Little habits make a big difference!

There so so much that gets thrown at us during pregnancy, the appointments, changes to our diet, having to scramble to find things to wear (😂)! Have you heard the story of trying to fit rocks, pebbles, and sand into a jar? The only way to fit them all in is if the rocks go in first, then the pebbles, then the sand. If the sand goes in first, the rest won’t fit! So what are the rocks during pregnancy?

I thought I’d share my Simple Little Habits list that I found helpful during my first pregnancy to cut out the noise! I found that these five things are the rocks that I needed to fit in first. If I did nothing else, these are the things I thought would make the biggest difference on my health (mental and physical) and my baby’s health!

Simple Little Habits

1) Water

Keeping hydrated can help keep energy levels up, reduces constipation, and keep amniotic fluid levels high later in pregnancy. A BPA free (e.g., glass or stainless steel) water bottle is a nice gift to give yourself to celebrate getting pregnant, while helping with this little habit!

2) Light exercise

Exercising can help moms gain a healthy weight (it’s healthy to gain weight during pregnancy!) and reduce aches and pains. Walking for 10 or 20 minutes is great exercise! And chasing other littles around totally counts too! There are lots of fun YouTube videos for trimester-appropriate workouts too, if you have time (I don’t usually 😅). Check with your doctor about what kind of exercises they recommend for you given your prior activity level and health!

3) Nutritious food

I mean, who doesn’t know the benefits of eating something nutritious?? I didn’t eat super healthy during my first pregnancy, but I’d try to eat a meal with some good nutrients once a day. The easy rule? Eat something colorful! I mean naturally colorful, not with food coloring 🤣 If you have time (not usually me hahah), meal prepping helps lots of moms with this habit! I’ll share an easy healthy soup recipe I’m going to try this time around in another post!

4) Sleep

Sleeping can help boost your immune system and mood, and being well-rested may reduce the length of labor! There are so many things about pregnancy that make it hard to sleep, so getting in a sleeping routine early is so worth it. Sleeping can be improved through habit!

5) Doctors visits

If there’s one thing that I made sure was totally non-negotiable, it was making my doctor’s appointments. Access to regular medical care is one of the most important factors in maternal and fetal health all over the world! Having an OB I trusted meant that I didn’t have to worry about whether baby and I were healthy. I knew she would be on it immediately if anything looked off, and I knew she would respect and honor when I wanted to double check something. Late in pregnancy when it looked like I’d be overdue (which I was!) she completely supported me coming in twice a week for monitoring, just so I felt confident that baby and I were ok. If you don’t feel comfortable with your OB - switch! They won’t take it personally, and you deserve to have someone you trust and respect there with you every step!

Even toward the end of pregnancy, this five things felt pretty manageable. I might not get more than these five in (sorry, not a lot of moisturizing, or meditation, or an elaborate gender reveal), but doing these five regularly made me feel like I’d done the things that would keep me and baby happy and healthy.

Is there anything else you would put on your “rocks” list?