Pregnancy is an earth shattering and thrilling time in your life. It is never too soon to start fully embracing all the changes you are going through – in fact, the sooner you start, the better you will feel! The following tips, tricks, and inspirations will help you stay positive, healthy and connected to your body and baby during this first trimester. So give yourself a break, put your feet up, and don’t forget…
1.) Fatigue is normal, and it will pass.
The definition of fatigue does not begin to describe the bone deep, foggy weariness that hangs around you these days. Nothing looks different to the outside world, but inside you are so so so tired. Did you know that in the early days of pregnancy you are exerting the same amount of energy as you would if you were in the gym body building all day? Every day. I had to pass this information along to my husband when he looked at me incredulously at my 7pm bedtime. This too shall pass, Mama…this too shall pass.
2.) Eat your prunes.
So I have started to eat prunes. Yup. It was inevitable I guess, and I urge you, Mama, to start eating them daily. Eat up, buttercup. One of the most annoying side effects of pregnancy is constipation, especially if you have to up your iron intake. Start your regimen early…you won’t regret it! Throw them in a smoothie when they are hard to choke down – the sweetness makes it extra delicious.
3.) Move!
Right now, today, before you lose any more control of your body, start taking care of it. Continue to exercise, stretch, and maintain your flexibility for as long as you and your doctor say you can. Physical activity fights fatigue, is healthy for your baby, and is vital to keeping you balanced. I know it’s hard to add that into an already exhausting day, but I promise we won’t regret it nine months from now. Take time for you. No one else will.
4.) Have Faith.
Believing in the unseen…isn’t that what faith is? Every so often, I have these moments where I’m dubious of this whole pregnancy thing. Am I really pregnant? Really!? How many pregnancy tests have you taken, new mama? If you’re like me, you took two. If you’re like my best friend, you took ten. Either way, your period has gone on an open-ended vacation, and it seems you are really and truly pregnant. Don’t worry; your first doctor appointment will bring proof that there is indeed a tiny miracle growing inside of you. But in the meantime, rely on your instinct, on your gut feeling that you are on your way to mama hood. And if all else fails, look at that pregnancy test again – you know you kept it!
5.) Cultivate a Meditation Practice.
Meditate. Just Do It! Try this meditation on faith: Faith will get you through the early days of your pregnancy. The phrase blind faith didn’t originate out of thin air – faith is the belief in something that we have not yet seen. It’s a powerful thing, to be faithful. Close your eyes, and begin to breathe deeply. Ask yourself where your faith lives. In your heart? In the pit of your stomach? Maybe it’s in your fingertips. Wherever your faith lies, visualize a bright flame in that spot, illuminating the faith you have in yourself, in your new baby, and in the world you are creating for your family. As you breathe in, let the flame get brighter. As you breathe out, visualize that flame warming the world around you. Continue to breathe, and visualize this light until your heart feels settled.
6.) You Are Not Alone.
It is perfectly normal to feel like superwoman one moment – look what my body is doing! – and like the most fragile piece of glass the next – don’t hug me, don’t hug me! Take courage in this universal truth: Women have been having babies for a very long time. You are the next in line to join this sisterhood. You are superwoman. You are strong. You are creative. You are creating…
7.) Embrace The Season You Are In.
We are cyclical beings in the world. Our lives are not linear. Everything happens in cycles and seasons – passion, creativity, wisdom, success – they all ebb and flow. Right now your fertility is taking priority. Let it. Breathe in the morning sunshine, and accept the season your life is in today.
Really embrace this stage you are in. The first trimester only lasts 13 short weeks, and then you’re on to the next phase! A great one, by the way, as most women report feeling much better in the 2nd trimester…hooray!
*Excerpted from The Daily Soul Sessions For The Pregnant Mama book: A daily dose of soul and inspiration for all thrilled, shocked, excited, and delighted mamas-to-be! Available on Amazon now! There are 280 soul sessions – one for every day of your pregnancy. Join The Daily Soul Sessions mama tribe at www.thedailysoulsessions.com. We are dedicated to helping mamas and mamas-to-be stay creative and inspired, and to figure out how to hold onto themselves and their passions while everyone else is holding onto them.
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Join The Daily Soul Sessions tribe! We are 3 sisters, 2 of us are identical twins, Grammy nominated singer/songwriters and recording artists from Denver, Colorado who, when we got pregnant accidentally the first time around, wrote a book about how to stay connected to yourself, your positivity, your creativity, and your inspiration during those crazy 9 months! Now we are all 3 pregnant again with our 2nd babies! Kara is due any day now, and Kate and Kacey (twins!) are due 10 days apart in February of 2017.
