Self-care during pregnancy

In this current climate, we are all feeling a little more stressed out and anxious than usual, with the daily news bulletins mainly focused on the global pandemic and rising cases across the UK and more local lockdowns imminent , it is only natural for us all to feel un nerved and worried about the future, even more so when you are pregnant and have a little one coming into the world to think about! Therefore, we have decided to focus on a bit of self-care for mums to be.

As a new mom to be you will probably be spending so much time focusing on your growing bump and the baby inside, you may forget to look after yourself, it can be quite over whelming when you first find out you are pregnant and the first few months can be an unusual time. The first trimester should be all about looking after yourself and the changes your body is going through.

Some women are lucky and do not suffer hardly any symptoms throughout their first trimester, but some will suffer terribly with morning sickness and fatigue. we have put together a few tips to help you overcome this and some ideas for self-care throughout this time.

Morning Sickness:

Research shows that ginger can help soothe an upset tummy, try drinking a ginger tea or a ginger ale to help try and settle your stomach.

Avoid certain foods that may trigger morning sickness such as greasy, fatty foods and try and stick to small frequent meals and for snacks try dry food such as crackers, toast and nuts.

Avoid strong smells that may overwhelm you and trigger nausea, things such as cigarette smoke, or a strong perfume or foods that can set sickness off.

Fatigue:

Tiredness and fatigue can hit in the first 12 to 14 weeks of your pregnancy, this is mainly due to hormonal changes and your body producing more blood carrying nutrients to your growing baby, so it is nothing to worry about, you will just feel more tired than usual.

Try and eat healthy meals and drink water to keep hydrated.

Avoid caffeine after lunchtime, in fact try and cut down on your caffeine intake all together.

Try and do some sort of exercise each day, even if it is just a brisk walk, even if you do feel tired, try and do something it will definitely make you feel better.

Self-care  

Try and take time out to relax, keep a positive mindset and take time out to look after yourself.

Take a bath, make sure the water is not too hot, a bath will help you relax and unwind.

Read a book and grab a cup of tea, Take time out of your day to do something for you, pop the kettle and read a book or magazine, even if its just for half an hour.

Treat yourself to some new clothes, you may start to feel that your tops and jeans are getting that little bit tighter, why not have a spend up on some new looser fitting dresses and tops.

And lastly, try not to worry or stress unnecessarily, we understand that this time can be challenging with all the physical and mental changes that are going on, it is a lot to deal with! So do not put too much pressure on yourself!

If you are worrying about all the things that come with being pregnant, why not book in with us for an early pregnancy reassurance scan, it will give you peace of mind that everything is as it should be at this stage, you can bring one adult guest with you to your scan, we are following all current government guidelines , ensuring that we are providing a safe environment for you.