Nice blossoming bump, babe!
Look at you growing an entire human being while the rest of us are struggling to figure out our coffee machines.
But if you want to scoop up extra you’re-so-clever points, make sure you do these five things before your bump transforms into beautiful new bubba.
Five things you should do before your baby arrives
1. Tackle any lingering aches and pains in your mid back, lower back and pelvis.
Your gorgeous bod is going through a lot right now, girl. It’s stretching and lengthening and growing noses (well, hopefully just one). That’s a lot to ask from it.
Add back and/or pelvis pain to the mix and you’ve got yourself a very unhappy body.
Which is why it’s a good idea to visit a musculoskeletal physio to prep your joints and body for the weight of your baby in your pelvis.
Keep in mind: A LOT of physios get befuddled when it comes to treating pregnant women, so if you’re reading this pre-pregnancy, hit them up when they can treat your bod sans baby.
If you’re already pregnant, find a physio experienced in treating pregnant women.
2. Get to know your pelvic floor muscles.
While a light Kegel or two might have sufficed pre-pregnancy, you’ll really want to double down and work on strengthening your pelvic floor before and during pregnancy.
Yep, this is your time to make sure you REALLY know how to activate your pelvic floor muscles properly, because they get a little wimpy during pregnancy.
3. Observe your body mechanics during daily tasks.
This is a weird one, because most of us are used to moving around life without really paying attention to our movements. But observing how you complete tasks like getting out of bed and getting out of the car is super important right now.
The key?
You have to learn to keep your abs properly activated during those activities.
Why?
Sit-upy movements are the primary cause of abdominal separation during pregnancy. But if you can learn to unlearn the natural ab-clenching you might be doing during these movements BEFORE your abs start stretching out the wazoo, you’ll be better positioned (pun intended) to prevent abdominal separation.
4. Have a postnatal shape-up plan in place
You know the spiel: Fail to plan and you plan to fail!
So let’s plan for some post-birth body love.
I always recommend creating three plans:
- The I’m-a-rock-star plan where you’re reaching for the stars.
- The I’ve-got-this mid-range plan where you feel confident achieving your goals.
- The back-up plan where you commit to the minimum amount of exercise you want to do post-delivery.
(Aren’t sure when you can start exercising post-delivery? Check out our article: THIS is the best time to start your postnatal exercise.)
5. Declutter your home
Wait – did you accidentally click over to Marie Kondo’s site?
Nope! You’re in the right place. And yep, this is legit pre-baby-arrival advice: Sort out your home, girl.
The LAST thing you want is to come home to a disorganised, cluttered space that adds to your post-birth stress.
With a new baby, you’re going to struggle to keep on top of your regular cleaning and decluttering. Make it easier on yourself by getting as much of it done before bubba arrives.
Bonus: A clean, tidy home means your mind, body and home is more available for exercise!
