Month: September 2019

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I am writing this blog after reading a book that a friend-slash-aspiring-writer sent to me. As technically her “senior” in the field, she wanted me to be the first person to see it. Of course, I gladly accepted it and opened the book without even reading its description.

The story revolved around mafia romance. The heroine was forced to marry a cruel crime lord, and his mortal enemy saved her from him. After all their struggles, the villain died, and the main characters had a happy ending.

The book was entirely fictional, although the locations mentioned could genuinely serve as a house to mafias. It was not supposed to be relatable for me because I’m not even acquainted to a gang member. However, while reading, I felt the pain and happiness of the characters. I cried when they cried, I got mad when they were infuriated, and I felt content when the main characters found love. Simply put, the writer’s words managed to touch my soul.

Yes, reading good books does that to you. You may not foresee how lucky you are for having one in front of you, but it will occur to you soon when there are no more pages left. That is the therapeutic effect of reading that no amount of massages and medication can mirror. Holly Parker, PhD, wrote, “In a 2018 study, researchers reviewed experiments on the effect of reading fiction. They found that it modestly improves people’s capacity to understand and mentally react to other individuals and social situations. And by and large, that was after reading a single story.” 

If you are pregnant, reading is one of the hobbies that you can pick up as well. I know that violence-related books may not be the best ones to read at the moment, but there are a lot of parenting and self-help options that you can find. “Educate yourself,” suggests Alice Boyes, PhD. “What’s important will depend on your personality and needs. For example, if you’re an anxious overachiever you’ll need to learn skills tailored to that.”

Doing so will allow you to:

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Stress Less

Great authors have the power to pull you into a different world that they have created in their books. It is an effective trick to get away from the people or tasks that stress you out. Thus, instead of putting your baby in distress, you can crack your favorite book and read for as long as you need.

Improve Your Memory

Considering you are among the expectant mothers who experience brain fog, you may like to know that reading can improve your memory. When you do this activity, after all, it will be impossible for you not to remember at least a tiny portion of the book. And the more you read, the more your memory can function.

Find Inner Peace

A book can give you inner peace, especially if you get the ones that hold the answer to your worries. For instance, in case you know nothing about being a mother, you can read child-rearing books. If you are afraid of childbirth, you can read about that, too.

Bond With Your Unborn Child

Reading out loud is recommended when you are pregnant, too. At a particular stage, the baby in your womb will be able to hear you, so it will be excellent if you can read to them. It can serve as an early bonding moment between you and your unborn child.

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Final Thoughts

Reading is among the most valuable activities that you can try, dear momma. It can also feed your soul, which is something that not a lot of hobbies can do. Pick up a book that you are interested in to understand what I’m talking about. Hobbies such as reading are a huge deal, and according to Jaime L. Kurtz, PhD, “These activities are more than merely distracting. They remind you that that are many facets to your self-concept.”

Cheers!

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When I was pregnant with my first child, the things I could do were minimal. In the morning, I would walk around the house for 15 minutes before breakfast. That would serve as my exercise to keep my feet from swelling. After lunch, I would nap for an hour and then take a quick shower. Once dinnertime’s over, my husband and I would do a movie marathon at night and fall asleep that way. In short, life’s good for the momma.

During one of those lazy nights, I came across a not-so-old movie called Enchanted. It’s about a princess from a fairy tale who winded up in the real world (in New York, to be specific). She’s a very musical person, in the sense that she would always sing and sometimes even dance. The animals loved her as well. But what stuck with me while watching the movie was the lyrics, “How does she know you love her?”

I got that the song was about romantic love, but it still made me wonder how I could express my feelings for my unborn child. I heard that the babies in the womb could hear at a certain point, but it was not enough to show my love.

In case you are looking for a way to do the same, let me share to you the things I did.

Take Care Of Yourself

The ultimate expression of love towards your unborn son or daughter is taking care of yourself 24/7. After all, you are connected to your baby. Besides, it is your responsibility as a mother to carry them to full term to lessen the infant’s chances of developing congenital diseases.

Get Rid Of Stressors

Remember that your baby will feel every emotion that you will have. If you are happy, they may be dancing and kicking around in your belly. In case you always feel sad, though, the child will also be in distress. For this reason, you need to cut ties with the people or activities that stress you out.

Practice mindfulness during pregnancy. According to Kristen Scarlett, LMHC, “Practicing awareness around your thoughts and feelings is an important skill for anyone, not just expectant mothers. While meditation and mindfulness may not combat severe symptoms, learning to tune into your thoughts and feelings may help you cope.”

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Eat Healthily

“Our study suggests that expecting mothers can have major impact on the long-term metabolic health of their children by properly controlling nutrition during this critical developmental period of the offspring,” says Tamas Horvath, DVM, PhD, of the Yale University School of Medicine.

Sticking to healthy meals is another way to show your love for your son or daughter. As mentioned earlier, anything that you feel, your baby will feel, too. The same idea goes for the foods that you eat – whatever you ingest; they can taste as well. Considering you don’t want the unborn child to taste junk food yet and get no nutrition from it. Therefore, you need to eat healthily.  

Rest Some More

You can tell from the introduction how much rest I was getting when I was pregnant. After thinking about expressing my love for my baby, though, I made sure to feel more relaxed. In truth, I started doing meditation and pregnancy yoga. “Studies on the effects during pregnancy of the combination of yoga and tai chi, and yoga and massage therapy, have also revealed positive impacts on parents-to-be,” wrote Ann Diamond Weinstein, PhD.

I would get massages as well to relieve my aching muscles. These were the simple measures I could take to guarantee that my unborn baby’s having a great time and growing well in my womb.

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Final Thoughts

Loving your son or daughter more than anything in the world before even meeting him or her is not a sin. It is a natural feeling that you get when you know that you are about to come full circle because of their arrival. Thus, don’t hesitate to do everything in your power so that the baby knows how loved they are from the start.