Despite those rumors you’ve heard about “glowing,” it sometimes seems that pregnancy gives you the opportunity to experience adolescence and old age all at once. Here are some tips to help you look your best during and after pregnancy.
1. Keep Exercising
From the moment you find out that you’re pregnant, it begins getting harder and harder to exercise. Pregnancy brings aches, pains, and sleepiness, which make it much harder to get out and be active.
However, it is very important that you do your best to maintain close to your previous physical activity level throughout your pregnancy, provided your activity level is considered safe by your doctor.
Regular exercise releases endorphins to elevate your mood. It helps your blood to circulate, which can reduce fluid build-up. Exercise gets harder as the pregnancy goes on. Many women find that exercising in water or while laying down is preferable during the later months.
Once the baby is born, there are whole new challenges in exercising. You will certainly want to take a few weeks off, but once you and baby are up for it, it’s a good idea to start taking slow, leisurely walks together to get into the habit of regular exercise. You may find that your baby grows to enjoy these activities as well and establishes a better sleep pattern when taken on regular walks.
It’s hard to keep exercising during and after pregnancy, but if you do, you are likely to find that you gain less weight and lose weight more easily after the pregnancy.
2. Treat Yourself
Making yourself look and feel your best may be the last thing on your mind while you’re pregnant and right after your baby is born, but treating yourself throughout this time is more important than ever.
Have your hair and nails done regularly, visit the Institute of Natural Health for a soothing HydraFacial treatment, and invest in clothes that look good on you even though you know you will only be able to wear them for a short amount of time.
Pregnancy is extremely stressful. Stress isn’t good for you or the baby. Taking time to treat yourself, feel good about yourself, and take time for you is good for both of you.
3. Compromise With Your Cravings
Many women experience intense cravings during pregnancy which they have a hard time resisting, especially considering that their emotions are already threadbare. There is no reason to torture yourself by denying every indulgence, but it is important that you don’t follow your cravings too far.
Try to rate your craving intensity and decide whether to give in based on how bad the food is for you. Make sure that your cravings are not coming from habit instead of pregnancy. If you are consistently having cravings for chocolate cake in the evenings, it may have nothing to do with your pregnancy.
Enjoy Your Pregnancy
Perhaps the most important tip to looking your best both during and after your pregnancy is to enjoy it. Indulging in self-care is very soothing during a stressful time, so treat it like the necessity it is, not a luxury to be overlooked.