Thursday, April 9, 2015

Staying Sane During Pregnancy



As I finally mentioned here, we're expecting our second baby in July and I'm a birth/pregnancy junkie. I'm a huge believer in "knowledge is power" and I seek out what supports and uplifts me during this time. I don't allow other people to tell me their "horror stories" or use any kind of scare tactics.

The focus of care during pregnancy seems to be geared toward physical concerns, ignoring the mom's mental state unless there's a severe problem. This is somewhat tragic and I think we're missing a huge opportunity. When we're willing to make the effort to exercise and eat right during pregnancy, why not go the next step to work on your mental state?

Think about this: As your baby develops, your current hormones (whether they be stress hormones or rest/relaxation/love hormones) guide the direction of your baby's hormones in that moment. If your body is in a constant state of stress, your body prioritizes survival and getting through that stress rather than growth, development, and repair. This has an impact on the baby. Since the developing baby mirrors the mom's mental state, we should capitalize on that!

Since a stress response directs blood flow away from the internal organs and towards the limbs, a baby in a constant stress response may not get the chance to optimize organ growth and development while in the womb.

So while pregnant, it's even more important to have some kind of regular stress-relieving practice. This can be almost anything! My personal favorites are getting exercise (yoga is fantastic), walking outside, napping, preparing and eating delicious food, meditation (lots of ways to do this), and just taking deep calming breaths. Anything that gives you joy!

I'll admit that it's not always the easiest to break a habit. After all, if it were easy to fix, we probably would have done it already! If you're stuck not knowing what to try, just pick something. Commit to it for a couple days and notice how you feel before, during, and after. If you like the change you see, keep it up! Your baby feels what you feel! The more you are aware of the good something is doing for you, the easier it becomes to maintain it. Awareness is key! Put reminders all over your house or set them to go off at regular intervals on your phone.

I tend to get lost in yoga and feel so light and joyful when I finish, but there's always the excuse in the back of my mind that I don't have enough time, I'm not dressed for it, etc. So I leave my mat out on the floor and as soon as my daughter falls asleep, it's WAY more likely to happen! It's great to have a class to go to, but it's not always possible. I subscribe to YogaGlo online (not an affiliate link, I just love 'em) and I love the variety of classes and flexibility they offer.

Whether you're currently pregnant or not, this can still benefit you. Even if you only have 1 minute after finishing reading this, you still have time to close your eyes, inhale deeply into your belly, pause, then allow your exhale to stretch out even longer. Repeat. I like to imagine my body melting and softening during the exhale. It's a great way to release a lot of tension you weren't aware of holding. If you have more than a minute, get off the computer/phone/tablet and do something even more involved!