Self-care is such an important priority during pregnancy, not just for mom’s sake! Your baby needs you calm, healthy and connected.

When I was in my second pregnancy, I was juggling parenting my son who was just 1 year and 3 months old, working at a demanding job, plus maintaining my marriage and of course…my pregnancy.

There were times I felt like my schedule was controlling me, instead of the other way around. I felt stressed out, tired and out of alignment.

I knew my baby needed me to be there for her, and so I decided to STOP and make a commitment to the things that truly mattered, and to regular self-care.

Let’s face it, in our modern lives, we take a lot upon ourselves and it’s so easy to get overwhelmed.

One of the reasons a lot of moms run themselves ragged during their pregnancies is because their own mother did, and so did their grandmothers. It somehow becomes ingrained in our psychology that that is the way life is.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

By creating your own self-care habits you can change these patterns, and help your baby have a calmer, healthier pregnancy.

(It will also make sure you don’t pass on these patterns to your baby.)

7 Mom Self-Care Habits To choose from!

Here are some suggestions to inspire you:

1. Start your day right

When you wake up, instead of jumping right on social media, take a little time to start your day in a more centered and intentional way. You can drink something healthy (I like warm water with some lemon juice!), and take a little time to just be, breath, (maybe journal) and set intentions for the day ahead. What’s important to you? How do you want to feel today? What are your priorities? Do you have a plan set out with the 3 most important things you want to accomplish this week? Being intentional about your time can help reduce anxiety and allow you to get more done 🙂

2. Consume your favorite inspiring content

What get’s you feeling excited, empowered, insightful? Consuming the content that makes you feel good, not only has a positive impact on your mood and productivity, but on baby too. On the flip side, allowing yourself to be exposed to content that makes you anxious, fearful or tense is something to stay away from as much as possible for you and baby’s sake.

3. Connect with good friends and supportive family members

There’s nothing more calming and relaxing than being in good company that makes you laugh and shrug those worries off your shoulders! If anything is worrying you, making you sad or afraid- make sure to make that date. Being in the company of others, literally makes the load less heavy, because you all share in it together. So use your social support as much as possible. If you don’t have friends and family living close by, you can find community online.

4. Move your body

Light exercise that makes your blood flow and gets you breathing air is great to release tension and get more energy. Partnering up or listening to music you love while exercising can make it even more enjoyable.

5. Schedule time to be with your partner

This is a big one. We all have busy schedules, but making the time for a weekly date is essential to maintain your relationship and have the conversations you need to have. Have fun! and also talk about the future, brainstorm together, and plan out things you know are coming up. It will make you feel calmer and more prepared.

6. Delegate!

As part of planning your time and your actions, see where you can get more help. This is important especially if this isn’t your first pregnancy, and you have more children to take care of. But even if it is your first pregnancy, you may need to rest more, so asking for help where you need it can be essential.

7. Find a spiritual practice

Educating yourself and improving your mindset is essential during pregnancy. It will help you move through the physical challenges much more easily as well make you a higher vibe environment for your baby to grow in. The more calm, connected and inspired you feel- the more open baby will be to connect with you, and open their senses for growth and development.

Make a commitment to even one small thing you do for yourself every day to nurture your body, heart, and soul!

What will it be? Share with me in the comments! 

Also, to gain more awareness about your connection with your baby, take the Baby Bonding Pregnancy Quiz!

Author: Tal Mandelbaum
Tal Mandelbaum is a trained social psychologist, a spiritual teacher, and a mom of two. She teaches online courses and workshops for spiritual seekers, who want to have a calmer, healthier more consciously connected relationship with themselves, others, and spirit! Follow her on Instagram for more spirituality insights and inspiration!