How I've Prepared For A Healthy Pregnancy

Dr. Jenna Arts's picture
Posted by Dr. Jenna Arts
on May 20, 2016 - 10:03am
Life By Design

I’ve loved being pregnant.

Really, I have!

Obviously, those moments when the nausea kicks in or I’ve woken up for the tenth time that night to change positions or little feet are kicking my ribs are not the most memorable moments of my pregnancy… but underneath I recognize that they are part of the process of growing another human. 

Which is pretty amazing!

It’s amazing that our bodies are so intelligently designed that they create and grow an entire human being from only two cells. 

One of the reasons I’ve enjoyed my pregnancy so much is because I haven’t changed much in my life. Sure, there have been modifications, which I’ll share below… but my body is still designed to be amazing, and it still has the same neurological, thought, movement and nutrient requirements. So for me, becoming pregnant didn’t change my lifestyle habits.

So if you are pregnant or plan on being pregnant in the future I want to share with you what I did to best prepare myself for an enjoyable experience.

Please keep in mind that these are strategies that I found really helpful and my intention is to share what worked best for me which may not be what works best for you. 

Power By Design

I’ve continued to get my spine checked and adjusted if necessary every single week. Not because my Chiropractor has the nausea-adjustment or the little-feet-kicking-ribs-adjustment, but because he is an expert at identifying core problems in my spine that are affecting my body’s neurological system which affects every aspect of my health.

There were a few weeks that my body was processing something fierce (this isn’t uncommon for Mom’s immune system to become compromised to protect baby) and during these weeks I slept more and was checked and adjusted an extra time each week.

It was important to me to remain consistent with my care schedule because it’s helped me prepare for a safer and easier birth, for both baby and I by:

  • Restoring pelvic distortions that have developed due to the growing size of my belly and hormonal changes. This helps baby to be more comfortable and me to be more comfortable. 
  • Increasing my odds for a shorter labour and delivery time. Which is less stress on both baby and I.
  • Decreasing the odds of needing interventions during the birth. Again, win-win for both baby and I. 

If you aren’t already seeing a Life By Design Chiropractor but want to take advantage of these benefits during your pregnancy click here to find one near you.

Move By Design

I’ve continued to focus on joint-to-joint mobility, strength training and conditioning four days a week at CrossFit and incorporated more walking into my weekly routine.

Obviously, I’ve made modifications to my movement patterns at the gym. During my first trimester I experienced a lot of nausea and fatigue so moved at a slower pace overall. I pushed myself to work at a pace that still felt safe and comfortable without using my pregnancy as an excuse to sandbag it. 

During my second trimester I felt as if I’d gotten a second wind! I started sleeping better, the nausea went away, my appetite was back, and I felt stronger at the gym than I had in months. I ended up increasing the amount of weight I was lifting compared to my first trimester and even competed in my very first CrossFit Open.

During my third trimester my energy levels have decreased again and the amount of laxity in my joints feels different. I’ve continued to walk and have been able to continue to participate in classes at CrossFit but with many more modifications. I do sumo deadlifts instead of deadlifts, I row instead of run and I do ball slams instead of toes-to-bar. And as the weeks go on I make more and more and more modifications with the help from my coaches.

Throughout all three trimesters my priority has always been to safely perform each movement. To be acutely aware of how my changing body needs to accommodate each movement. And to never exert myself too much that I’m not able to breathe properly throughout the workout. My goal is not to PR any of my lifts or practice skills I was never proficient in in the first place, but to build on the strength, conditioning and mobility that I entered into my pregnancy with.

Eat By Design

I’ve continued to Eat By Design throughout my entire pregnancy, although admittedly, there have been days where it has been a real challenge. For me the nausea dramatically affected my appetite in the first trimester and it was difficult to eat anything at all. Ironically, the longer I went without eating, the more nauseous I felt. So for the first few months I would eat small meals every few hours even if I didn’t feel physiologically hungry.

Since what my body felt like eating differed so much from day to day, I found that food prep wasn’t working for me. I would prep a bunch of food on Sundays that looked, smelled and tasted delicious one day, but be completely unappealing the next. I was starting to waste food, and knew I needed a different strategy. 

Dr. Rachelle recommended that on days I didn’t have an appetite to go to the grocery store or market and just browse for foods that stood out to me (while obviously sticking to the outside perimeter of the store.) I enjoyed stores like Farm Boy, Whole Foods or Goodness Me that have a freshly prepared hot and cold food bar with a variety of nutrient dense foods to choose from. Meals most days were a big salad with a random assortment of By Design ingredients tossed on top.

As I’m well into my third trimester my appetite is back although no more or less strong than pre-pregnancy. I am eating slightly more food in a day, but my meals are smaller and occur much more often. I’ve found this keeps my energy most consistent and also accommodates the fact that there’s not as much room in my belly to eat a large meal anymore. My meals all consist of a healthy protein source to help me feel full longer, I’m eating healthy fat sources and nutrient dense foods, continuing to take my essential supplements daily, drinking a ton of water and increasing the amount of iron-rich foods like organ meats.

Think By Design

I think that this is the weakest link for most pregnant women who are already living healthy lifestyles. Most women I’ve met over the past eight months that have continued to eat healthy and exercise throughout their pregnancy still have enormous limiting beliefs and fears surrounding their pregnancy, the birth and parenthood.

And I get it, especially for first time Moms. There are a lot of unknowns and things you haven’t experienced just yet. But worrying, complaining and blanking out to the realities of your pregnancy, birth and journey as a parent are some of the most destructive things you can do during your pregnancy. 

Instead, I have done my absolute best not to take anything personally. Being pregnant brings with it a flood of unsolicited advice. Most of it with loving intentions, but nonetheless not always rooted in conversations that will match your values. My suggestion is to surround yourself with people who are planning or have experienced a similar pregnancy and birthing experience to the one you want to have. If a natural, physiological birth is something that is important to you, find like-minded parents that have experienced that and avoid conversations with women who have chosen a different path.

Next, surround yourself with the right team. Choose your primary care provider wisely, whether that is an obstetrician or midwife, be informed when choosing this person and don’t be afraid to ask their opinion or predominant practice on certain tests, procedures or interventions. Decide who you want to attend your birth. For me it was important to hire a doula as a labour support coach. She has since doubled as our hypnobirthing instructor and has been such an anchor in preparing my husband and I for the birth. 

Last, create rituals and rhythms to set yourself up for an enjoyable pregnancy and birth. For me it has been to journal about things I am grateful for during my pregnancy, to read often about ways to best prepare for the birth and transition into parenthood, to practice the relaxation and breathing techniques I learned in my hypnobirthing class and to listen regularly to positive birthing affirmations. 

I have truly enjoyed my pregnancy because my world wasn’t flipped upside down.

I’ve made tweaks to my lifestyle but overall my body’s requirements have remained the same.

If you are pregnant or plan on being pregnant in the future I hope that reading about my experience has been helpful and left you with some strategies to help you have a healthy, happy and enjoyable pregnancy too.

For more simple By Design recipes to help keep your body nourished throughout your pregnancy why not pick up your copy of the Eat By Design Cookbook. I’ve created it in the form of a 28-day meal plan (plus grocery lists!) so you don’t need to think about what’s for breakfast, lunch or dinner for the next month. Or you can grab the first 7 days FREE by clicking here.

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