Ali's Positive Pregnancy Vibes
I hope you had a chance to read Ali's first guest post this week here. She talks about how acupuncture has aided her pregnancy journey. She also shared with me four activities that as she says "have helped in giving me the optimistic tune-up I was in desperate need of" throughout her pregnancy so far. Take a read, I think they are applicable to everyone.
Increased water intake:
I’ve never been a water drinker and I was horrified upon reading somewhere that a pregnant woman should drink up to a gallon per day. But when I heard that increased water intake can also assist with milk production during breastfeeding I decided it was finally time to take the plunge (literally). This water bottle changed my life. No joke. It keeps cold water cold for over eight hours, and supposedly hot beverages hot but I’ve never tried that. I got the 40 oz. one (which admittedly is a little insane) with the straw attachment and I’ve gone from being a two-glasses/week kind of gal to a 120 oz./day kind of gal. #lifechanging
Creating a nighttime bath time routine:
I wanted to find a way to recreate that calming environment I love so much at spas and at my acupuncturist’s office. Mine bath involves a few tea lights from IKEA, a cup of Epsom salts, this almond oil, this aromatherapy oil*, and this guided mediation (I wear headphones, make the monitor black, and just sit up in the tub and do it). * I also bought a 2 oz. spray bottle and use a diluted solution of this oil to spray on my pillows and my neck and chest before bed.
No more online garbage:
Sure, it can be wonderful to connect with other moms but for me I found that the online forums I was browsing really only increased my fears as I flew down the rabbit hole of “what ifs.” Instead, I’ve committed to filling my brain with positivity and humor, and ditching the online forums once and for all. Some books in my current rotation are Bringing Up Bebe (an American mother’s take on French parenting), Ina May Gaskin’s Guide to Childbirth (loaded with positive birth stories and even goes as far as implying childbirth can be orgasmic for Mom - hey, we can all dream!), and Hypnobirthing; The Mongan Method (filled with helpful deep relaxation and visualization techniques).
Giving my face a present:
I was blessed with nice skin thanks to my mom’s Hawaiian-Chinese heritage, but all that changed when I got pregnant. Perhaps it was due to the old wives tale about little girls “stealing their mom’s beauty” but my face proceeded to break out in all sorts of funky ways during early pregnancy - not just nameless bumps and zits but darkened discoloration in large patches. “Where’s my healthy pregnancy glow?” I consistently bemoaned to anyone who would listen, and apparently enough times to my mom that she surprised me with a Clarisonic face brush. I’ve always been interested in them but had a hard time justifying the cost. Well, let me tell you, in my case there’s no going back. I love this brush. It was such a nice present to receive and while life is not all about outer appearance it sure does feel better to have a fresh face when your body is going through some many other weird and unfamiliar changes.
I’m happy to report that my good days officially outweigh my bad. Dare I say I’m really starting to enjoy this pregnancy thing. I hope that in sharing my story I can help add insight for some of the other mamas-to-be out there who might be suffering from some of the same issues.
Amen Ali!!! I especially appreciate the 'no online garbage' rule! So important!
xx Ly