Oh, the holidays! Family gatherings, parties, long shopping days, preparing meals, and possibly traveling long distances – plus the physical and emotional stress of growing a baby – it can really overwhelm you!
With so much going on around you, it can be easy to forget that you still need to prioritize growing this baby over all of the holiday hustle and bustle. We know that can be difficult! So here are our 7 best tips to help you beat the holiday stress and have the happy, healthy holiday pregnancy you (and your baby!) need!
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1.SLEEP – It’s easy to underestimate the importance of getting all of those Z’s, especially during times like the holiday season! And if we’re being honest, you’re probably not getting super great quality sleep as it is (how many trips to the bathroom can one woman take in a night?!) Holidays can mess with that delicate sleep schedule, so you need to prioritize getting good rest when you can! Some ways to help get better quality sleep are making sure to reduce caffeine intake, doing some relaxation exercises (like stretching or meditation) before bed, treating yourself to a warm bath, and limiting fluid intake in the hour or two before bed. And let’s not forget the magic of investing in a pregnancy/body pillow! (Maybe THAT could be on your Christmas list this year!)
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2.Cut unnecessary stress out – Just like everything else in your life now that you’re pregnant, stressing doesn’t just affect you anymore. When we are under stress, our body releases certain hormones like cortisol, which are to blame for the nasty side effects of stress. Some studies have shown us that babies whose mothers were under a high amount of stress during pregnancy had a greater difficulty managing stress later in life. The good news is that you can combat all that stress, and during this holiday season, you can cut out the unnecessary stress. For tips on having a less stressful and worry-free pregnancy, read here!
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3.Balance those meals- It’s as important as ever to make sure that you are still eating nutrient-dense foods amidst the holiday craziness. Enjoy Christmas dinner, but remember to balance it by eating normal, healthy meals for the other two meals that day. Splurge a little, but keep packing those nutrients in by getting fresh fruits and veggies, lean protein, and all the vitamins and minerals you and the baby need!
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4.Move your bump! – Make time to move a little each day, even when visiting family! This can be as simple as bundling up and taking a walk around the neighborhood to look at Christmas lights, or pulling up YouTube for a quick prenatal workout. You can even make this a special time by inviting a family member you haven’t had a chance to catch up with yet, and using the time to chat while you take in the splendor of this season. The increased blood flow and heart rate will leave you both feeling cheerful and refreshed! (And walking can help ease digestion after the big Christmas meal!)
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5.Beware of the germs – With all of the craziness, love, laughter, and celebration, also comes a lot of GERMS! And with all of those germs flying around, it’s crucial to take precaution. Your prenatal vitamins should do you a huge help here, but you can also help by washing your hands frequently and maybe keeping a small distance from that sniffling, sneezing uncle.
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6.Practice Food Safety – While we’re on the topic of sickness, let’s talk about foodborne illnesses. It’s so easy for food to get left sitting out on the counter all day long while everyone grazes on appetizers and leftovers. But foods containing dairy, meat, eggs, rice, sauces, and other “moist” foods need to be put up immediately. Being left out at room temperature for more than 2-4 hours greatly increases the chances of bacterial growth (yuck!) and increases your chances for getting a nasty foodborne illness, complete with diarrhea, nausea, vomiting (which, let’s be honest, you’re probably already used to!) but in extreme cases, it can also lead to death. You might get labeled the resident food police by insisting leftovers get put up shortly after the meal, but at least you saved everyone a few trips to the toilet or trashcan!
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7.Take a backseat on the labor intensive preparation roles – We know that being pregnant doesn’t mean you’re a weak and fragile thing that can’t lift a finger during your pregnancy! We’ve seen all of you beautiful #MumsWhoMove that are having a strong, fit pregnancy. But as we touched on earlier, the holidays just bring about a whole different kind of stress. So for your sake, and the baby’s, it’s okay if you take a backseat on the preparation this year and take some time to get off your feet each day. You don’t have to help prepare every meal, and you don’t have to clean up after every meal either. Your family understands that you have a huge task in healthily growing this baby, so rest in that, and relax this time around. You can make up for it next year!
We hope these tips help you have a happy and healthy holiday pregnancy, and we’d love to hear any other tips you have for other mums-to-be down in our comment section below.
Happy Holidays!
