1. Customize your diet

Make healthy choices:
●  choose organic, non-GMO
●  whole grains
●  select unprocessed foods or minimally processed foods
●  eat freshly cooked meals
●  avoid artificial coloring and caffeine
●  foods rich in iron, calcium, and folate
●  Ayurveda recommends special foods for each month of pregnancy for supporting the growth of the baby

2. Increase your water intake

This is such a simple and unassuming tip, but has great impact to overcome and prevent a lot of uncomfortable situations that you may come across in the entire period of pregnancy. Some of these are:

● prevents nausea
● prevents constipation
● prevents hemorrhoids, UTIs, swelling
● prevents headaches
● helps maintain optimal levels of amniotic fluid
● helps overcome fatigue

3. Stay active

Staying active not only helps your general health but also helps improve blood circulation, boosts your mood, helps weight management, promotes good digestion and reduces stress. Prenatal yoga, walking, and simple daily chores are a great way of staying active.

4. Educate yourself

Educating yourself about different tests, ultrasounds, baby growth, changes in your body, options for delivering your baby, postpartum, breast feeding, and vaccines will really help you to make mindful, conscious decisions.

5. Nourishing the body through oil

Applying oil to the body has multiple benefits especially during pregnancy, amongst others it:

● provides stability and warmth physically and mentally
● is relaxing and grounding
● helps with stress and fatigue
● helps you sleep soundly
● prevents dry and itchy skin which usually happens due to the stretching of skin during this time
● helps diminish stretch marks

6. Talk to friends in same phase

It feels so good and supported to know that what you are experiencing, happens with everyone who has been through the same phase!
“No road is long with good company!”

7. Be proactive

Taking steps proactively for the next phases that arrive, will not only give you the strength physically and mentally but also make the transition a happy one, which can otherwise often be overwhelming.

● as soon as you think of conceiving, switch to a diet which is iron & folate rich and hormone balancing.
● as you give in to your pregnancy cravings, be mindful of sugar consumption
● keep a check on your iron levels, with an iron-rich diet at all stages. It is very common to land up in a situation of low iron as the blood volume in the body increases as the pregnancy progresses.
● when in the second trimester, plan for your last 4 weeks before delivery especially if you are attached to the idea of delivering normally. “Dreams don’t work unless you do!”
● the final month of pregnancy is for planning your postpartum diet, menus, lifestyle, baby care, research on baby care essentials and product choices.

Do what matters, now! It will go a long way.