Pregnant During the Pandemic: How to Stay Sane While Staying Home
others moms-to-be share what they’re doing to manage anxiety
We try to keep things dreamy and positive here at Nurtured 9, but it's impossible to ignore the current troubling circumstances that we are facing with COVID-19. We all know the daunting details, the awful reality and the bottom line: stay at home. So, we won't hash those out here. Pregnancy can be stressful enough...without a pandemic, so what can mom-to-be do to ease her mind and take care of her body during this stressful time?
First, we've asked expectant mamas what their go-to methods are for staying as calm as can be while hunkered down at home. Here are some ideas to help keep you relaxed, refreshed, and sane:
*Nest. You're home all day, so you may as well put the time to good use. Wash and sort the baby clothes, decorate the nursery to your dreams content. Get crafty: make a mobile, a piece of art to welcome baby, or a creative height measurement tracker for on the wall. Organize the drawers, cabinets and closets you've neglected...this will NOT get done once baby arrives, so do it while you can!
*Vision Board. In times like this, it's important to picture the light at the end of the tunnel. You may be stressed right now, so visualize the calm after the storm. And put it on paper--or on your computer desktop! Crafting itself can be an escape, so combining that with visualizing your future life with your beautiful baby is a powerful tool. Mom-to-be Suzanne even prints out positive affirmation cards and pops a new one on the fridge each week as a reminder of just how amazing she and this journey really is!
*Make a happiness playlist. Music is powerful Mama! Put all of your absolute favorite feel good songs in a playlist; maybe name it Baby or Pregnancy or something else that will make you smile. You can use it to boost your mood and relax now, during delivery and to spur some happy tears down the road when you play it while looking at the stunning life you created running around the house!
*Be present. Whether you practice yoga or not, being stuck at home is a great time to...Be. At. Home. Take moments throughout your day to stop, look around, absorb the space you're in, the moment you are in. It's all about to change, so embrace this moment, these feelings. Connect with yourself and your baby growing inside of you. Our friend Suzanne listens to a meditation from her hypnobirthing class every night to help relax her mind and body and stay grounded. Mom-to-be Lauren says isolation has given her permission to simply rest, to slow down--read, nap, settle in and feel those sweet baby kicks.
*Cook. If you're close to your due date, prep and cook meals to freeze for when baby arrives. If not, find fun ways to spend those extra few hundred calories! Or learn to cook a new cuisine. Not your first pregnancy? Cooking is a fantastic way to engage your kids...with the benefit of delicious treats at the end (it was for the kids, right? *wink wink*).
*Give. One of our expectant Mamas purchased a candle for each of her pregnant friends and plans on lighting them when they go into labor as a way of sending them lots of love and positive vibes.
*Have date night. Sure, you can't go out, but these times before baby are so important for you to stay connected with your partner. Since you can't go out for a date, keep the romance alive by cooking (or safely ordering in) something yummy, lighting candles, sitting at the table instead of in front of the TV...you can even dress up!
*Prepare. Speaking of labor, Lauren says she has packed (and repacked) her hospital bag multiple times during. Why not?! Our resident stylist Liz Teich has a whole article to inspire and guide you through the must haves: https://thenewyorkstylist.com/hospital-bag-checklist/. Lauren is also reading all of those baby books that maybe otherwise would be making a cute nursery accessory.
*Exercise. Several of our favorite expectant Mama contributors said they practice yoga a few times a week--Jane Austin's yoga is offered on Zoom! There are plenty of fantastic prenatal work outs online to keep you moving and feeling super powerful during these times--find one you love and you may even find a happy mom-to-be community out of it! Or, take Lauren's advice and get outside--walk, bike...get the mail!
*Find a self-care ritual. Our favorite at Nurtured 9 through pregnancy and beyond is a sequence of exfoliating, moisturizing and cozying up...it's the reason we created the Relax & Refresh Pregnancy Gift Box. Find a ritual that forces you to unwind; that makes you feel truly indulgent and pampered. Lauren says writing down her feelings of doubt, fear, happiness in her pregnancy journal has helped her stay calm.
*Connect & Disconnect. Our friends at Baby Notebook have created a virtual group for moms and moms-to-be where you can talk highs and lows and everything in between during these crazy times. They also host a loving and kindness meditation live on IG @babynotebook MWF at 7am. Join them! Or, find another someone somewhere out there that speaks to you to remind yourself that you are not alone. On the flip side of that, both Liz and Lauren have attributed some of their zen to steering clear of the news--of over-watching, over-reading and over-analyzing--time to unplug!
*Focus on YOU, Mama. We can't control what's going on around us, but we can control how we react. Liz reminds us of her go-to survival tips for staying sane on lockdown: https://thenewyorkstylist.com/stay-at-home-survival-guide/. And our dear mom-to-be Lauren put it best...
"The most important calming practice is reminding yourself of your light, whatever that may be. It took my husband and I three years to become pregnant with a healthy child. Three years that we waited (mostly) patiently for. I remind myself everyday how thankful and fortunate we are that we’re here, ready to bring life into this world. This is the biggest stress reliever I have right now. Whatever your light may be, just remind yourself of it every day. Remind yourself so many times that it becomes your first and last thought of the day."
As we at Nurtured 9 have always said, pregnancy is the most important time to make yourself #1. Since life is so uncertain outside those walls, make one thing certain...take the BEST care of yourself!! After all, taking the best care of yourself is also taking the best care of the baby precious growing inside of you.
With this in mind, we rounded up some tips from health experts on how to boost your immune system to fight both COVID-19 and other illnesses while pregnant:
*Continue your exercise routine. Exercising flushes bacteria out of your system and raises your body temperature to prevent bacteria from growing. Plus, the boost of endorphins can clear your mind and put a smile on your face.
*Hydrate. This is a no-brainer during pregnancy anyway, but staying hydrated also makes you better equipped to fight off bacteria and infection.
*Eat nutritious food. If you weren't already motivated to eat healthy during pregnancy, think about the food you put in your body creating a coat of armor for your and your baby!
*Sleep. I mean...twist our arms! Studies show that good sleep can boost your immune system. Plus, you need all the rest you can get before baby joins you.
*De-stress. Stressing out puts stress on your whole body--including your immune system. So, do your best to ease your mind. We know this is difficult during this time, but try some of our techniques above from other moms-to-be to relieve your stress & relax.
Special thanks to our beautiful expectant mamas, Lauren Fitzgerald @laurencfitzgerald, Suzanne Hansson @babynotebook & Liz Teich @thenewyorkstylist. Stay safe, healthy & enjoy this time with baby ❤️