Getting Your Body Ready for a Baby

Carrying a baby is natural. Like magic, most of the time your body knows what to do on its own. For example, it knows to release hormones like relaxin to relax your muscles, joints, and ligments during pregnancy. But, as the host of another human, I found it important to try and help my body through the process. Thank you doctor google. I was terrified of the horror stories I had read about online from pregnant and postpartum mothers. So, as part of my prenatal process, I tried to focus on 7 factors (I know more than my normal list but they all have a key point, I promise)  to be totally transparent. I failed at most of these sections throughout parts of my pregnancy journey, but I never gave up - that is key! 

1. Supplements -  Find a prenatal and calcium supplement you like and your body is okay with. Start taking them right away and stay on them through the pregnancy. 

2. Pelvic floor - pregnancy = vaginas ripping open, prolapse, leakage, never being able to sneeze, cough or laugh without checking your pants…or does it!  In my 20’s, I went to a Stanford lecture by a professor who specializes in the pelvic floor and maternal care. When I left the 2 hour lecture, I remember thinking: “welp! that is some natural birth control!” Adoption sounded fantastic. After a few months, the terrible stories I heard started to fade and the baby fever started to kick in. Let’s just say I kegeled my way through traffic to and from work everyday, and after that lecture, I started testing out pelvic floor workouts on youtube. I am not a professional and truly have no idea which ones make a big difference but either way you will get a workout. Hopefully it helps your pelvic floor strengthen and all your lady bits stay strongly in place. 

3. Be your version of healthy - this does not mean run a marathon everyday (no one has time for that), completely cut out sugar, carbs, everything good in life, or have a “perfect 6 pack”.  Instead, I made to move and get my heartrate up everyday and drink plenty of water throughout the day. If you are thirsty, you did not drink enough. Keep a bottle of water with you. Your skin will thank you.

4. Eat healthy but don’t let it affect your mental health - as a coffee addict who survived many years off coffee, I can now say cold turkey was not healthy for me and I don’t think it made a big difference in my health. Here are some small things I did that did make a huge difference for me. Switch to water after 2 to 3  cups of caffeinated beverages. Cut out alcohol, or limit to 1 glass every few weeks or months. Add fruits and vegetables, if you don’t already eat them regularly. Find new fun veggie-filled recipes, focusing on what is in season or locally available. In full disclosure, I never know what is in season, so I subscribed to my local farmers market email list. Now, every few weeks the newsletter tells me. It’s the perfect hack for a busy person.   

5. Body weight exercises for your arm -  Babies are heavy! Those little 5-12lb cuties seem so light and fragile at day one but after hours of picking them up, putting them down, soothing them, and carrying them around - they get heavy. I was shocked to find my first only weighed 12lbs at her first doctor’s appointment. I thought to myself “are you kidding me?! only 12 lbs? I’m weak.”  But, with the lack of sleep+break, your cute, chunky thing will start to fatigue your arms, back and overall body - quickly. I wish I would have done more pushups, planks, dips, and simple at-home body weight exercises to prepare for my first.

6. Prepare your back - my back went through hell while pregnant. I put on 40lbs, which is a lot. During the COVID-19 pandemic time, I had to shut down my hotel, which meant stripping beds, cleaning trash, and doing laundry, all while being pregnant. Then i had to move my HR office twice, which meant carrying endless amounts of boxes filled with papers back and forth, up and down a 9 story 300+ room hotel. I did not prepare my back for all these physical demands. When I was 7 months pregnant, I started having horrible sciatic pain. I could not sit, stand, or lie down without pain. Unfortunately, I still experience the sciatic pain. If I could go back, I would 100% have stretched, done workouts to strengthen all the muscle groups. 

7. Practice proper lifting & turning - this goes with preparing your back, but whether you are pregnant or postpartum, your back, legs and arms need practice before the journey. You will be constantly picking up the little one for the next 4-5 years of their cute little lives. So, always remember to lift with your legs/squat/bend your knees, and DON’T do a quick twist with just your soldiers. Preparation before pregnancy and practicing for body longevity is the key. Your future body will thank you. 

Your body is about to be stretched, pushed, kicked, bit, pushed, pulled, possibly ripped and torn. Hope these 7 tips can help ease the stress on you and your body!