We get so concerned about the proper eating during pregnancy that we neglect to look at the big picture. Having the best pregnancy & nutrition is important, but what happens after you have your baby? Do you go right back to your unhealthy habits? Do you gain a lot of weight, or neglect to shed your baby weight? Ultimately, these next nine months should be about healthy lifestyle changes that you can maintain forever. Use these next three trimesters as your boot camp for a healthy lifestyle. After all, you will have to chase after that baby for a long time—and you want to be able to keep up with him!
Stress Reduction
Your baby experiences everything you experience, so if you get stressed out, your baby does too. This means your heightened blood pressure, increased heart rate, and adrenaline output also affects your little one. So during pregnancy, you have to learn how to deal with stress effectively. This is a positive lifestyle change you should follow for the rest of your life. Some women prefer exercise or yoga for stress reduction, while others like to pray or meditate. Some enjoy talking with friends; others prefer to journal their thoughts. Find a means of stress reduction—or a few—that really work for you and use them on a regular basis. It will help keep you healthy and happy in the long run.
Proper Nutrition
Once you are eating for two—not in terms of portion size, but in terms of giving your baby proper nutrition for development—your whole perspective on diet changes. All of the sudden, that Twinkie doesn't look so tasty. All at once you begin questioning the pesticide levels in your foods. This caution and increased awareness will serve you well for the rest of your life. The nutritional changes you incorporate now, such as switching to organic foods, eating more vegetables, and eating lots of healthy fats—can help you stay nutritionally sound and active for decades.
A Good Night's Sleep
It can be difficult to get a good night's sleep during pregnancy, especially during the third trimester when your general discomfort levels reach a peak. But nothing can help prepare you for the day ahead like a good night's sleep. If you have trouble sleeping at night, scheduling a nap for your day is a good way to make up missed sleep. Healthy amounts of sleep can be difficult to achieve throughout your life, but it's essential to your good health. You should get at least eight hours per night. If you have trouble with sleep, consult with your nutritionist or your health care provider to see if there are any natural lifestyle changes you can make to improve the quality and quantity of sleep you get.
Healthy and Active Movement
If you can stay active during pregnancy, you should have no trouble staying active through your entire life. Knowing that you are staying in shape for labor and keeping your weight down so you can return to your pre-baby weight are both powerful motivational factors. You can make exercise so much of a habit, like brushing your teeth that you feel weird if you don't do it every day. Staying active throughout your life will help keep you in shape and keep obesity and obesity-related health problems at bay. Exercise can also reduce your risk of developing joint problems and other arthritic complaints. Exercise is also a wonderful way to reduce stress in your life. Finding a type of exercise—be it dance, yoga, tennis, golf, swimming, or anything you choose—that you enjoy and that can be used to increase your longevity is something you should add to your healthy lifestyle.
