As a woman who has experienced becoming a mother twice, I can tell you that the fluctuating hormonal level is not the only reason why expectant moms get super emotional, to the extent that their husbands or parents want to take them to a therapist. Some couples, after all, are not blessed with a stable source of income, so the mommy-to-be cannot help but wonder how they are going to feed and clothe their child without having to rely on charity. Other women who have had to split with the father of their baby before even giving birth may still be hurting emotionally because of their fate or feeling afraid of having to raise a kid on their own.
I am pretty sure that you have heard of what I am about to say a hundred times, but I will tell you again: stop worrying so much about everything. You may not have enough money to support your child through college, but you should let the man in the house think of how to provide for the family. You may be a single mom, but there’s no doubt that you have friends or relatives who do not mind serving as your financial crutch and confidante while you are in no position to work overtime to make money for your unborn kid. Your main priority at this point should be your health because your child is dependent on your every move to survive.
There’s no question about you wanting to have a healthy baby now, so here’s what you should do to make sure it happens.
1. Eat Healthily
Considering you already know that what you eat will somehow reach the child in your womb, you need to start being mindful of everything you ingest. I understand that you have some cravings and that pregnancy is one of the excuses that women use when they try to justify their detachment to a healthy lifestyle. However, you still need to maintain a balanced diet to make sure that you and your baby get all the nutrients you need. This will allow you to have more energy to carry your child to full term.
2. Take Prenatal Vitamins
Although you eat healthily three or four times a day, the reality is that you may still not be able to get all the vitamins and minerals that your body require to stay strong. For one, there is no way to guarantee how much iron, folic acid, and vitamin B and C you are getting with every spoonful of food. When you are dealing with morning sickness, you may not have the capacity as well to keep everything you eat in your stomach. Thus, you should ask your OB-GYN if he or she can prescribe prenatal vitamins to you that will supply the nutrients that you hardly get from your food.
3. Stay As Fit As Possible
Being pregnant and having a round belly does not entail that you can turn your back on exercising. In truth, a lot of medical experts say that working out regularly is essential if you want to deliver your baby in a normal way. Jennifer S. Haas, MD, and her team from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston”, reported, “Lack of exercise was strongly and consistently associated with poor health status before, during, and after pregnancy.”
Some fitness coaches have managed to put together a series of exercises that expectant mothers can do without worrying about their tummies getting squished. And if your pregnancy is too delicate for you to try moving too much, you can simply walk inside the house for at least five minutes and count that as your workout for the day.
4. Relax Your Body And Mind
When I say you need to relax your body and mind, I don’t mean that you should spend your entire day watching TV or munching on chips without a care in the world. You can look for a wellness center that offers massages to pregnant women, you see. That will help you deal with your tired legs and feet and make you feel pampered. If you do not want to spend to get some R&R, you merely have to try to the full for eight hours. This way, you can feel well-rested every day.
According to Ann Diamond Weinstein, PhD, “Finding healthy ways to reduce stress is an essential part of optimizing the health of mothers-to-be and the development of their babies from conception through the postnatal period.”
5. Don’t Stress Over Anything
Stress can do nothing but put you and your unborn child in danger. You may not be in the ideal situation now to avoid it, but you should try anyway. Neither of you deserves to have your lives at risk just because you have allowed stressful things or people to affect you.
Should you need professional help, you can always consult with a therapist. “Working one-on-one with a trained therapist can be a critical method for overcoming negative thoughts and feelings — during pregnancy and any other time in life,” wrote Kristen Scarlett, LMHC.
Final Thoughts
Being able to carry a baby in your womb is a blessing. A lot of women undergo different medical procedures to increase their chances of getting pregnant while you are already in that state. So, love yourself, take care of your unborn kids, and stop overthinking about the rest. Good luck!