YOUR EMOTIONAL WELLBEING DURING PREGNANCY

Pregnancy brings a sense of dichotomy with it, especially to first-time moms. You still have social obligations, are working, paying your bills, and managing your household. Along with this you have a little person growing inside of you that you want to get acquainted with and prepare yourself for, before he or she arrives. Often, that most important aspect of emotional preparation gets neglected.

A friend of mine was trying to get pregnant for years. When she conceived she said something very interesting. She said that she was so focused on trying to get pregnant that she was not prepared for her pregnancy.

Tracy W. Gaudet and Paula Spencer in Body, Soul, and Baby state: “Pregnancy is so all-enveloping that it leaves little space for focusing on the life change.”

This profound life-change is the most important thing you need to pay attention to, and this change is happening with-in you. It is you and your new baby.

Here are a few things to keep in mind as you progress through your pregnancy to make sure you nurture yourself and your child emotionally just as well as you are doing it physically.

YOU ARE FEEDING BABY YOUR EMOTIONS

You must know that your baby feels you! If you are stressed, the baby gets stressed. If you are anxious, the baby will be affected. If you are thinking negative thoughts, well it takes a toll on the baby. This sometimes can have physical manifestations on the unborn child as well and s/he may born unhealthy. Likewise, if you are successfully keeping your stress levels down and have a positive attitude in life, your baby will absorb that attitude.

SPEND MINDFUL TIME WITH YOUR UNBORN BABY

Whether it is reading, singing, talking, or praying with and for your unborn baby, spend some mindful time daily. Create a routine, especially bed time rituals. Learn to give priority to the child and yourself so when the baby arrives, you won’t neglect either, and you won’t be struggling to make bonding time with your baby because you will have already created that routine in your life.

FOCUS ON YOUR MARRIAGE

Pregnancy, especially the last trimester is not exactly the easiest time to be sexy and inviting. But know that your spouse is also anxious and needs reassurance and comfort that everything is going to be alright. For the first-time moms—so far your husband has only known you and has ruled your heart. Once the baby comes, this dynamic will change. This is a good time to focus on your marriage and discuss your parenting techniques, routines, plans, and ambitions so when the baby comes, you will both be on the same page and will support each other.

INCLUDE THE DAD

Once the baby comes, there will be power struggle. Let’s admit it, dads often get neglected and are left out of the initial bonding time between mom and baby. As childish as it may sound, it makes some men frustrated and annoyed with the child. They want to help out, but they don’t know how. Remember, dads are not baby sitters. They are a PARENT. They should be able to play an active role in the upbringing of their children. It is a different story if the father needs to step up his game, what you want to make sure is that you as a mom don’t become an obstacle in their way to taking charge of their children. Pregnancy is the best time to start mindfully involving him in your decisions, dreams, joys, hopes, and fears. Let him know he is just as responsible as you for the wellbeing of his child and that you are a team who will work together, not over or against each other.

SPIRITUALITY

If you are a spiritual or religious person, know that you are transferring your positive energy to your child. Research shows that couples who are more spiritually inclined tend to have more harmonious relationships and calmer children. Pray, meditate, be charitable and kind with the intention that your positive behavior will have a lasting effect on your child’s temperament and personality.

Last but not least love, live, and let live. Remove hatred, jealousy, anger, envy and all negativity from your heart and mind. This is too precious of an experience you are having to be dwelling on something that happened in the past or dwell on something that may happen in the future. Live in the moment, and love every bit of it!

Tags: prenatal, emotional, female