A Healthy Pregnancy=Balance, Mindfulness, and Letting Go of Trying to Be Perfect

I shortened my "birth plan" entry and took out the stuff about my road to healthy eating and wellness. I wanted to shorten that post and have it just focus on the birth plan, and then write a separate entry all about having a healthy pregnancy because I realized there was more I wanted to say. SO I took it out of that post and added it below, as well as some other stuff.

I started getting into natural and alternative health shortly after high school. I started paying attention to what I was eating and learning more about nutrition and how it can affect us in a negative or positive way. I have always been very physically sensitive, with stomach problems, low energy, and getting sick a lot. Back in Jr. High I was the candy and junk food queen! That time in my life was so traumatic that I honestly think I ate junk as a drug, as a way of getting through all of my anxiety. I have struggled off and on with overeating as a way to comfort myself, but for the most part my diet is very balanced now. I noticed a big difference in my moods and energy level when I started cleaning up my diet and being more mindful of my choices. I firmly believe in indgulging every once in a while though. It's all about balance. I have gone to both extremes. From eating the most terrible stuff out there to obsessively eating only the best and being very restrictive and rigid. Neither extreme is healthy. The mental stress that comes from trying to be perfect all the time is exhausting. Interestingly, during this pregnancy I have eaten more fast food and candy and other things I wouldn't normally eat. I have only eaten these things a few times, but it has been collectively more than I have eaten in years. I have felt so guilty! But at the same time I feel like it is balancing me out a little. I am trying to do the best I can with my diet, and I'm trying to choose things that are good for the development of my baby, but I have also decided that if I eat the ocassional "bad" food item my baby isn't going to grow horns. I do feel that food is fuel, and I'm trying to fuel my body with things like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, yogurt, lean meat, nuts, and beans. I just can't stay in such an extreme place of trying to be perfect. It has been good for me to relax a little bit. Sometimes mommy needs to eat a candy bar! Sorry baby.

I do feel that these indulgences should be occasional, because if it gets too out of control you aren't going to feel healthy and strong enough to get through pregnancy and labor, and then transition into the exciting but sometimes stressful phase of new motherhood. If you aren't taking care of yourself you aren't going to be able to function the way you need to. In our society we tend to think that pregnancy is an excuse to eat whatever you want, but shouldn't you care more about what you are putting into your body during pregnancy? You are growing a little person, and they deserve to be fed well and nourished. So do you. I am not saying any of this to be judgmental, because I know how hard it is to keep eating under control during pregnancy. In the last couple of weeks I have had so many more cravings, and have had to stop myself on a daily basis from pigging out on a whole pint of ice cream. I'm just trying to keep it all in check, and not because I don't want to gain too much weight. I will gain as much as my baby needs me to gain, but I would like the weight to come from high quality foods.

Aside from diet, I have also found exercise to be extremely helpful with my anxiety and energy level. I have tried different things throughout the years, and have settled on yoga and walking as my current favorites. I do like the occasional weightlifting and toning regimen, and I plan on doing some water aerobics in the third trimester. I would also like to train for another half marathon after I have the baby and recover. Being mindful of diet and exercise, for me, is not about an obsession with being a certain weight. It is about taking care of my body so that it can do what it needs to do and function at its highest level.

(This stuff was written before I realized I was having pubis symphasis issues, so now my exercise routine is very slooooow walking a few times a week. I can't do all of the intense squats and lunges I was doing from my yoga DVD, but for now it is fine. I have been resting and trying to relax and let it all go)

I have learned that there is no need to be obsessive. That only leads to stress and over-eating and guilt, and then the cycle repeats itself. As long as about 80-90% of the foods you are choosing are healthy, then the occasional indulgence isn't going to hurt anyone. Same thing with exercise. If you can find a type of exercise that is enjoyable to you, and then you do that a few times a week, you're good. I believe that these things can help you deal with the stress and physical discomfort of pregnancy, and help get you ready for labor and delivery. Keeping it simple and balanced leads to the best results and the least amount of mental anguish and stress.