10 Ways to Treat Yourself When Pregnant

Let's be honest, being pregnant is not always fun. There are times when you truly feel like sh!t, there will be days when it takes you an hour to get dressed and then sometimes you will feel great. But it's important to do things for yourself and it certainly doesn't hurt to continue doing some of these things after you have kids. I know for me personally that if I don't take care of myself and do something for me every once in awhile, I will turn into a basket case b-i-t-c-h. :) So, here are 10 ways to treat yourself when you are pregnant:

1. Do something you enjoy that you don't get to do very often. This can mean different things for different people obviously but if there is an activity or outing that you usually don't take part in, maybe due to cost or location, just do it.

2. Get a prenatal massage. I get monthly massages and have for several years (it's really the only "me" money I use every month) and I wasn't going to stop just because I was pregnant. Find a masseuse you like or hear good things about, make sure they can do prenatal massage (that is key!) and get a massage or two.

 

3. Take a bath. Yup, that's right. Fill your tub with warm water (not too hot of course), light the candles, dim the lights, put some aromatherapy oils in your bath water and grab a book or magazine. I did this a lot during the first and second trimester. If you're nervous about using aromatherapy oils, just do a little research online to find out which ones are safe during pregnancy and which to stay away from. 

4. Block out a chunk of time on a day off and partake in one of your favorite hobbies. Many times in our busy lives we don't get to spend as much time on things that make us happy. Literally schedule a morning, half day or full day to do a hobby or work on a project that brings satisfaction.

5. Aside from the prenatal massage, spend some time at a spa. Get a facial, pedicure, wrap, whatever suits you. Just make sure they know you are pregnant ahead of time so they can prepare the right products for you. You will realize later how glad you are that you got that facial or pedicure. Or hit up your favorite little nail shop for a cheaper pedicure alternative. 

6. Treat yourself with a couple new pairs of cute underwear. Yes, they may be in a larger size than you normally wear but that doesn't mean you have to get something basic or ugly. Cute underwear can help you feel cute even on the worst of days.

7. Do things you don't normally do for your hygiene. This probably sounds like a weird one but let me give you some examples. You are going to pee a lot and you are going to have extra stuff going on "down there" (I hate the word discharge), so might as well up the ante and buy some of those flushable wipes (look for the non-scented ones) to help keep things so fresh and so clean, clean down there. Or consider getting the bikini line waxed or getting a Brazilian if you like to keep that tidy as well, especially when your size makes shaving a gymnastics act in the third trimester.  

8. Find some other pregnant girlfriends and hit up your favorite brunch spot or grab a happy hour snack somewhere (minus the alcohol). It feels great to chat with others who are experiencing similar things and/or vent about what set you off this time. 

9. Go for a walk in one of your favorite parks or neighborhoods. I always feel so refreshed when I am out and active. Take your pooch along if you have one or grab a girlfriend or just your iPod and cruise, soaking in the fresh air. If a walk isn't your thing, go for a drive somewhere with scenery you enjoy, with your favorite tunes jamming in the background.

10. Have fun with accessories! Paint your nails fun colors, buy some fun new earrings, get some sweet scarves or cute flats to wear; whatever your "thing" is with accessorizing, have fun with it and pamper yourself with the small and easy ways to look cute.

You'll Never Regret It

Apparently this post is going around on Facebook, although I haven't personally seen it. It was shared with me on a site I frequent, and because it's just such a beautiful and honest look at motherhood I had to share it with you. If you're currently emotional due to pregnancy, have a Kleenex handy.

(Author Unknown)

We are sitting at lunch one day when my daughter casually mentions that she and her husband are thinking of "starting a family." "We're taking a survey," she says half-joking. "Do you think I should have a baby?"

"It will change your life," I say, carefully keeping my tone neutral.

"I know," she says, "no more sleeping in on weekends, no more spontaneous vacations."

But that is not what I meant at all. I look at my daughter, trying to decide what to tell her. I want her to know what she will never learn in childbirth classes.

I want to tell her that the physical wounds of child bearing will heal, but becoming a mother will leave her with an emotional wound so raw that she will forever be vulnerable.

I consider warning her that she will never again read a newspaper without asking, "What if that had been MY child?" That every plane crash, every house fire will haunt her.

That when she sees pictures of starving children, she will wonder if anything could be worse than watching your child die.

I look at her carefully manicured nails and stylish suit and think that no matter how sophisticated she is, becoming a mother will reduce her to the primitive level of a bear protecting her cub. That an urgent call of "Mom!" will cause her to drop a soufflé or her best crystal without a moments hesitation.

I feel that I should warn her that no matter how many years she has invested in her career, she will be professionally derailed by motherhood. She might arrange for childcare, but one day she will be going into an important business meeting and she will think of her
baby's sweet smell. She will have to use every ounce of discipline to keep from running home, just to make sure her baby is all right.

I want my daughter to know that every day decisions will no longer be routine. That a five year old boy's desire to go to the men's room rather than the women's at McDonald's will become a major dilemma. That right there, in the midst of clattering trays and screaming
children, issues of independence and gender identity will be weighed against the prospect that a child molester may be lurking in that restroom.

However decisive she may be at the office, she will second-guess herself constantly as a mother.

Looking at my attractive daughter, I want to assure her that eventually she will shed the pounds of pregnancy, but she will never feel the same about herself.

That her life, now so important, will be of less value to her once she has a child. That she would give herself up in a moment to save her offspring, but will also begin to hope for more years, not to accomplish her own dreams, but to watch her child accomplish theirs.

I want her to know that a cesarean scar or shiny stretch marks will become badges of honor.

My daughter's relationship with her husband will change, but not in the way she thinks.

I wish she could understand how much more you can love a man who is careful to powder the baby or who never hesitates to play with his child.

I think she should know that she will fall in love with him again for reasons she would now find very unromantic.

I wish my daughter could sense the bond she will feel with women throughout history who have tried to stop war, prejudice and drunk driving.

I want to describe to my daughter the exhilaration of seeing your child learn to ride a bike.

I want to capture for her the belly laugh of a baby who is touching the soft fur of a dog or cat for the first time.

I want her to taste the joy that is so real it actually hurts.

My daughter's quizzical look makes me realize that tears have formed in my eyes. "You'll never regret it," I finally say. Then I reached across the table, squeezed my daughter's hand and offered a silent prayer for her, and for me, and for all the mere mortal women who stumble their way into this most wonderful of callings.