Embracing motherhood is not an easy task. Besides the beauty of creating another life inside you for nine months, it undergoes a series of physical and emotional upheavals. Morning sickness, cramps, the health of the growing baby, thoughts of financial adjustments, etc., can make you feel a little down until you give birth to your little prince or princess.
Sometimes, you may also lose your emotional balance. While you struggle to find happiness during your pregnancy, you need to take care of a few things that can make you feel stress-free and happy. You’re going through this nine-month journey, it doesn’t mean you have to stop smiling and stop feeling happy.
Here are some suggestions to keep yourself refreshed while you go through your pregnancy mood swings.
Take up yoga and mindfulness practice
Experts from the American Pregnancy Association prefer to go to yoga classes that are safe for pregnancy. But, somehow, if you are not able to attend the classes, you can get a pregnancy trainer in your home. So, whether you are in your first trimester or your last trimester, do yoga asanas to keep your body in perfect balance and feeling super positive.
Practice Meditation
Along with yoga asanas, practice awareness around your thoughts to deal with your emotional upheavals. Spend just 15 minutes with yourself while meditating. Take deep breaths while meditating and remember to pay attention to your thoughts. This will help you control your stress and anxiety, reduce your pregnancy hypertension, relieve pain and improve your rest and sleep.
Try Aromatherapy
A sweet smell can transport you to a certain moment in your life or just enjoy it. Yes! That’s how strong perfumes are. So, if you can try aromatherapy, it will lower your blood pressure naturally and slowly remove the stressors away from you. But, before you try aromatherapy, check with your doctor about the essential oils you can use.
Spend some quality time with your loved ones
Since your hormones are responsible for your physical and emotional changes, it’s important to feel close and connected to your near and dear ones. So, whenever you feel the need to connect with your near and dear ones, especially during this interesting phase of your life, just do it. Talking to friends, family and your partner will help you find peace.
Join online communities
You can also join online communities where you can meet other moms-to-be and start connecting with them. Bonding and communicating with someone who is going through the same phase of life as you will become easy. They will understand how you feel at what stage of your pregnancy. Sharing your feelings will naturally reduce your stress and anxiety.
Get a great prenatal massage
If you want to boost your mood, a prenatal massage is what you need. Prenatal massage is a great way to relieve muscle tension, aches and pains. All you need is an expert who knows the techniques at his fingertips. Massaging the abdomen, massaging the scalp, and rubbing the legs and back are some of the wonderful massage techniques that you can follow. manage your stress and anxiety levels.
Enroll in Prenatal Classes
You can attend antenatal classes with your partner. Specialist antenatal classes will help you prepare for your upcoming role through exercise as well as pregnancy and childbirth education, reducing your stress levels and boosting your confidence. One of the added benefits of attending a prenatal class is that you’ll be able to meet and connect with some other expectant parents. They will also tell you what to eat and how much to eat. They will guide you through your exercises. We would advise you to keep your hospital bags packed. Maybe someone will be there to guide you with cord blood banking too.
However, during your pregnancy phase, you must have thought that once you deliver your baby, you will feel stress free. But this is far from the truth. Once you’re a new mom, dealing with the demands of a new baby takes a toll on your body as well as your mind. Sometimes, as a new mom, you would feel like life is completely out of control. However, here are a few things that can help you as a new mum while trying to keep your sanity.
Make “you” the priority
Go to the spa whenever you have some time. Or, spend some time reading – perhaps your favorite book or journal. Watch your favorite. Do some gardening. Listen to your favorite music. Love yourself first. You will see your stress and tension slowly disappear.
Spend quality time with your partner
Since your newborn little one has taken up most of your time, your physical and emotional exhaustion can make your relationship with your partner suffer a bit. Going out for a movie together and spending some time over lunch or dinner can bring back the nostalgic romance between you and can make you feel very happy.
Accept help whenever you can
You may feel extremely tired after a few breastfeeding sessions, you can always ask your partner to help you do your little burp, change a diaper or sleep. There is nothing wrong with that. You can probably rest at that time and feel less anxious.
Apart from these, attending a few counseling sessions, planning a proper diet and exercising and meditating can keep you cool.
Postpartum stress and anxiety as well as pregnancy depression is another challenge. With the above tips, you can deal with it and prepare yourself to be a loving mother.