Self Care in Pregnancy

 

Self Care for you and your baby during pregnancy..

 

Self Care is so important because there are so many changes happen during pregnancy and sometimes it is difficult to stay on top of them. You will need to adapt to all of them (nutritional, emotional and physical) and it can be overwhelming.

In this blog I will write a few tips to help you maintain a healthy lifestyle and focus on self-care.

All of the following points I have learned from 2 very experienced Australian chiropractors who have been into family chiropractic for a long time, specialising in mums and babies, they have put all of their knowledge together and have written an amazing book called Well Adjusted Babies (Barham-Floreani, J. DR).

 

Your Emotions..

  • Ask yourselves: “ how does our life need to change to prioritize our baby?” What activities can you add to your work day to nurture yourself? What can you remove? What about your weekends, what could you add that is nurturing and let you focus on your baby? What could you remove that would give you more time for self-care?
  • Plan a PRE-BABY HOLIDAY, just YOU & YOUR PARTNER at around 30 weeks pregnant: this will allow you and your partner to reconnect and to reflect on your relationship amongst all of the pregnancy stresses . It will get you ready to tackle this new adventure together.
  • Reduce you stress. This is not only for you but especially for your baby’s health. Babies are very sensitive to stress hormones so try different techniques such as meditation. Visualize your plan for the upcoming months, know when you want to stop working and stick to your guns!

 

Your Physical Health..

  • Minimise morning sickness: eat more and smaller snacks throughout the day to prevent your blood sugar levels from plummeting. Have naps when possible, increase your sleeping hours. Fresh ginger tea, Vitamin B6 and certain tissue salts can also help.
  • Get checked by a chiropractor. Having your spine checked ensures that your pelvis is sitting correctly allowing space for your baby to grow and move.
  • Check your posture. Avoid standing leaning forwards with your hands on your hips. Stand with your feet planted shoulder width apart. Don’t lock your knees and relax your shoulders. Imagine someone pulling you up towards the sky grabbing your hair. see our blog on posture for more information..
  • Don’t constrain your belly, let it relax and give your baby some space to move.
  • Exercise regularly: this will allow you to have better sleep, mood, stress and energy and many other birth related benefits.

 

Your Nutrition..

When it comes to nutrition it is so important to keep on top of your vitamins and nutrients, there are way too many to talk about here but if anyone wants to know about general indications for pregnancy get in touch.

One other very important thing though, is understanding how important it is to prioritize ORGANIC. As you can imagine your baby is incredibly sensitive to toxins. Our supermarket shelf produce nowadays is full of them (antibiotics, pesticides, genetically modified organisms etc.) Some people might think that their baby will be fine without, as when growing up themselves, not much attention was ever given to organic food. The truth is that the amounts of these toxins used today are not even comparable to a few years ago. Don’t get me wrong I’m not saying to go all organic as I know it can be pretty expensive, but choosing at least a selection of your shopping to be organic, will already make a difference.

Thank you for reading!

There are so many other little points I could make in this blog but it would probably turn out being as long as a book, if you would like to know more please get in touch with me and I can have a chat with you or introduce you to the amazing book containing all sorts of pregnancy and baby information written by Dr Jennifer Barham-Floreani.

 

 

 

Dr, Sarah DC

References:

 

References:

  1. Barham-Floreani J. Well adjusted babies. 2nd edition, Well Adjusted (pg. 173-182)
  2. Clapp JF 3rd. Disckstein S. Endurance Exercise and Pregnancy Outcome. Med Sci Sports Exercise. 1984;16:556-562
  3. Henderson I, MD. American Medical Association records released in 1987 during trial in U.S. District Court Northern Illinois Eastern Division, No. 76C 3777. May, 1987
  4. McMullen M. Spinal Stabilisation and Exercises for the Child Bearing Year. JCCP. 1998;3(1).