Winter is almost – but not quite over yet. Covid, colds and flus suck to endure while pregnant. This is partly because in pregnancy, the remedies are limited for safe pharmaceutical options.
Here is the best of the wisdom I can muster from the ancestral wisdom in my cells:
Do your best to stay healthy in all the ways you already know to do! Wash your hands, eat well, and get plenty of rest. Please try and take naps throughout your pregnancy, and if you are not a day time sleeper, my pro tip is to get a luxurious eye mask on, put on some ambient sounds – YouTube is full of great frequencies for sleep or oxytocin raising – close the door, lie on top of the sheets and rest for 30-45 minutes twice a day. In the future, when your baby is born – you will be on a feeding schedule of every 2 to 3 hours. So get used to grabbing small bits of rest now in pregnancy, even if it’s not a full out “sleep”.)
Avoid big crowds or gatherings!
This one is tricky coming from an extrovert. The fact is, in the peak of contagion season, big bulk supermarkets and indoor sold out concerts are full of germ emitting bodies. And your body is full of precious baby, keep them separated unless you really can’t avoid it. And then at minimum, don’t kiss everyone, keep a warm distance, don’t touch your face! You might even consider wearing a mask? I know, we hate them. My face becomes an incubator for chin hairs. But it keeps out some of the germs. I promise, it does help.
Keep your immune system at optimal strength!
Each to their own abilities, do your best to keep your immune system functioning well and keeping you healthy. Do this by going to bed early, keeping active and eating nutritious food. Stay on top of taking your prenatal vitamins, take in more vit C and antioxidants through good food choices. Wear a scarf and keep your lower back and abdomen covered and warm!!
Limit your stressors!
Avoid the people / foods / environments that elevate your cortisol levels. Heightened cortisol levels not only suppresses your oxytocin, it also puts you into a negative feedback loop – this is tiring on your already tired body. Give your body a break, it’s making a whole baby and keeping you moving and functioning. You can only handle so much! Get your partner, friends and family on board with being the blockers for your areas of stress. Find what brings you joy and immerse yourself in it.
And if you do find yourself pregnant and under the weather, cancel every appointment and snuggle up in bed. Have your loved ones send you gifts of hot soup and tea, allow yourself to be pampered back to health. Take time off and rest rest rest!