Boost Energy During Pregnancy
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You may feel tired during pregnancy, especially in your first trimester. It’s not uncommon as your body is working as a machine internally to provide a safe home for your baby. But being pregnant and tired doesn’t mean you have to hibernate throughout your pregnancy. There are several things that you can do to help combat feeling jaded and also boost your energy.
Drink Lots Of Water
Make sure that you stay hydrated throughout your pregnancy. You need to drink 2.4 liters of fluids every day, which is around 10 cups of water (1). Water helps carry the nutrients from your food to the baby. It can also prevent hemorrhoids, excessive swelling, urinary tract infections, and constipation. Try to avoid having too many sugary drinks as it can lead to excessive weight gain. And avoid drinking any water late in the evening as it reduces the urge to pee when you are sleeping.
Keep Moving
Before you begin working out, make sure you get your doctor’s OK (2). Although exercise is great for pregnancy, your doctor may advise you to stay away if you have some complications or high-risk pregnancy. It doesn’t matter if you weren’t active before pregnancy, it’s a good time to start now. You can start by walking 15-20 minutes, and slowly increasing it to 30 minutes every day (or most days). Other than keeping your weight in check, it also helps in boosting your energy levels, reducing backache, constipation, swelling, and bloating. You will also get better sleep which is something that pregnant women struggle with often.
Get Enough Rest
Don’t stress your body and mind by overworking during your pregnancy. Listen to your body, and try to get enough rest and sleep. You can also use a pregnancy pillow which will help you in sleeping comfortably with the baby bump.
Have Your Prenatal Vitamins
A nutritious diet may not be able to give you all the vitamins and minerals that your body needs during pregnancy (3). That’s where prenatal vitamins come in. Prenatal vitamins contain folic acid and iron that will help in your baby’s growth and development. Folic acid helps prevent brain and spinal cord abnormalities in the fetus. Your doctor will prescribe you the prenatal vitamins that you may need.
Eat Healthy
A healthy diet is key to a healthy baby as the baby gets all the nutrients from their mother. Eat a well-balanced diet which contains fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, meat, fish, egg and beans, dairy products, and healthy fats (4). If you are a vegan, choose foods that will provide enough proteins, nutrients, and calories for you and your baby. Make your bowl of food as colorful as possible. This will ensure you are consuming a variety of foods. Doctors say “Eat a rainbow” for a reason.
Snack Smart
Pregnancy is a good excuse to indulge in sugary treats and fatty foods. If not now, when, right? But make sure that you don’t overindulge yourself. And try to make healthy choices when you are snacking. You can go for foods that will help maintain your energy level and keep you full longer. Eat foods that are high in protein and fiber. If you feel hungry and are in the mood for something sweet, you can ditch donuts and have a cup of yogurt or a fruit salad with nut butter instead. Yum!
Kick Back And Relax
Pregnant or otherwise, we all know how stress and anxiety can drain our energy. And the ‘what ifs’ and ‘dos and don’ts’ can make women feel more stressed during their pregnancy. Find ways to help you calm down. It could be medication, listening to music, snuggling up with your favorite book, or writing. Anything that helps you calm down!
Pregnancy can be a much more beautiful experience if you are energetic and healthy. You don’t want to be ignorant in those 9 months which could be an amazing period in any woman’s life. You can also talk to a doctor if you feel continuously stressed and tired during pregnancy in spite of doing everything right.
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