10 Pro Tips for Pregnancy Self-Care (How to Be Your Best Self During Pregnancy)

0:00 by the time you're watching this i hope i'll have had my fifth baby already but right now i'm pregnant with number five and i want to share some self-care tips when you're pregnant because i think it's so crucially important hi my name is avital i'm a mindful parenting coach and currently the mother of four almost five i'm due in a couple of weeks to have my fifth baby and this pregnancy even though i've been home with my kids i've been running my

0:27 business it's been a hectic crazy time in my life i have really prioritized self-care and it has made this pregnancy so much more joyful for me and i want to share those tips with you because i think self-care is something that sometimes goes out the window when we're parents to young children especially when we have a lot of stress going on when you're busy with work and when you're busy running a home and taking care of everyone except

0:49 yourself unfortunately that is not a sustainable strategy it is not a good strategy to for the long term we are likely to burn out we are likely to build resentment and we are likely to not perform the best that we can now because i'm a performance coach and i care passionately about mindset i actually think that self-care is not a luxury of course it is a luxury not everybody can make time for self-care but if you can

1:15 then it is a necessity right i know that i am so lucky to be able to do all of these things and i'm so grateful and i also work very hard to prioritize them and i want you to do the same as well as much as possible so just like with all of my work take what works for you and leave the rest it may or may not resonate that's fine and i would love to hear what does

1:37 resonate for you and what self-care looks like for you especially when you're pregnant i have four children ages nine and under and i run a business and so these are the types of things that are really important for me on a day-to-day basis both during pregnancy and during postpartum in order to be able to show up without actually having a nervous breakdown also i'm very passionate about giving people and parents in particular permission right helping them give

2:03 themselves permission to enjoy their life not to suffer through not to be constantly in victim mindset and feel sorry for ourselves and feel like we're in survival mode but to actually enjoy and seek the pleasures of this journey right to make family life blissful in fact that's our tagline is create family bliss that's my tagline in my present play membership and our whole mission here is to help you to love parenting and parent from love because i see so

2:33 many people just suffer through it and whilst there's plenty of inherent challenges plenty of things that are going to be difficult and stressful uh pregnancy and beyond there's also so much pleasure to be had but only when you prioritize it and only when you see yourself as worthy of pleasure of joy of beauty of fun of treating yourself well and so that's what i'm advocating for here today and i hope that that really lands with you all right let's

3:01 start with our bodies during pregnancy well a lot of this is going to be about our bodies but let's talk about clothing hair makeup shoes that kind of thing so when people are pregnant often they just kind of resign to sweatpants and sweatshirts all day and that's fine if that works for you for me personally i like to feel somewhat put together i like to feel like if a guest knocked on my door or if i have to run

3:25 out for an errand i feel good about how i look there is enough going on in my body during pregnancy that changes and that's challenging and that's difficult and that's uncomfortable or that i feel big or bloated about that my clothes don't need to add to that they actually need to help me to feel more comfortable physically and also with the way i look i start every single morning when i wake up the first thing i do when i get out

3:54 of bed is i get dressed i don't stay in my pajamas pretty much ever even the day after i have my baby i get dressed that might not work for you that's fine i'm just sharing what works for me um i like to get dressed even if i'm changing from pyjama to loungewear again right or athletic wear or something really really comfortable just something cozy um i change and i wear clean clothes and i wear clothes that fit

4:20 and i wear clothes that i like and of course you know you might not want to be spending money on clothes that are only going to last you for a few months so that you might not need beyond totally get it but if you can if there's hand-me-downs or friends clothes or borrowing clothes or buying second-hand or buying inexpensively having clothes that fit you during pregnancy that feel good on your body and that you like the way they look

4:43 they're somewhat you know i don't want to say on trend because you don't need to be on trend but you need to be feeling like you are of this time right that you're a human being that you're not just stuck in a in a burlap sack right something that feels good to you materials that feel good to you and clothes that actually fit you so you're not constantly fidgeting and uncomfortable in your body beyond what you already need to be

5:07 so i get dressed then i do my hair and makeup even if it's the most simple makeup routine or just putting on moisturizer splashing some water on your face putting your hair in a way that feels comfortable i do that every single day because i want to feel presentable to myself right even if i'm not seeing anybody else i know that i will show up to giving my kids breakfast better to taking them out better to doing my

