It’s a great way to document your life and to be able to feed nostalgia in later years. Little ones love to look at pictures of mommy when they were in her belly.
4) Keep a Journal
This is one that not everyone gets excited about. But it’s amazing at how quickly we forget things, especially when we have babies to take care of. This doesn’t have to be a fancy, pregnancy journal — although those are great and easy to fill out. It can just be a notebook that you can make a point of writing in as often as you like or at a minimum of once a week. It will come in handy during subsequent pregnancies to compare and to see how you were feeling during different stages of gestation.
5) Shop!
No matter what your budget is, buy yourself at least one great maternity outfit. An outfit from head to toe that makes you feel and look great. This way you’ll have something fabulous to wear on the days when you feel awful and don’t want to get out of bed or the times when you get a last minute dinner invite. It’s true that when we look good, we feel better.
There are many other things you should do during your pregnancy. Moisturize, socialize, and take your vitamins! The list goes on, but my objective is to tell you to take care of yourself. Pretty soon you’ll have another life to take care of. It’s so important to enjoy, love and nurture yourself first. It’ll make you a better mom. Trust me.
Sandy Pedrogao is the editor and co-founder of Oh Baby! Magazine and www.ohbabymagazine.com. She is also the co-producer of The Baby Show, Ottawa’s largest early parenting show. When she’s not running her business and parenting her two children as best she can, she can usually be found enjoying real life or online conversation.
Photo: depositphotos.com © michaeljung