WOO HOO!! Congratulations! You’re officially a Mama-To-Be!! Perhaps shock still has complete control of your mind, but these tips will come in handy at some point, even if you just read them for a laugh. Or, perhaps you’ve dreamed about this moment your entire life and cannot wait for every single moment. . . (ya freak! Just kidding, a little bit.) Your body is about to be put through the ringer and the saying “Your Whole Life Is About To Completely Change” is the understatement of the year, or decade for that matter. Keep in mind, every single person is different. Therefore, every single pregnancy will be different, as will every single child be different or special, precious & unique. More misadventures and let the games begin!
Here are MY Personal Surviving Pregnancy Tips (or at least 10 of them) . . .
- Know that you’re NOT crazy. Your hormones will try to tell you otherwise. (I feel this tip is appropriate through your entire pregnancy, along with more stages of “mamas life”).
- I never realized it until the end of my pregnancy, but it absolutely takes talent to sneeze without peeing a little.
- Get Sleep. No, really, get sleep. You may be thinking who can get sleep with all of this going on in my body. Trust me, everyone told me this before our first child, but no doubt, I TRULY miss sleep now that I’m a parent. There will be so much more going on once your new little bundle of joy arrives. Invest in a body pillow. I LOVE mine and it makes all the difference!!
- Again, everyone’s different, but most women at some point during their pregnancy will have cravings. We’ve all heard some of the crazy cravings of peanut butter and pickles, etc. Unless the Doc tells you to avoid certain foods, I say indulge a little! The key is within moderation. You don’t want to make yourself sick or cause any harm to you or the baby, but Treat Yourself! Love Yourself & Enjoy!
- Water will be both your enemy and best friend. Water, water, water! My goal is always 100 oz of water daily whether pregnant or not. It cleanses your body of unwanted toxins, keeps you glowing, regulates you and believe it or not is a natural mood booster. However, especially in the later months, beware of the constant trips to the bathroom. Have an escape route planned wherever you go! Bonus: A little lemon added to your water can reduce swelling.
- Stay active. Definitely don’t kill yourself. Actually swimming or walking with light stretching can be amazing for you. Though towards the end of your pregnancy, shaving your legs and tying your shoes will start to feel like full on Olympics.
- Don’t procrastinate too much. Our first baby arrived a month early and I remember thinking, “But wait! I don’t have my checklist complete!”. Guess what! The baby didn’t wait for my checklist to be complete. So, pack early. Have an early Baby Shower. (There’s NO rule that states you have to have your baby shower the last month of your pregnancy. Hey, I had mine at 6 months and I was tired afterwards. Have it early so you can actually enjoy it!)
- Pregnancy Brain is legit! You may have graduated with honors and a 4.08 GPA (or not), but while you are pregnant, you will never have felt so dumb. It’s all part of the fun!
- You are a Super Hero! Yes, you may feel exhausted, often feel completely nutty, have to pee constantly and are always hungry. . . but you are growing a tiny human. Doesn’t get any more Super than that!
- Most importantly, whether you’re ready or not, they send you home with a beautiful, tiny human. You’ve got this. You’re not alone. You’re never given more than you can handle. Although there may be many moments, day and night, you may have the ‘WTF am I doing’ thoughts. You’re not alone.
Definitely an incomplete list, but a some helpful tips to keep it together. Congratulations Mama!
