Top 10 healthy pregnancy tips

I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again, pregnancy and birth takes a huge toll on women and our modern-day lifestyles simply do not lend themselves to supporting pregnant bodies (and minds!). That means that we have a lot of work to do to pre-pregnancy, as well as in the thick of it, so that we can set ourselves up to enjoy a healthy, strong, stress-free and injury-free pregnancy and birth.

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A quick note on reusable nappies

Before I had even had my baby I knew I was going to be using reusable nappies because I knew the incredibly detrimental effect that disposable nappies have on our planet. If you’re going the way of cloth nappies too then be sure to read this blog post, where I talk all about my experience with cloth nappies. And you can get your stash from Peanut & Poppet using my discount code KAT10 for 10% off.

Tips for a healthy pregnancy

Let’s get into it then. Here are my top 10 healthy pregnancy tips, which you can start implementing today, to help you better prepare yourself for the wild and wonderful adventure you’re embarking on!

ONE. ADDRESS YOUR DIET

Early pregnancy is the ideal time to start creating healthy eating habits; find a few key meals that are really easy to make and are highly nutritious. Ideally these should be easy to freeze and store too so you can make them up really quickly. When you’re the size of a small truck, or exhausted from being up all night with your newborn baby you will, too easily, let your diet slip. I’m not someone to get hung up on weight pre or post pregnancy, but the simple fact is that your food affects your mood.

Eat well to feel well. When you feel well, you can enjoy this journey that much more.

TWO. DRINK MORE WATER

Get into the habit early on of drinking more water. You’re probably not drinking enough, and I don’t have to know you to make that assumption. It’s been my experience that most of us simply don’t keep well hydrated. Our bodies NEED water to function well, and forgetting to drink water is too easy to do. It was a bit of a standing joke that, when I was pregnant I would post my pint of water on instagram stories every day and remind everyone to hydrate (including myself). Set this healthy habit early on and it will serve you well.

THREE. BEGIN A MEDITATION PRACTICE

Motherhood is a mad, emotional ride. Having a few, wonderful guided meditations you can come to when you feel overwhelmed can make a huge difference to your prenatal anxiety and birth experience. Here a couple of my favourites:

FOUR. CONSIDER DOING A HYPNOBIRTHING COURSE

Hypnobirthing has absolutely nothing to do with hypnosis. It’s a science-led approach to birth and early postpartum that will give you essential tools for a positive birth experience. I did mine with The Positive Birth Co. You can read my review here.

FIVE. GET STRONG

You’re about to be carrying an extra 10 - 15kgs around day by day. That means all your regular tasks are about to become a work out, and when you suddenly start to lift heavy when you never have, you open yourself up to injury. Not to mention, if you’re planning for an active birth you’re about to embark on the equivalent of a marathon so you need to build the physical endurance of a marathon runner. The moment you get a positive pregnancy test I’d strongly suggest you set yourself a schedule that you can stick to that includes full-body strength and endurance work.

SIX. GET MOBILE

Our bodies are capable of birthing babies. They just are. Read that as many time as you need to so it can sink in. And I firmly believe that it is society that has made us think otherwise. But it doesn’t come easy - we need to put in the work; we need to make space in our bodies for that baby to get themselves into an optimal position for birth, our pelvic floor, hips and core need to be in the best shape of their lives (that means stretching, strengthening and hydrating - back to point two: drink your water).

If you’re not sure where to start, then begin with this free prenatal yoga video below, and get the full 15hours of Bump & Flow prenatal yoga videos to help you get strong and mobile for your pregnancy, birth and postpartum.

CLICK TO START PRACTISING PRENATAL YOGA WITH ME

SEVEN. WORK THAT PELVIC FLOOR

We’ll often not give our pelvic floor muscles a second thought until we are pregnant, and then it’s all anyone is talking about! There’s a reason for that. The extra 10 - 15kgs you’ll be carrying is being held almost exclusively by the pelvic floor and neighbouring muscles. It’s worth visiting a women’s health physio to see how well your pelvic floor is functioning so you have foundation to build on over the coming months.

Remember that pelvic floor squeezes are not the be-all-and-end-all of pelvic floor work; all the muscles in our bodies need to be both strong and flexible to function well.

Every class in my Bump & Flow Prenatal Yoga package pulls focus to the pelvic floor and how we can connect the core, the breath and the pelvic floor; incredible tools to help pull you through the later weeks of pregnancy, labour and birth and early healing in the fourth trimester.

EIGHT. FIND YOUR MUM CREW

There are so many “if you know, you know” moments to come and women who are fighting on the same battleground as you will get it. So often, even the most well-meaning of friends, family or partners simply won’t be able to relate to your experience and it’s so helpful to surround yourself with people who can relate to your experience. You can join a local antenatal group or sign up to Peanut (which is how I met my mum pals) to find your mum crew. This one is number eight on the list, but easily up there as one of my top-rated pregnancy tips.

NINE. CONSIDER PROFESSIONAL HELP

Therapy is no longer a taboo subject, thankfully, and there is so much focus on postpartum depression and baby blues but no one really talks about the anxiety that women can experience prenatally. After my miscarriage I struggled hugely with anxiety; at points it was debilitating and my one regret was that I didn’t seek professional help. If you’re wondering if you should do it, you probably should.

TEN. REST

Everyone says that you should sleep as much as you can because when the baby comes you won’t sleep again and it’s so true. Savour the slowness of your life, the lazy mornings, lounging in the tub, reading your book alone in the garden. Get as much rest as you can and your body will thank you for it now, on the day you meet your baby and afterward.

I’ll end by reminding you that you can do everything you can to prepare for the healthy pregnancy and positive birth experience that you want, and you may still end up in a situation you didn’t plan for. This happened with me, (read my birth story here) and it’s likely you’ll be thrown a few curveballs along the way too, but you really can do a LOT to help swing the odds in your favour. Plus, you’ll never look back and regret the time you put into making yourself healthier and happier. I certainly don’t.

I hope this helps. Sending you love on this incredible journey you are embarking on Mama!

Kat xx