Ottawa Chiropractor Health and Wellness Blog

Pregnancy for many people is a roller coaster of emotions, physical changes, and constant demands. With several new challenges, it’s easy to forget about some important self-care habits. At Arc of Life, we want to support and nurture families during this journey. Here are some of our best and simple tips for keeping you, baby and family happy during pregnancy. 

1. Walking 

Walking must be the most underrated form of exercise. Just one hour of walking significantly activates your metabolism and it’s amazing cardio. This is key for the physical changes your cardiovascular system is going through. Walking is also a great tool to improve your mental well-being. If you are in a stage where walking is too challenging, get your pelvis and spine assessed by a chiropractor. Not only does this help with pain management, but also facilitates less intrauterine constraint for the baby. 

2. Prenatal movement

Your body is going through significant physical changes, moving properly through it will benefit your health greatly. We recommend prenatal yoga for its stretching and strengthening, plus it’s an excellent meditative practice. We also highly encourage swimming or spending time in water. This will give you a wonderful sense of weightlessness and relief!

3. Do what actually relaxes you 

For some this may be a nice long bath to take off some of the gravity from the day, for others it will be reading a fun novel and chilling on the couch for a bit. This tip is more flexible to your own compass because a bath is a common recommendation, but some may find it tedious or too much work. Practice more mindfulness and do what you feel you will gain benefit from, rather than doing something someone else finds relaxing, but you don’t!

4. Journaling 

You are journeying a mountain of new feelings. You’re not only managing to grow a new human but you're also adapting to a plethora of job and relationship dynamic shifts. Getting all your thoughts and emotions out onto paper can be a great way to nurture yourself. Here are some ideas for journal prompts:

• When I found out I was pregnant, I felt ___

• Five things I am grateful for right now are ___

• The planning for life after pregnancy has been___

• The best part about pregnancy is ___

• Attention from strangers has been ___

5. Set boundaries 

This practice will do wonders for your stress levels. With all the changes in your relationships, it’s highly effective to clearly communicate your boundaries and prioritize you time. Yes, this may be uncomfortable, but it’ll pay off and give you the breathing space you need to thrive. 

6. Ask for help 

Some women may feel isolated or lonely during this big transition. It’s so important to reach out to family, friends, or support groups. If you’re in a partnership, it’s important to keep talking through your feelings together. When you share your experience with compassion and understanding, it will surely bring you closer as a family. 

There are always tasks on the to-do list and self-care isn’t commonly on it enough. To encourage a healthy and positive pregnancy, these practices are a great place to start. Chiropractic naturally facilitates ease and wellness for the body and mind during this exciting chapter. We hope that your pregnancy is full of joy, love, and health. Let us know how we can help.