Our mind and bodies change in drastic ways when we’re pregnant, but many don’t realize the changes that occur postpartum too. Here are some ways to prepare for your postpartum self while you’re still pregnant!
Vitamin and Mineral Levels
In the first few weeks after giving birth, you may feel fatigued and even a little shaky. This can be linked to deficiencies in necessary vitamins and minerals. Your body loses a lot of blood when you give birth, which can lead to iron deficiencies. Additionally, if you’re breastfeeding, you need plenty of vitamins like, A, E, C, and D.
What you can do: Be sure to eat iron-rich foods, as well as plenty of fruits and vegetables. This will help keep your iron levels high in preparation for giving birth, and it’s important to continue this practice postpartum. Additionally, you should take supplements such as prenatal vitamins and biotin to keep you and your baby healthy.
Exercise
If you’re somebody who worked out before you got pregnant and aren’t experiencing complications, it’s essential to continue to exercise during pregnancy. Your routine will have to be modified, but this will help you feel more energized and less fatigued. It will also not only prepare your body for birth, but will allow for a quicker recovery postpartum.
What you can do: Try things like dancing, water aerobics, yoga, walking, and other exercises safe for pregnancy.
Hair
When women are pregnant, an increased number of hairs go into the resting phase, which is one of the three parts of the hair loss cycle. Since this is increased, roughly three months after giving birth women may experience increased hair loss, but luckily this isn’t permanent.
What you can do: While pregnant, it could be a good idea to take a biotin supplement and use shampoo with DHT to help aid with hair loss. Biotin helps strengthen your hair while products containing DHT help decrease excess shedding.
Kegels
Our pelvic floor supports our urethra, bladder, uterus, and rectum. Doing kegels postpartum is great for improving the muscle tone of your vagina, bladder control, and making sex more enjoyable-- but doing kegels during pregnancy can actually help as well! Doing kegels during pregnancy can help increase pelvic floor strength for delivery as well as aid in prevent or treat urinary stress incontinence.
What you can do: Start by doing Kegel exercises a few times throughout the day while pregnant, and continue after giving birth. Work on trying to allow each kegel contraction get up to ten seconds, and you can move up as you get stronger.
Skin
With fluctuating hormones and stretching tummies when pregnant, our skin is bound to change. Women can develop a skin condition caused melasma, experience increased breakouts, and get stretch marks in various places. This is why it’s incredibly important to start a full-body skin care routine during the early stages of pregnancy to keep your skin healthy and glowing, and continue this post-pregnancy.
What you can do: When pregnant, start by moisturizing a ton. Products, such as body oils, are great for keeping your skin deeply moisturized for longer periods of time. Additionally, it’s incredibly important to use sunscreen every day on your face and body, even in the cooler months. For more tips to get glowing skin, go here!