Take Care of Mama: 11 Pregnancy Self-Care Tips

Being pregnant can be one of the most exciting and reflective times in your life. While your first priority is likely the new addition to your family, it’s important to remember that taking care of yourself is also a way of supporting your baby.  

At 8 Sheep Organics, we’ve looked through various mommy forums and blogs, and compiled the top 11 tips to help you focus on self-care while going through the wonderful journey of pregnancy.

Tip #1: Focus on a Healthy Diet

Eating a variety of fruits and vegetables will help fuel your body and improve your mood. 

There’s no magic formula for a healthy pregnancy diet. However, the basic principles of heating eating includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and healthy fats. Here are some important macronutrients, vitamins, and minerals you’ll want to focus on.

Folate and Folic Acid

Folate is a B vitamin that helps promote a healthy pregnancy. Aim to include great sources of folic acid, such as fortified cereals, leafy greens vegetables, dried beans, peas, and citrus fruits.

Calcium 

Both you and your baby need calcium to help build – and maintain – strong teeth and bones. Calcium helps your muscular, circulatory, and nervous systems run smoothly as well. 

Dairy products are the best sources of calcium. But don’t forget to include kale, broccoli, fruit juices, and breakfast cereals that are fortified with calcium too.

Vitamin D 

Vitamin D also helps play a role in strong bones and teeth. Fatty fish, like salmon, is a great source of vitamin D. You can also include fortified milk and orange juice to meet your daily calcium requirements. 

Protein 

Protein is essential for not only your body but also your baby’s growth and development throughout pregnancy. To incorporate more protein into your diet, opt for lean meat, poultry, fish, eggs, beans, nuts, seeds, and soy products. 

Iron 

Our bodies use iron to make hemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen to the tissues. During your pregnancy, you will need twice the amount of iron than you normally would. Your body requires iron in order to produce more blood and supply oxygen to your baby.

Lean red meat, poultry, and fish are great sources of iron. However, you can also find iron in beans, vegetables like spinach, and iron-fortified cereals.

Finally, it is also important to understand which foods you’ll need to avoid during your pregnancy.