Swollen ankles, stretch marks, indigestion, and constipation phew! Pregnancy can come with a lot of annoying symptoms. It’s also a time of intense joy and excitement. You feel those little arms and legs kicking away in your belly and can’t help but smile. As a mom, you want what’s best for your family, that’s why I’m sharing five holistic tips for a healthy pregnancy.
I remember my pregnancies were a time of honoring my body and being amazed at the miracle that grew inside me. I’m sure you can relate. The way your body changes over nine months is amazing!
Do you know what else is amazing? The way so many women feel like when they are pregnant their health is in the hands of the doctors. Dear Momma, you do not have to relinquish your health and your health choices just because you are pregnant!
You are very much still large and in charge (literally)! That’s why I love the holistic approach, it puts health back in your hands.
What is a Holistic Approach?
The holistic approach to health means looking at the entire person. That includes your physical, emotional, social, and spiritual well-being. With a holistic approach, the idea is that we are looking at your wellness, not just your illness.
This goes perfectly with pregnancy because when you are pregnant you certainly don’t have an illness. Although, it might feel like it during that first trimester. You do, however, have a condition that requires a deeper look at your overall wellness.
Pre-Conception Planning and To-Do’s
The baby’s first home is the womb so the healthier the mother, the healthier the baby. In fact, research shows that the mother’s diet during pregnancy can actually impact the baby’s cognitive development. It’s important to be aware of that during pregnancy, but also to prepare ahead of time by instilling good health habits into your routine.
Start Exercising
During most stages of pregnancy, the doctors will tell you that you can “do what you’ve been doing.” That’s great advice…if you’ve been working out. If you are planning to conceive, start exercising now. It will help you be more active, experience less fatigue, and continue in an exercise regimen that will support you during pregnancy and labor.
Take Supplements
Another important part of planning for a baby is taking supplements. Most birth defects occur in the first few weeks after conception. This is the time that you may not even know you are pregnant yet! That’s why it’s critical to be taking prenatal vitamins before you conceive. I also recommend probiotics to ensure you have healthy intestinal and mucosal flora.
Identify Food Sensitivities
When you are pregnant you share a blood supply with the baby. That means an immune reaction during pregnancy could affect the baby. Immune reactions to gluten and other foods may create inflammation in the mother, which will pass through the baby, and may even create similar immune reactions in the child as he/she develops. Identify food sensitivities before you conceive to ensure this doesn’t happen!
RELATED: PREGNANCY: OPTIMIZING HEALTH WITH DIET
How to Have a Healthy Pregnancy
Now, you’re probably wondering how to have a healthy pregnancy. Let’s get into my five holistic tips for a healthy pregnancy!
Consider the 80-20 Rule
When talking about health, the 80-20 rule is about exercising and eating healthy 80% of the time and then relaxing for the remaining 20% of the time. This approach helps you to avoid the tendency to “deprive” yourself of the little pleasures in life. For example, you can plan to cook healthy meals at home but when you go out to dinner or eat with a friend you can indulge in what you otherwise wouldn’t.
It’s all about finding balance and will especially help you during that first trimester! Aim to eat healthy, whole foods most of the time, but if you can’t stomach it then eat what you can.
Listen To Your Body
Seek a more intuitive approach with how you look at and listen to your body. You may be used to pushing through fatigue pre-pregnancy, but now that you’re pregnant you should probably take it as a warning sign to slow down.
Seek a more intuitive approach with how you look at and listen to your body. You may be used to pushing through fatigue pre-pregnancy, but now that you’re pregnant you should probably take it as a warning sign to slow down.
Maintain Your Fitness (Don’t Build)
Pregnancy is a time to honor your body and its work to create a new human! It is not the time to be worried about building muscle. While you can and certainly should work out during pregnancy, don’t worry about lifting heavy weights!
You will likely need to modify a lot of the exercises you once did. These include things like substituting high-impact versions for low-impact and choosing exercises that don’t require you to directly lie on your back during the later stages of pregnancy.
Consider the Root Causes
The holistic approach is about looking at more than just diet and exercise. It’s about looking at the needs of your body as a whole. There are six areas of health that you should look at to determine the “root cause” of whatever your symptom may be.
- Exercise
- Nutrition
- Stress
- Sleep
- Thoughts
- Relationships
A great example of this could be if you’ve been experiencing excessive sugar cravings. Rather than avoid all sugary foods, look at the root cause. You could have an imbalance of satiation hormones due to a lack of sleep. Once you focus on better sleep your hormones will calm down and so will your cravings.
Plan Ahead For Baby’s Arrival
Planning for the baby’s arrival is a great way to holistically prepare during pregnancy. Try and look past just the labor and delivery aspect of things. The unpredictability of motherhood will certainly require you to be flexible (trust me, I’ve got six kids, I should know). Still, there are things you can do to prepare mentally and relationally.
- Set boundaries with family members
- Write specific actionable things people can do to help
- Read up on vaccines
- Prepare for the postpartum period
Work With A Holistic Health Coach
Ready to have a healthy pregnancy? I would love to come alongside you on this new and exciting healthy journey!
If you’re interested in more holistic tips for a healthy pregnancy reach out to me via my contact page!
Mandy Patterson