5:31 cleaning and laundry better if i feel good with the way that i look i'll be more energized i'll be more presentable and this is psychologically proven to be true i'll accessorize every day so i'll wear some some piece of jewelry some necklace something uh that makes me feel like i'm honoring myself or taking care of myself or caring about how i look and i'll wear shoes that i'm comfortable in pregnancy often your feet get really tired or painful or sore or exhausted

5:57 and i think it's worth the investment if you need to get a pair of slippers or a pair of shoes or something that you feel really comfortable and if you don't have those i think it's something really crucial so that you can feel comfortable you don't need a lot of this stuff but you do need it to be clean and to feel good and to look good to your taste and uh so that you don't feel frumpy you

6:17 don't want to feel frumpy when you're pregnant you anyway feel frumpy you anyway putting on weight in all sorts of areas so you want to feel put together the truth is that this dressing thing starts even beforehand with your undergarments right wearing underwear that feels good to pregnancy you might need to get specific underwear for that i can link to some below bras or whatever sports bras type of things that feel good to you socks maybe you need some compression

6:43 tights all of that stuff just make sure that feels good to you and maybe you need some support like underbelly support an si belt again all things that i will link to below but making sure that you are comfortable and that you feel presentable out in the [Music] world so i have never been a crazy health nut or a crazy gym rat um but i've always done something right and throughout this pregnancy for example i've done yoga

7:11 three times a week religiously and that's not really enough for me i wish i was doing a little bit more but the fact that i'm doing that is a lot and you can get online yoga classes free yoga classes on youtube you can get all sorts of fitness routines that are specifically for pregnancy i know that this is a time when we have less energy and we don't feel like it etc etc but the truth is

7:34 that working out and moving our body in some capacity really is crucial self-care it's going to help you with your birth it's going to help you with postpartum recovery it's going to help you with your mood it's going to help you feel capable of picking up your kids and doing things and being energetic around the house or in your work so i just think it's so crucial it doesn't have to be aggressive or hardcore it can be really really simple but just

7:58 a few minutes of movement every other day or so is really important so yoga walks and maybe full-on workout routines or swimming or something that you get to do so if you're already in that space great keep doing what you're doing my rule for pregnancy has always been something that i feel good doing something that i'm comfortable doing something that i've done beforehand i can continue throughout my pregnancy of course you need to speak to your

8:21 healthcare provider disclaimer blah blah blah blah but uh movement crucial for self-care no news flash there i've done a whole video about how to prioritize your sleep during pregnancy it's challenging but there's a lot of things that you can do so go ahead and watch that video after this one up until this fifth pregnancy i always ate throughout the day when i was pregnant

8:54 however because the last couple of years i've been doing intermittent fasting which basically means that i stop eating at six pm and then i don't eat the next day until 11 or 12 so that my body gets a long stretch of hours where i'm not feeding it anything except water maybe a coffee so about 16 hours where there's no food coming in and my digestive system gets to rest now i'm not an intermittent fasting expert there's plenty of great resources

9:22 out there um but the idea is basically that your metabolism needs to rest and i did that up until i was pregnant and my first trimester didn't work so well for me but beyond that it actually did now you need to ask your doctor and you need to listen to your body i just want to share my own personal experience has been that i feel so much better during this pregnancy because i am doing that not eating consistently and actually

9:44 eating less has really made me feel good and this is not about weight gain although i probably have gained less weight and i probably am less puffy and you might be able to see that if you compare that to other videos when i was pregnant previously um i definitely feel less puffy but i also just feel like my digestive system is so much calmer i don't have tummy aches i feel more energetic um i just feel more in control like i'm

10:08 not emotionally eating as much uh something about it has worked very very well for me and when i feel like oh i really need to eat now of course i do i don't do this religiously but it's been a game changer for me in this pregnancy especially second trimester and beyond and when you get into your third trimester at least for me i feel so cramped and compressed right now like my belly is so tight my baby is taking up

10:31 all this space i don't have much room for food and so very small meals very light meals is actually what feels better for me even though i sometimes have that urge just like everyone else to stuff my face with carbs and sugars i'm doing my very best not to do that because after that moment it feels bad right in the beginning it feels good to eat it but then it feels bad afterwards so really just trying to honor your body

10:52 and eat intuitively and mindfully and not say well i'm pregnant so i should just eat whatever i want because it doesn't feel good it feels bloaty and kind of a little out of control and i have felt much better i've had great energy this pregnancy i've been able to pick up my children i've been able to do a ton of decluttering and organizing in my house i've been able to be very energetic in my work in my friendships in my marriage going

