Mindful Mama-to-Be: 8 Activities for a Joyful Pregnancy

Because I love the mindful bear technique when need time to be mindful, and there are so many things that say Mama Bear on them at the store and online. I thought why not combine the two together, mindfulness and pregnancy should go hand in hand, there's no better time than being in the moment while you're pregnant. I've been told it's a great way to stay stress-free, connect with the baby, and to know if something doesn't feel right with your pregnancy! If you're looking for some pregnancy-related mindful activities look no further, I have 8 of them, some may be new, others you may have seen before, but they all are great during pregnancy.

8 Mindful Activity Suggestions for Pregnant Woman

1. Prenatal Yoga: With prenatal yoga, we're able to stretch, improve our strength, have a better sense of body awareness, and prepare our bodies for childbirth and it also relaxes us! If you're stuck on where to find some places online for prenatal yoga, SarahBethYoga, and BrettLarkinYoga are two great yet free places to start. 
2. Light Walking and Exercise: Time to boost our moods and energy level, control our weight gain, and help enhance circulation by exercising and walking. Before starting any exercise regimen, please consult your doctor before doing them. 
   
   
   
3. Meditation: Bonding with our baby with meditation isn't as difficult as it seems,  you can still meditate and focus on a video while being kicked in the bladder. I have a list of places to check on my blog post about staying mindful on the go and have also included The Honest Guys YouTube channel as well. 
4. Journaling: As if I haven't given people more of a reason to have their own journal. I have one more, pregnancy mindfulness. Your mindful, gratitude journal is going to be a life changer! Some prompt suggestions during pregnancy include, "What are my fears or worries about being a parent," "What are some things I'm grateful for during pregnancy?" or "How am I taking care of myself during my pregnancy?" An even cooler idea is to create a pregnancy keepsake just for your baby! 
5. Creative activities: I'm not trying to be vague when it comes to creative activities, but I do know we all have our own ideas of what could be considered a creative activity. Journaling like in activity 4 can be creative, but if you are not much of a writer, painting, drawing, crocheting, and scrapbooking are some more ideas to get you started. Having some self-expression and accomplishment thrown in with mindfulness is a great stress reducer!
6. Breathing: Breathing is something that we do every day, I bet you're doing it now! Remembering to focus on your breathing can help with some pregnancy discomforts and relax yourself. Both my Mindful Bear post and my Mindfulness on the Go post have some breathing exercises to try on for size. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
7. Mindful eating: Let's shift our thoughts from focusing on baby to what you're eating. The food is going to them as well, but it also teaches us how to be aware of when we're full, keeps us from being emotional eaters, and lets us focus on the taste and the texture of the food we're eating. 
8. Mindful communication: I know pregnancy hormones can turn a once calm pregnant woman into a beast sometimes, but we can still practice mindful communication. Using some empathy, avoiding assumptions, and connecting with each other's feelings can help keep things running smoothly. 

Tips for incorporating mindfulness into a daily routine

Now that I compiled a list, and give you some ideas, I'm moving on to the more complicated part, at least for me. Learning how to incorporate mindfulness into your (and my) busy life. 
Tip 1: Start small: Starting small and taking baby steps, is a great way to move in the right direction. If all you're doing is eating mindfully and breathing. It's all a smaller step to a bigger goal. 
Tip 2: Make it a habit: If you're eating, remind yourself it's time to eat mindfully and remind yourself to try to be mindful every chance you get. It may not be a regular thing at first, but once you get into the habit of being mindful adding more mindful activities and making them a habit as well, will become easier. 

Tip 3: Find what works for you: One mindfulness activity may not be the right one for you. Maybe none of this list is for you, but if you've seen a mindful activity on one of my other posts or online somewhere, do that instead. 

Tip 4: Practice it regularly: Set alarms, make mindfulness the first thing you do when you wake up or the last thing you do before bed, or do whatever you do to make it a regular thing. 

Conclusion

When you're mindful during pregnancy, you're able to bond, relax and even prepare for childbirth a little bit better. When it comes to being mindful, if there's a will there's a way, and take a little time to attempt being mindful when you're pregnant. If someone isn't as compassionate about your pregnancy mindfulness activities, practice a little mindful communication back, and show them some empathy an d compassion, without judgment. 

Lost in Thought: Coping with Pregnancy Brain Fog

Since I’ve become pregnant, my brain is fuzzier than usual, I’m even more forgetful. I didn’t even think it was possible to have my mental ability be fuzzier and more forgetful but, it is. I have what is better known as pregnancy-related brain fog, or ‘mommy brain’. If you think you have mommy brain, and feel alone, you're not alone! 

What on earth is Mommy Brain? 

Pregnancy does a lot to our bodies, it makes it hard to sleep, we feel like we have more stress, and our hormones are fluctuating. When that happens,  our neurotransmitters, are affected and we start becoming forgetful, can't concentrate, and can't multitask the way we used to. Don't worry, it'll go away soon after the baby gets here. Mommy brain can start early and happen until the baby's born. 

 

Yeah, but what is it like?

Imagine putting down your car keys or bottle of water and forgetting where you set them down at. I don't know how many times, I've put food in the microwave, to come back a few minutes later, to find out I never set the timer or I'll buy something from the grocery store, put it away and completely forget I bought it. 

Of course, mommy brain can be frustrating and anxiety-filled sometimes, and it can cause our own personal relationships with others to suffer. I don't know how many times, I've forgotten a doctor's appointment or forgotten where I put down my bottle of water! After reading some other stories about mommy's brain I felt a little less alone. 

Looking for some tips to keep from losing stuff?

Rest: When the doctors say to rest, it should be important. According to an article, being tired can affect the ability to communicate, and lead to memory lapses. 
Make lists and use reminders: You won't forget stuff if you set a reminder or make a list. Unless you forget to write down what you need to do, or where you put something at. 
Stay organized: I know it's easier said than done, you're in brain fog mode. If you have a special place to put something put it there. It'll help you find something if you have it organized.
Practice Mindfulness: Time to be a mindful mama bear. If you read my post about mindfulness a few days ago, being a mindful mama bear will put you into the here and now, relax your body, and clear your mind.
Ask for help: If you're having trouble remembering, let people know. It's okay to ask for help from friends, family, or even your doctor/midwife. 
Support other pregnant women: Let other women know they're not alone. Give them helpful ideas to help when the brain fog is strong, like rest, mindfulness, or lists. 

When should I worry and tell my doctor?

If your brain fog gets so bad that you're unable to remember important things, when you're unable to do daily tasks, and if it's getting worse, Medical News Today, suggests talking to your doctor. There's no reason to feel ashamed to tell your doctor. They won't think that you're off your rocker when it comes to brain fog. 

Conclusion

If you're going Mommy brain, you're not crazy, and you're not imagining things. You're definitely not alone, when it comes to forgetting things, in fact the list above with 20 examples are just the tip of the iceberg. It's even okay to seek help from a professional if you need to. I sincerely hope that any one who's pregnant right now knows someone who's pregnant or hopes to become pregnant in the future has a happy healthy pregnancy.