8 New Years Resolutions for Pregnant Women
Pregnancy New Year Resolution
Are you ready for 2021? Here are 8 New Year’s Resolutions for pregnant women that you can actually keep and will make you and baby look and feel better in the New Year.
1. Pregnancy Diet - A Healthy Eating Lifestyle
How to Eat Well during Pregnancy?
The effects of a healthy diet in pregnancy were studied and found that women who had higher protein consumption including fish, dairy products, fruits, and vegetables had better vitamins and minerals and were considered to have "healthier" pregnancies than their counterparts. Mothers with a healthy pregnancy diet had babies with better body size, body composition, metabolism, and had healthy newborns of appropriate size. Remember that fish is great for your Omega 3 consumption, but beware of fish with high mercury content. If you want to know which fish to stay away from go check out Pukeology Podcast Episode 5 Foods to Avoid While Pregnant or this blog post https://nomonausea.com/blogs/healthandwellness/foods-to-avoid-while-pregnant-pregnancy-pukeology-blog-episode-5. Did you know your snacks should really only be 150 calories extra? Yogurt and a handful of almonds is about 100 calories, for example. Add a fruit of some kind and you have the perfect snack. Here are some other ideas: Ham & cream cheese, celery or carrots and hummus, mozzarella cheese and cucumbers or tomatoes, hard boiled eggs, cottage cheese and blueberries, chips and salsa, carrots and ranch dressing, apples and cheese, or maybe some yogurt, honey and nuts. Curious to see if your pregnancy weight gain is on point? Go check out Pukeology Podcast episode 12 Pregnancy Weight Gain. Let's be real ladies, you are going to gain weight and about 25 pounds from your baseline is considered healthy.
2.Pregnancy Workouts - Get Active
What Pregnancy Exercises are good?
Most women can safely participate in physical activity while pregnant. There are regulations and restrictions for the first trimester like not lifting more than 20 pounds, but let's be real, if you were active before getting pregnant you can most likely do the same activities with modifications. Find your pregnant tribe! Go on walks together, stroller strides is wonderful if this is baby number 2, get in the pool and swim laps, or get into a yoga studio and meet other pregnant moms during prenatal yoga.
Mothers who are part of the 42% that do exercise during pregnancy have positive benefits including: prevention of excess weight, a lower risk of fetal macrosomia (big baby), and a decreased risk of pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes, C-Section, lower back pain, pelvic pain, and urinary incontinence. Exercise doesn’t have to mean going to a formal class though. Have you thought about dancing around the house while your cleaning, walking to the grocery store, or water Zumba in your personal pool? Whatever you choose make an activity calendar and stick with it. Don't say you’re going to do something active every day for 30 minutes, instead say something very specific and obtainable: I will go for a 20 minute walk every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 4pm, for example. They have great apps these days for tracking your fitness. Try them to hold yourself accountable.
3. Finances - Get your money in check
How to make a budget?
The average cost of raising a child is $233,610. Do you have $200,000 laying around? If so please go buy lots of NoMo Wristbands to help me raise my 2 kids. But seriously, when you find out you’re pregnant, it’s time to put your finances in check. Have a meeting with your financial planner, talk with your banker, (many banks offer these services for free when you have an account with them!) and do whatever you can to get out of debt before the baby comes. Make a list of your monthly income and expenses and decided what you can cut back on. When was the last time you shopped around for car insurance? Maybe you can save some money there. Did that nice sale price you got when you signed up for cable run out? Call the cable company. Many will re-apply to discount for another year. Can you drop to a cell phone plan with a lower monthly rate? Call your credit card company and ask for a lower interest rate, the worst they can say is no. These are some big ticket items that can help you save some dough. Other ideas to stash some cash include having a yard sale or selling unneeded items on apps like LetGo or Facebook Marketplace…which leads us to number four….
4. Clear the Clutter
Spring cleaning in the New Year!
You have no idea the amount of stuff, toys, and baby gadgets you will accumulate while being pregnant, after the baby shower, plus all the extra things you think you've got to have. Make room for this stuff and do it when you have a level head, meaning you're not exhausted from taking care of a baby at all hours of the night. The period of "nesting" is usually associated with your third trimester when your body wants to make the house spotless for the new baby. I have never cleaned base boards, but I was on my hands and knees using a Mr. Clean scrub brush just days before I went into labor, so it is really a thing. Get rid of the things you don't need and make some money doing it. There are plenty of apps like LetGo that others will pay you to get rid of your unwanted stuff. When deciding whether to keep or toss an item, here are some questions that can help you come to a decision: When was the last time you used the item? If it’s been six months or more, you’re probably looking at something you could without. Do you like it (or as Marie Kondo would say, does it spark joy?) If the answer is no, out it goes. Sell it to someone who it will bring joy to. Does it serve a purpose? If not, and it doesn’t bring you joy…you guessed it, out it goes.