11:19 out nothing physical has stopped me because i'm pregnant right i haven't really not done anything because i'm pregnant and so i think that's because i've been more mindful of my eating habits and also i've always really done yoga throughout pregnancies and that has helped as well while i'm on the subject of foods i certainly try to eat very healthy very clean i'm mostly plant-based always i'm

11:50 usually a hardcore vegan during pregnancy and i have supplements you know prenatal supplements just like whatever you're having whatever you're being recommended um but just really trying to eat clean is extra important when you're growing a human inside you and when you want to keep your immune system really strong and really healthy and really ready for a big experience like birth and for breastfeeding and postpartum recovery and beyond also drinking raspberry leaf tea is supposed to be

12:18 incredibly good for female health and for all of the womb area and pelvic area and organs and so i just chug on that stuff all day [Music] another thing i did this pregnancy was classes with the paula method i'll link below to my good friend michal meller who is an incredible practitioner of the polar method and i highly recommend that you all seek her out for prenatal care and for post natal care so it's all

12:49 about pelvic floor pelvic health in general now one of the reasons that i did this is because i had a pretty traumatic fourth birth my baby had shoulder dystocia which basically means that his head came out but his shoulders were stuck and i was so nervous about this happening again and so i decided that i'm really going to tackle that and this is kind of a mixed tip here but if you have any residue trauma from previous births or if you

13:14 have any big fears about this birth maybe you're really afraid of tearing or of pooping or of uh some kind of emergency situation or whatever you're afraid of whatever's on your mind you want to address it deeply and that's really part of self-care during pregnancy is that you want to go into those places of wait i'm carrying this story i'm carrying this fear i'm carrying this uh this insecurity or this inhibition so that you can release those and work

13:41 through them and prepare them if you're worried about incontinence or if you're feeling uncomfortable down there in any kind of way take care of it go to my friend do the polar method or do another modality that works for you right go to chiropractor go to acupuncture go and get therapy if you need to and i know these are all things that cost money but if you have anything that you can spend on this anything that you can afford or perhaps

14:06 people who can help you for free or resources online like watching youtube videos about it i've learned most of what i know from youtube then it's worth doing it's worth addressing it's worth serving yourself so really kind of take care of your mind and your body in that way don't let those things go they fester they linger they disrupt your birth and they last and live in our body as trauma beyond it's better for us to

14:30 really shine light on them and address them and take care of them so who do you need support from what area of your body needs work maybe you need to work on your core strength or on your pelvic floor floor strength or on your flexibility or on something else take care of those things get the practitioners that you need in your corner go to the therapies that you need or do it for yourself really take care of those things so that

14:52 you can go into birth feeling confident calm healthy well taken care of and in your postpartum and beyond [Music] so i've already said if you have lingering trauma or anything you want to go to therapy you want to journal that out you want to figure it out you want to deal with it for sure don't ignore it but also you need to take care of what's coming in you are extremely susceptible and open and vulnerable when you're pregnant

15:19 you're literally your whole body is going to open when you give birth there is something very very receptive in that feminine energy of being pregnant and giving birth and so you need to be very aware of what energies you're letting in if you have people in your life you find very toxic or very taxing if you have news coming in or social media or comparisonitis unfollow those accounts don't log into them block them whatever it needs to be don't answer the

15:47 phone to those people really really really prioritize taking care of your mind during this time i highly recommend listening to meditations i love bridget taylor's meditations built to birth built to birth dot com i bought her meditation package i think it was ten dollars it was so worth it and i just listened to it on loop all day in my ears whenever i wasn't doing other things or to wind down before bed but also don't let people tell you scary birth

16:13 stories or freak you out or just horror things in general don't necessarily listen to the news if you don't have to don't necessarily listen to people who are always complaining or who are always negative or pointing out everything that's going wrong think about all of the things that are coming into you energetically as well what kind of information sources are you seeking what things are you being exposed to and try to really create this cocoon this bubble around yourself

16:40 of positivity of support surrounding yourself with people who will support you with ideas that will support you and if no one else is doing that for you do it for yourself okay really listen to the people who you find uplifting and encouraging people who believe in you who believe in your body and your birth and your baby people who are going to be focused on positive things that's the type of thing that you have to surround yourself with and you also

17:02 need to protect yourself from any scary stories people love to share scary birth stories or just oh babies or you know postpartum stories or whatever with with pregnant women i don't know why it's not helpful and it doesn't have to be your story so make sure to protect your mind and to stay aware that you're in an extra sensitive time [Music] next you want to set your home up in a way that feels good to you you're

