5 Things I Changed Since I Found Out I Was Pregnant
By: Erika Jamerson
Tags: Minimalism, Pregnancy Tips, Pregnancy Nutrition, Setting Boundaries, Pregnancy Care

Hello people!

Today I want to share with you the 5 things I have changed and learned since I found out I was pregnant. Currently I am 8 months pregnant and there is a lot I wish I had known earlier in order to prepare myself better for my growing baby. What’s most important is to know that pregnancy is an exciting adventure with ups and downs. Therefore we should aim at creating the most peaceful environment possible for our growing baby and enjoy the process as much as possible. As slow as the first weeks may pass, in the end time flies and soon you will find your baby in your arms and you will be glad you gave your very best to prepare your him or her for life outside of your womb!

Enjoy!

1. My diet

When I found out I was pregnant I started to read more scientific articles and books about nutrition. Overall my husband and I we started to cook more and also healthier at home.

Before having been pregnant we already very aware of what we consumed. But as everything I eat during pregnancy has an impact on our baby we just want to make sure that we are up-to-date on the information about nutrition and do the very best we can so that our baby starts off as optimal as possible.

I got to learn a lot new things.

Our bodies need protein and fats to stay healthy and work the way it should. Carbs are not essential.

So to optimize my intake on food I focus more on a high protein, high fat diet with fewer carbs.

1.1 Protein

This means that I plan my meals around protein.

For example, I ask myself before preparing a meal: What source of protein am I going to have?

Also, when I choose a source of protein (whether it’s plant based or animal based) the amount of protein mattes.

A good rule of thumb is to aim for 1.5 to 2 grams of protein per kg of body weight. That equals about 30 to 50 grams of protein with each meal.

Protein intake is very important for everyone especially if you are pregnant, as protein has a big impact on muscle tissue and body composition. The protein you eat during pregnancy you share with your baby.

During pregnancy, women require at least an additional 25 grams of protein per day. Inadequate protein consumption by pregnant women has been linked to their children developing various chronic health problems as adults.

Also, if you want to regulate your appetite and gain the usual pregnancy weight in a healthy way, complete your protein intake at a meal first.

Meal examples that I choose during pregnancy:

In the morning: eggs, avocado and a whole grain slice of bread with cottage cheese and a hot cocoa For lunch or dinner: source of meat (steak/chicken) or fish (salmon) with rice and dark leafy greens such as kale, broccoli or spinach For snacks: nuts, protein bars, protein shakes with milk, peanut butter and fruit

1.2 Fats

As protein fats are also essential to our body. Especially the right kinds of fat help to fuel your babies brain and eye development.

About 20 and 35 % of your daily calories during pregnancy should come from fats. A good rule of thumb is to aim for about 1gram of fat per kg of body weight.

Problematic can be the overconsumption of low quality fats such as those we find in fast food and processed foods. So when you choose your fats prefer those that are healthier such as from vegetables, nuts, seeds, and fish.

Good sources of fats are:

-extra virgin olive oil

-avocados

-nuts

-peanut butter

-omega-3 fish oil capsules

1.3 Carbonhydrates

I love carbs: the rice, noodles, cereal, fresh baked bread, candy…

Carbs are good during pregnancy because they supply energy for you and your growing baby, so you don’t need to avoid them during pregnancy. But as you read earlier, in comparison to protein and fats, carbs are not essential.

Moderation with carbs is key!

It’s not that carbs are a problem. Its the overconsumption of processed carbs that are suboptimal for our body. Also, if we eat a lot of carbs it might be difficult to get all our proteins in.

1.4 Supplements

It’s ideal to supplement a prenatal vitamin about 6 months prior to conception.

Optimal is a prenatal vitamin with folic acids and iron.

Folic acid decreases the chance that your baby will be born with a series of birth defects that affect parts of the nervous system, including the brain and spinal cord.

Iron is very important as many pregnant women are at risk for an iron deficiency.