5. Be positive
Inspirational quotes in pregnancy to live by...
Try your best to be positive and surround yourself with positivity. Nightmares and raging emotions are common throughout pregnancy, but a happy positive mommy will result in a stress-free baby. Don't sweat the small stuff, and remember a birth plan is just a plan NOT set in stone, so give yourself some wiggle room if it doesn't go according to your plan. After all it is your baby’s BIRTH-day and they decide how they want to come into this world. Try doing a 30 second affirmation to yourself in the morning. It will help center your life and give you some motivational words of encouragement just in case the dreaded morning sickness hits. Don't forget to pick up your NoMo Nausea Band or put it on your baby registry as it will help reduce 80% of upset stomach within seconds with this acupressure infused essential oil wristband. Visit NoMoNausea.com for more information.
6. Rest & Relax
How to sleep better when pregnant?
Not getting enough sleep is actually dangerous for you and your baby. Insomnia or sleep deprivation in pregnancy results in a higher likelihood of preterm delivery and increases the chance of postpartum depression. Up to 73% of women display some degree of insomnia during the 39th week, hence why NoMo Sleepless Nights wristband was created. To help put you to sleep faster, keep you asleep longer, and have your body naturally increase its melatonin (sleep hormone). Find NoMo Sleepless Nights in the kid’s aisle at CVS, but it fits most small to medium wrist women too. Another way to ensure a good night’s sleep, turn the blue light off on your phone and make it go into silent mode after a certain hour so this ensures that you will get a full 8 hours of needed sleep. If this is baby #2 it is a little harder, but start bedtime routine early so that by the time baby #2 comes, baby #1 knows the drill.
7. Believe in Yourself
Your body has just been through or is going through an incredible transformation. You are growing a human being. If you can make a baby, you can do anything in the world. If you have an entrepreneurial spirit and have been too afraid to quit your day job, know that you will have a reason to be successful (I personally know many mompreneurs who saw what was missing in the baby market and invented items that have literally made it easy on the rest of us moms). Maybe your job has too many limitations. Work on your resume and go for that promotion you've always dreamed of. What's the worst they can say? "NO." Then you’re still in the exact same spot you were in. Believe in yourself because if you will it, you can do it. Many moms find that their priorities are changing at this time, so think outside the box. Yes I mean the pill box too. Give yourself a little flexibility, but remember anything you put into or onto your body affects your unborn child. Maybe you've always wanted to try to sell Mary Kay, Pampered Chef, or invent your own product, well here's your chance. You'll have time off of work, and it can definitely keep your mind busy.
8. More Me Time
More ME time! I feel like this is probably the most important, hence why I saved the best for last. Taking time out for yourself is imperative. You cannot pour from an empty cup, so do what fills your cup, whether that's one girls night a month, exercising or doing what you love, getting your nails done (using formaldehyde-free nail polish and organic products that don't smell of course), or just sitting in the bathtub reading a good book. It's your time, so spend it like YOU want. If you are anything like me you do everything for everyone else, recognize that the health of your baby is directly correlated with your health, so putting yourself first isn't being selfish, it's being smart! You are worth it, take time out for yourself, your baby will be healthier and happier because of it. Schedule your ME time! Put a reminder on your phone for a day and time that you will do what you want. Maybe it’s Taco Tuesday, so every Tuesday you get to take a bath or go to your favorite class while you know hubby will pick up tacos. Or save yourself some time and have your groceries delivered so instead of that hour walking up and down the aisles, you spend it on something that is important to you. Not having time is not an excuse. Take excellent care of yourself, you and your baby are counting on it.
There you have it! 8 incredible New Year’s Resolutions for pregnant women and the science behind why each is important. Don't forget to implement your resolutions and stick with them for a healthier and happier you. And buy something for you for a change grab a NoMo Wristband to stop nausea from morning sickness, migraines in your 2nd trimester, or NoMo Sleepless Nights when your getting close to your due date.
