1. Eating Healthy + Taking Supplements
Feeding your body right and staying healthy is vital to the health and development of your baby. It is one of the most important ways to take care of yourself and support the growth of your little bean during this time.
Maintaining a balanced, nutritious diet is linked to good brain development and an overall healthy baby. It can also help reduce the risk of many birth defects, as well as help with pregnancy symptoms such as fatigue and morning sickness.
Once you reach your second and third trimesters, it is recommended to increase your calorie intake to help support both you and your baby. As your baby grows, it will begin to need more nourishment.
Which brings us to... vitamins & supplements! They are so helpful during this time but, you might be asking "well what supplements should I be taking specifically?" Our recommendations are:
Additionally, our Goddess tea blend was SPECIALLY formulated for women. It harnesses the power of fierce flora like chrysanthemum, lavender, and shatavari to bring enhanced balance to your body and mind.
Shatavari has proven benefits for women such as strengthening female fertility, nourishing reproductive organs, increasing breast milk production, and providing nourishment to the mother and fetus during pregnancy. It has even been linked to stabilizing one's mood and emotions during the menstrual cycle. Within it can be found vitamin A, B1, B2, E, potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, riboflavin and folic acid.
*Sidenote!
Limiting your caffeine and sugar intake is something to keep in mind—
Caffeine increases your blood pressure and heart rate, both of which are not recommended during pregnancy.
High sugar intake has been linked to various complications related to development such as poorer cognitive skills. The same is true for young children who consumed greater amounts of sugar during early life.
2. Taking Care of Your Physical + Mental Health
We can not stress it enough, but you need to be focusing on living your most stress-free life... particularly right now!
When you are stressed—it impacts your growing baby.
How you may ask? First of all, high stress levels that continue for an increased amount of time can lead to various health issues for both you or baby. It can cause subtle differences in brain development in your child and can also increase the chances of having a premature baby.
Now we know that this info may stress you even more, but it is important to be aware of. Of course stress during pregnancy is normal, but when it becomes a constant—that's when it becomes a problem.
Drinking warm, soothing beverages can help bring a sense of calm and reduce stress. We also recommend prenatal and post-natal yoga practices (even if you can't get out the house there are some great Youtube classes).
Regular meditations and affirmations can also make a huge difference. Getting that right mindset and feeling/thinking positively throughout your pregnancy can have a huge impact.
Make more time for yourself and simply just relaxing. You and baby are top priority right now!
3. Staying Connected + Creating a Community
Having a group of women that you can lean on and people that you can relate to can make all the difference before, during and after your pregnancy.
Forming this bond between others moms, also creates bonds for your little ones and often friends for life. This is such a special connection. There are so many groups out there that you can join to find your village. In Calgary, a few of our recommendations are: Mommy Connections, Vecova, Calgary Public Library programs, and Calgary Birth Essentials.
Becoming a part of such groups or participating in these activities has a bigger impact on your social well-being than you would think during this time. Staying connected is so important—especially for new moms.
If you are feeling lost, having a tougher day or just want someone to talk to... It is crucial to have people in your life you can turn to—having this support system can significantly help reduce any maternal stress you are experiencing, as well as reduce postpartum depression. You don't need to do anything alone, so don't be afraid to reach out to new people and create your own special community of women.
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