17:30 probably already flooded with nesting urges and that's a great time to capitalize on that i've done so much decluttering reorganizing decorating uh during this pregnancy even though it's my fifth um but it just feels so good it's a natural urge and it makes sense right you're preparing your home for the arrival of this baby you want to nest so if you want to hang up things that are beautiful for you declutter organize make your home beautiful and soothing for you make your

17:56 bedroom beautiful and soothing for you make everything around you as sanctuary-like as possible as pampering as possible and you don't have to buy new things or spend money for that it's more about organization keeping surfaces clean keeping the house clean and i know you're exhausted and you might not have time for this but it could be very energizing actually kind of paradoxically the more you invest in that the more energy that you have and it can uplift you and and kind of free

18:22 up your time because things are running smoothly and you have systems in place so if you need to kind of reorganize your pantry or reorganize your your coat cupboard or all of that stuff go for it give yourself permission to to treat yourself well and to treat your space well it's a profound form of self-care in my opinion it also sets you up well for that postpartum period when you're in a home that works well [Music]

18:50 do you need a pregnancy pillow i lend mine out to friends all the time you don't need to buy your own i bet you could find one in your neighborhood maybe that you could just wash the cover of maybe you need a yoga ball instead of an office chair right so you're sitting on a yoga ball and bouncing and moving your pelvic area and really preparing for birth maybe you need to change up your linen or your sheets or

19:12 something to make yourself more comfortable so really take this time to treat yourself well do you need to put cushions on the chairs that you're sitting on do you need to become more aware of just comfort in general for yourself think about that and make sure that you feel good in your home [Music] i think nature is an incredible source of self-care for us all if you can go out into nature go to the beach to the

19:39 mountains to a hike sitting just outdoors in the playground or if you need to bring nature into you like putting house plants in your house seeing landscapes or beautiful pictures of nature nature is incredibly soothing there is so much metaphor and analogy in nature that helps us think of birth as something that's very natural and beautiful and part of nature part of mother nature and i find it to be a very um grounding source that really

20:08 offsets all of that social media and all of the you know consumerism and all the other stuff that i do engage in and so consider what is self-care for you maybe it's listening to certain books maybe it's going to a museum maybe it's listening to music maybe it's time with your close friends and having heart-to-heart conversations or with your family um really ask yourself what is self-care and i'd love to hear in the comments below what was missing from this video

20:33 for you what increases self-care experience for you and are you giving yourself true permission to take care of yourself during this precious time i think all parents need to prioritize self-care and that should start all the way at the beginning all the way at pregnancy or before and you really want to take care of yourself well remember you're not just doing this for you selfishly although there's nothing wrong with that you're doing this so that you

20:57 can show up and be a sustainable helpful supportive source of energy and and nurturing for your baby and if you are not taking care of yourself you will not have extra energy to give to your child if you show up and you feel great healthy happy taken care of in your body mind spirit and home then you will spill over right all of that great energy all of that great self-care will spill over and you'll be

21:24 able to give to your child so don't deplete yourself now don't bend over backwards to please everybody else first of all take care of yourself you know that phrase if mama ain't happy ain't nobody happy that's what we're talking about here make sure that you are happy make sure that you are healthy as much as is humanly possible and i just want to say that if all of these seem impossible to you like how am i going to have time to do that how do i

21:46 have the budget to do that instead of saying this won't work for me ask yourself how can i make this work for me how can i apply this to my situation can i do it quicker can i do it cheaper can i do it for free can i ask someone for help with this instead of just saying well it's not for me i can't take care of myself i need to be a martyr really try this on for size and see how

22:06 you can make it fit in your life there have been all sorts of rearrangements that i've had to do so that i can still work full-time run my business run my family homeschool my children do all of that stuff and still you know get up in the morning and do my makeup for example which for me is an act of self-care i know some people hate makeup that's fine i used to hate it too but you know

22:25 that's the point is really just think about prioritizing your self-care and making it work for you if this was helpful for you give it a thumbs up if not give it a thumbs down so i know that you don't like this kind of thing and don't forget to hit the subscribe button and the notification bell so that you get my other videos and after this one i really want you to watch the one about pregnancy sleep

22:43 so that you make sure to get good sleep during your pregnancy all right i wish you an absolutely incredible empowering beautiful pregnancy and a smooth healthy birth