One of the main concerns of pregnant women face is the constant struggle to keep up with changes. From the daily routine to food habits and physical changes, there is something new happening every single day.  The whole nine months stretch seems like a very long time to not be in control of your body or not be able to understand the changes it is going through. Your tastes change making you constantly unsure of what type of food you will like and what will make you dash to the sink. Activities that you thought were normal, that you didn’t even consider to be activities, will now seem like really large tasks that you are not confident you can do anymore. Simple things like your morning yoga routine or your walk will have to be put off because you don’t know how your body will react. And this uncertainty can be quite disarming. What do you do then? How do you make sure that you take care of your body when it is slowly becoming something you don’t recognise anymore?

Considering most women can’t work out during their first and third trimester, and some throughout their pregnancy, here are a few tips that will help you cope with better body care for a healthier you and baby:

Eat a well-balanced diet

Cravings are a norm during pregnancy and more often than not those cravings are not what one would call healthy. As much as you will want to indulge in that, ensure that your daily diet has plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains and proteins, supplemented by medicines as required. Eat often. Eat in small quantities. But eat healthily.

Meditate

Give mental health equal importance. Take time out to be in silence. Meditation goes a long way in soothing our senses and calming the nerves. A much-needed therapy at this time.

Beware of Sugar

Several pregnant women are at risk of developing gestational diabetes during pregnancy. While in some cases, the diabetes goes away after child birth, there are cases where women with gestational diabetes are diagnoses with diabetes at a later stage in life. Hence, keep a check on your daily sugar intake. Remember, there is sugar in all the fruits you consume. It need not be sweet but it still has glucose – a form of sugar – in it. That added with the spoonful you put in your morning tea or coffee is enough to throw you over the borderline. Be very careful about this.

Stay Hydrated

Water is good. Keep a bottle of water with you at all times and drink. Not just for staying hydrated but also keeping the flatulence at bay. And I don’t even have to start on how good it is for your skin.

Skin Care

Stretch marks, itchy/flaky skin, pigmentation and dark circles are some of the common skin problems that one sees during and after pregnancy. It is therefore important to take care of your skin during your pregnancy than wait to correct it after the baby is born. Especially since in all probability you won’t even get adequate time then!

• Use a stretch marks prevention cream or lotion regularly. Apply generously all over your body and you’ll see it remains soft and supple in spite of the enlargement.
• Exfoliate once a week and focus on those parts of your body that is prone to stretch marks – hips, waist, thighs, and chest. Scrubbing removes dead cells and promotes regeneration of cells.
• Massage your skin

Prenatal Massages

A good prenatal massage will alleviate the soreness of your muscles and back pain, especially in the third trimester. Consult your doctor first, however, most Speciality hospitals and Gynaecology clinics offer these services for expecting mothers as a part of the prenatal course.

Keep stress at bay

Most importantly, relax. Your body can be brought back to its original form post pregnancy too. It is important that you stay healthy and not worry too much about weight gain or shape changes. Stay happy because that’s the best care for you and your baby.