Optimise your pregnancy
Congratulations! Perhaps your journey to pregnancy wasn’t an easy one, or perhaps it took you by complete surprise. Whatever the journey, something miraculous is occurring inside your body, and the most important thing now is to nurture and support the life being formed. There are many things you can do to optimise your pregnancy throughout each trimester and right through to labour. This post will look into some of the more common pregnancy symptoms, however you’re likely to discover there are a whole host of weird and wonderful symptoms that pop up. If you find any of these too intense or unpleasant, it is best to discuss these with your acupuncturist.
Morning sickness
Believe it or not, morning sickness is a good sign. It is an indication that the Qi of your spleen is doing a good job of upholding pregnancy successfully - perhaps a little too successfully! While it is called morning sickness, many women experience it right through the day and night. Eat plenty of sweet potato, carrot and lots of fresh ginger (ginger is a potent anti-nausea herb).
Fatigue
Fatigue is one of the most commonly reported pregnancy symptoms. Your body is working incredibly hard to support the growth of your baby. In particular the first trimester, the growth of the placenta that will be the life support for the fetus takes an enormous amount of mums energy. It is important to allow yourself to feel tired and to rest wherever possible when you feel you need it. Eat foods that are easy to digest and therefore don’t divert energy from the uterus, including cooked vegetables, white rice, soups, stews and broths. Try to establish a regular sleep cycle, getting to bed by 10-10.30. Try not to engage in overly demanding activities, but make sure you include gentle exercise as part of your daily routine, including walking, Qi Gong, yoga and gentle swimming. These will help to improve overall circulation which will help to increase energy and mood.
Exercise
It is important to engage in regular exercise when pregnant, in order to ensure your circulation is optimal. This will help to lower blood pressure (reducing the risk of pre-eclampsia), improve circulation, as well as enhance sleep and mood. It will also help to reduce symptoms such as backache. However, your body is going through an enormous amount of change. The growing foetus requires a lot of energy, and the ligaments and joints, in particular around the area of the pelvis, hips and lower back are shifting and expanding to support growth and prepare for labour. It is important therefore that we avoid exercise that is too strenuous, and which will put additional strain on the joints, muscles and ligaments. You may also notice that you experience shortness of breath and fatigue more easily. Try to listen to your body in these instances, and not to push yourself beyond your limits. Instead, introduce regular gentle exercise focussing on moving, stretching and expanding, including Yoga and Qi Gong. Cardiovascular exercises such as walking and swimming will be a great way to move without asking too much of the body.
Try to keep your pelvis, hips and lower back open throughout the day. Avoid crossing your legs and slouching for too long. When sitting on a sofa, sit on a pillow so your pelvis rests above your hips. A pregnancy ball can be helpful to support correct alignment of the body. This will ensure there is plenty of space for baby to move and stretch, as well as reduce symptoms of pain and discomfort for mum. It will also prepare the uterus and pelvis to be in optimum position for labour.
Cravings
Cravings are a sign the body is looking for a specific energetic stimulation. These should be answered without indulging too much in cold and raw foods, sugar, gluten, milk or cheese. Work out which taste your body wants and try to satisfy these cravings with a healthy alternative. For example, if you crave salty crisps, add a little more sea salt to your meals. If you are craving sugar, eat sweet potato and beetroot. For sour, eat pickles or fermented foods.
Sleep disturbances
Hormones running amuck, a growing baby bump and an increased need to urinate are just some of the reasons you might be struggling to sleep at night. Try to get to bed earlier to ensure you are getting plenty of pre-midnight sleep, which is the most beneficial. Take time to wind down, limiting screen time and making sure you don’t eat a large meal close to bed time. Try drinking rooibos tea, which contains magnesium and calcium which both contribute to a good night’s sleep. Keep the temperature in the room cool, as the body temperature rises during pregnancy and this can particularly be felt at night. The use of essential oils such as lavender, chamomile, bergamot, clary sage and sandalwood can all help to calm the mind. Sprinkle a few drops onto your pillow before going to sleep. If you are able to, try to rest during the day. An afternoon nap will be very beneficial to gain back some of the sleep lost at night, to nourish our blood and Qi. Try to take one no longer than 30 minutes.
Stress
Let’s be honest, pregnancy can be a stressful time. With less than optimal sleep patterns, the worry of the wellbeing of the growing person inside you and a host of new symptoms to deal with, it is natural to feel slightly anxious or stressed. In ancient China, pregnant women were protected from emotional stress, including conflicts within the family and bad news. This enabled the pregnancy to continue in a sanctuary environment. Today this would include political news and scary movies. While a small amount of stress is a normal part of life, it is important for a pregnant women not to engage in too much stress. Avoid reading, watching and listening to pregnancy and labour horror stories, or anything that portrays pregnancy as a chore, an illness or an unpleasant medical condition. Pregnancy is as natural as breathing and should be enjoyed as much as possible. Now is the time to tap into calm within. Try to include daily meditation into your daily routine, as well as walks in nature and plenty of rest. Avoid caffeine, stimulants, and food that is too spicy and hot - these can be too invigorating.
Increased urination
Frequent urination can often be experienced right from the first trimester, but usually tends to become a cause of discomfort in the third trimester. By this stage, the growing uterus can press on the bladder. This can often keep women up at night, impacting the quality of sleep. Avoid caffeinated drinks and sugar, and try to stop drinking fluids 1-2 hours before going to sleep (making sure you’re getting plenty of fluids throughout the rest of the day). Try to keep an eye on how frequently you are urinating, and if you find you are going every 30 minutes or more, try to hold out for at least an hour. An average bladder tends to take 2 hours to fill up, however if we get into the habit of urinating more frequently, the bladder will become more sensitive and it will feel as though we need the loo when we don’t. If you are experiencing leakage, which is common in pregnancy as the pelvic floor muscles begin to relax in preparation for labour, then it might be helpful to do some pelvic floor exercises to strengthen the muscles. If however you feel like there is a lot of tightness and contraction in the area, try to breathe into the area, feeling the pelvic floor relax and drop on your outbreath.
Preparing for labour
Starting a few days before your due date, eat foods that help descend. These include broccoli, dandelion, chicory and endive. Asparagus is a favourite food for labour due to its highly invigorating energetic. Stop all sour foods including pickles and yogurt, and especially stay off cold and raw foods as they will slow movement. Now is the time also to utilise the calm, confident mindset that you have been working on throughout your pregnancy. Practice deep breathing techniques, breathing in for four and out for six seconds. Try to stay active, keeping your pelvis and legs open and stretched. This will help to encourage the baby to move down the birth canal. Acupuncture can be very helpful to make sure baby is in an optimum position, as well as in promoting labour. I will share more on this in another post.
Most importantly, enjoy yourself! Remember that pregnancy and labour are one of the few processes that has remained the same throughout our evolution as a species. Women have been giving birth since the dawn of time, and our bodies are wonderfully designed for this purpose.