2 Exercise

There are so many benefits from working out while pregnant. The more active and fit you are during pregnancy, the easier it will be for you to adapt to your changing shape and weight gain.

Also, your baby benefits from you being active.

Exercise makes the baby grow optimally and make a mature brain function.

Doing exercise on a daily basis will help you to cope with pregnancy pains, labor and to get back into shape after birth.

Luckily, I didn’t have much morning sickness in the beginning. So up until month 5 in my pregnancy I was able to lift light weights. But when my belly grew bigger and it became uncomfortable I started to go slower. Now I go for three walks a day with my dog, I do some stretching and breathing exercises!

Tip: Aim for 10k steps a day or at least a daily 30 min walk.

3 Mindfulness

One of the things I struggle a lot with is stress.

So when I became pregnant I told myself:

I want to be a calm and mindful mom!

I would rather start now becoming calm and mindful mom before our baby is born so that eventually it will be a lot easier for me to cope with the struggles of being a new parent.

I was recommended a great pregnancy book from a former Buddhist monk. Andy Puddicombe wrote: “A mindful pregnancy” which I bought through audible. Its one of the best books I have listened to in a long time. Its about creating the most peaceful environment possible for you and your baby. Andy guides you through your pregnancy and shares practical and reassuring meditations.

As I am huge fan of Andy Puddicombe, I also have the headspace app- so I meditate every day for about 10 minutes. It helps me to be a lot more mindful and to breathe more. As its becoming harder and harder to breathe with my baby in my belly pushing against my lungs- these breathing exercises help me a lot.

When you are calm and content, so is your baby.

4 Minimalistic Lifestyle

For a long time my husband and I have aimed for a more minimalistic lifestyle. More time, more freedom, more room to breathe. Less stuff and less stress. So when I found out that I was pregnant this was a a good opportunity to take this journey more seriously.

We started with moving from Barcelona to Berlin when we let go of a bunch of things so that we could move by car. Everything that fitted into the car we took and everything else we donated or sold.

It’s a challenge because my husband and I have grown up very frugally. Both of our parents didn’t have much money. This means we had to save money, save stuff we might end up needing for the future.

Every time we let go of stuff, we feel free.

So far we have decluttered, reorganized, and donated a lot. For everything we buy new or get new for our apartment we ask ourselves first whether we truly need it or not. Our vision is that we live only with what we really love. Our favourite clothes, our favourite furniture, our essentials.

Spending less time organizing and cleaning every week gives us more time to spend with each other and make more memories together.

5 Say No More Often and Not Feel Guilty About It

One of the hardest things I changed was saying no more often and not feel guilty about it.

I was raised to be a people-pleaser. Typically, I want everyone around me to be happy and I will do a lot to keep them that way. Often I put everyone else before myself. Most of the time it’s not about what I want, it’s about what the others want or need. The good thing about it is that I have learned to be good at making social connections and resolving conflicts. The downside is that I feel guilt whenever someone pushes me to do something and I say no to it.

But for my own health and happiness setting limits and saying no is important. Everything I do for myself has an effect on my baby,too.

The truth is, people hardly ever are satisfied and it’s almost impossible to please everyone. And if you please them, they keep coming back for more and more expecting you to be fine with that. This costs a lot of energy especially if you are introverted as I am.

I love the quiet, I love to stay at home.

I don’t need to meet people on a daily basis.

This doesn’t mean that I don’t love them.

This means that after having spent a lot of energy during the day I love to recharge in quiet.

This has been one of the hardest things so far. Not everybody understands a no, most people even take it personal. But being pregnant and having our baby real soon encourages me to do more of I want and need.

It’s decision making for our lives, taking responsability for our well-being. This will also be very important when the baby is born and my husband and I have the usual struggles being a new parent.

A good quote helps me whenever I struggle with decision making:

Saying no to something always means saying yes to something else.

Whether that’s regarding quality time with loved ones, choosing a healthy nutritient meal and exercise or being able to enjoy this journey of pregnancy a lot more.

What is it you need to be saying yes to more often?