After you become pregnant, your body works very hard to support your baby. You can support your baby’s health by taking good care of your body during this time. Some components of nourishing your body include getting plenty of rest, eating a nutritious diet and staying physically active. 

Here are three health tips for pregnancy that can help you feel better and nourish your body during pregnancy. 

1. Get Plenty of Rest

While you’re pregnant, you may notice feeling more tired than usual. This is especially true during the first few weeks of pregnancy. Typically, expecting mothers have the most energy during the second trimester, and experience more tiredness during the first and third trimesters. 

The best way to handle this is to get plenty of rest. Give yourself grace and move through the day slowly. Plan time for naps if you can! You can also revamp your bedtime routine and sleeping schedule so it’s easier to get a good night’s rest. Here are a few tips to improve your sleep while pregnant: 

• Limit caffeine and stay hydrated
• Go to bed at the same time every night
• Do gentle stretching before bed
• Create a restful bedtime routine
• Be intentional about your sleep position

Early on in pregnancy, the best sleeping position is the one that feels most comfortable to you. After you pass 30 weeks, it’s best to avoid sleeping on your back because that can compress your spine and reduce blood flow to the placenta. You can use pillows to support your hips, back and bump so you can sleep on your side. 

2. Focus on Nutrition

While you’re pregnant, the food you eat is passed on to your baby through your digestive system into the placenta and the baby’s umbilical cord. This means that what you eat is also what your baby is eating! So proper nutrition is more important than ever. 

There are certain vitamins and minerals that can improve your baby’s health if you ingest them while pregnant. Many doctors recommend a prenatal vitamin because it can help fill in any nutritional gaps in your regular diet. While pregnant, it’s important to get the right amounts of folate, iron, vitamin D and vitamin C. 

Every woman is different, so it’s important to listen to your body while pregnant. For example, many women experience strangely specific food cravings during pregnancy. For the most part, it’s okay to give in to these cravings! While you’re pregnant, you can still eat sweets and other unhealthy foods in moderation. 

However, you should never ingest alcohol as it can harm your developing baby. Other foods to avoid while pregnant include seafood with a high mercury content, lunchmeat, and unpasteurized milk. Lunchmeat can contain listeria, a bacteria which may cause a dangerous infection in pregnant women.

The best diet for pregnant women is varied and full of whole, natural foods. For example, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, protein and healthy fats will all help your baby develop and give your body the nourishment it needs. Try to choose organic options and avoid inflammatory foods like refined sugar and flour as much as you can. 

3. Stay Physically Active

Although it may feel counterintuitive, staying active while pregnant can actually help improve any feelings of tiredness. Moving your body keeps a healthy blood flow, improves your mental state and can help prepare you for an easier birth. However, a healthy, active routine looks different for every woman. 

If you were already very physically active before getting pregnant, you may be able to continue your usual program. However, it is important to remember that your center of gravity will change and your joints may be looser during pregnancy, increasing risk of injury. While pregnant, you shouldn’t do any activity that has a risk of falling.

Some women start working out for the first time while pregnant. If this is you, start by taking it slow. Just going on a walk for 20 minutes a day can make a huge difference for your physical and mental health while pregnant. Consistent activity will help prevent excess weight gain and make it easier to get back in shape after giving birth.

After you work out, give your body time to recover. Consider taking a warm bath or getting a massage to relax any tense muscles. Regular prenatal massages can help your body handle the many changes that pregnancy brings. However, deep massages may increase the risk of miscarriage – so you should be careful when getting massages during the first trimester.

Give Yourself Grace, Mama

During pregnancy, hormonal changes mean that your body may move/feel different from what you’re used to – and that’s okay. Stay curious about how your body is changing so you can be sensitive to what you need. Give yourself grace and follow these health tips for pregnancy.

If you think prenatal massages could help you, check out our self-massage options at Myobuddy. Our tools can help support an easier pregnancy and postnatal recovery period. Please reach out to us with any questions!