happy memorial day! since i'm not going camping today, i can be here with you.. celebrating the start of my 39th week, woohoo! you know it's getting crazy close when i can see the due date as i scroll through the 10-day forecast. ahh! anyway, as i'm focusing more on staying comfortable in the home stretch, and as i'm still feeling fantastic, i've been thinking about things that have helped me feel good throughout the pregnancy... i know some of these are big no-brainers, but bear with me.
1. water. there's a tall glass of it within reach all day when i'm at home, my water bottle is a faithful sidekick when i leave the house, and grant and i try to beat each other in how many glasses we down everyday. staying well hydrated has been one of my biggest goals in pregnancy, because it's something i can absolutely control! i can't believe how super important it is for keeping both the baby (who gets an amniotic fluid refill every 3 hours) and me healthy. getting enough has helped me get rid of leg cramping, have zero swelling, and feel amazing.
2. walking. i kept my gym membership for 8 of the 9 months of my pregnancy, which means i committed to going at least 3 times a week. (sometimes this was so hard! and sometimes my workouts were super short, but i was always glad i went.) during this last month, i knew the weather would be nicer and i could do my workout outside in the sun :) anyway, walking. i need it. i feel lighter, more flexible, and more energetic once i've been for a walk. it's also been great for my mental health :) a long minnesota winter calls for regular bursts of walking.
3. yoga pants. i live in these babies. i also bought the full-length version. because staying comfortable is so smart! why wear jeans at home? seriously.
3. yoga pants. i live in these babies. i also bought the full-length version. because staying comfortable is so smart! why wear jeans at home? seriously.
4. nutrition. i never had it in my head that now i'm pregnant- now i can eat whatever i want. that is just silly. i also never had the idea that i should only gain "this much" during my pregnancy. that is dangerous. i knew if i focused on eating wisely (and exercising adequately), eating real foods and enough of the right things, my body would nourish the baby and handle the baby weight as it saw fit. because everything you eat matters, whether you're pregnant or not! white flour, lots of sugar, and processed food aren't going to give you much when it comes to nutrients, so i try to stay away from those, while protein, folate, good fats, healthy salt and water levels, calcium etc- these are all super important for building a baby! my favorite little meals/snacks during my pregnancy have been: scrambled eggs, pb on toast or anything, cheese and crackers, guacamole, fresh fruit, oatmeal, yogurt, carrots, smoothies, multigrain cheerios, and homemade chicken salad.
5. prenatal pilates. i have loved this dvd! it's been one of the best amazon purchases of the entire pregnancy. i heard that pilates does wonders for your oh-so-important pelvis during pregnancy, and i can tell you: it's true. those hands-and-knees positions are my fave. this dvd is nice because it's broken down into 10 min. sections, so you can workout for 10 minutes or 50 minutes, whatever you feel like! so when it was snowing in april, again, i could work out in the living room! close all the blinds, put in my pilates dvd, and stretch out. (it helped that grant bought me a nice pilates mat and hand weights for christmas.) and during these late-pregnancy weeks just moving around and doing something.. it feels so good.
6. plenty of sleep. i've had the luxury of sleep with this pregnancy. it's what i splurge on. i let myself sleep as late as i can, because i know how important it is. and i've been able to sleep long and hard almost up until the very end. i haven't even really needed naps (except on sundays, of course), because my nighttime is so lengthy. i think this is a huge reason why my energy level has been practically normal throughout the pregnancy, and probably why i only caught one cold this winter, and probably why i still feel like carrying laundry baskets up and down stairs.
7. stretch mark oil. this stuff has been great. one bottle has lasted me for-ev-er.
8. dried plums. :) okay, so they're prunes. and they are amazing little fruits! my digestion started slowing way down in my last trimester, and these sweet things keep me feeling sweet. don't knock 'em until you try 'em.
9. lastly, and most of all- i know it is only by God's grace that i've had such a happy, healthy pregnancy and i'm so thankful for it! throughout these past 9 months i have been feasting on His Word. so many awesome bible verses have been jotted onto flash cards and carried around the house and prayed over. it's been a really unique time of relying on Him for strength and peace. and He has been so faithful in everything!
12 comments:
Summer, I am so glad you are having such an easy pregnancy! All the things you mentioned are giving you and the baby such a great start on your life together! My pregnancy was very similar to yours, and I really believe that the exercise and nutrition helped my labor and delivery to go naturally and smoothly. I'm praying for the same for you! I'm so glad to hear that you are relying on the Lord - I feel so close to the Lord during pregnancy...it's such a special time, your own private miracle! Enjoy!
Hi Summer!! I have loved reading your pregnancy posts, and have bookmarked a few for future reference :o) (hopefully, one day, I will be a mother too). Your joy is so beautiful and certainly every person who reads your blog can feel the radiant happiness, too! Hope you've had a great memorial day weekend!
Isn't it amazing how different some scripture feels when there is a little one on the way? God is so great..
SO very glad you are feeling tip-top!
I added that DVD to my wish list in Amazon... for next time - Thank you.
Praise the Lord for His grace and mercy! What an awesome pregnancy you've had! NOW...on to the next chapter! "Meeting the babes..."
CAN'T WAIT!!
I love all these tips... and I completely agree with your ideas on pregnancy nutrition. I never understood friends of mine who say being pregnant as a license to down a pint of ice cream 4 nights a week.. I would think that knowing you have a little person living inside of you would make you want to eat even healthier! Such a wonderful perspective... and one that will keep you healthy even AFTER your little one is born!
Your blog is so cute! Glad I found it. :)
It's almost embarrassing how much I am dying to know everything about being pregnant despite not being pregnant yet. I have saved so many of your posts in my Google Reader to pour over once I'm finally "there." In the meantime, sending lots of prayers your way!
I wish I could have enjoyed my pregnancies as much as you. Sadly I did not enjoy it as much as I would have liked...could have done what you have and probably enjoyed it for sure.
You will rely on God even more when your baby is born. I still NEED him now that mine are 4 and 5. Giving birth and adjusting to parenthood can be difficult. Some just ease right into it and others have a more challenging time. Like us..we found out we were pregnant again when our first was only three months old.
Enjoy the miracle and the gift you are about to receive. God Bless!
I hope my future pregnancy goes as smoothly as yours. I admire your positive attitude and love all the suggestions!
This is one thing that I will miss about you being pregnant...your positive attitude about it. Especially when, someone inexperienced with being pregnant, is force-fed all these negative grumbles from the media and sitcoms.
I'll be saving this post so that I can refer back to it when we get to see the little plus sign. :)
That is the same prenatal dvd I used this time around. I loved it! It was especially helpful since it was hard to find time to do them while chasing after my two year old. Although keeping up with him definitely helped me stay in shape... and having him crawl all over me while I was exercising. :D Love this list. So happy you were able to have a great pregnancy. And, hoping you have a great delivery too!
love these!