Five Tips on Taking Care of Your Body Pre-Pregnancy

Have you considered how to care for your body pre-pregnancy? It can make such a difference in how your body responds to pregnancy.

When you’re pregnant or soon-­to-­be pregnant, it’s essential to treat your body with care and respect, because you are bringing a new life into the world, and this little person is totally dependent on you for his or her health.

No matter where you are right now in your physical and spiritual health, this is the perfect time for you to soar ahead to new heights—using good principles of health, prayer, and reliance on God’s strength.

Many years ago, I became a Certified Personal Trainer and nutrition counselor specializing in training for women. Some women who come to me for training aren’t really happy with their bodies, and they experience a lot of negative feelings toward themselves as a result. I want to encourage you to put a stop to those derogatory thoughts right now. Trust that God created your body to be his vessel for your child, and take care of this gift he has given you.

Five Vital Tips for Taking Care of Your Body, God’s Vessel

1. Support Your Pregnancy with Proper Nutrition

Expectant moms need about 340 more calories a day for a single birth and 600 calories for twins. Here is a quick overview. Protein is critical for growth and necessary for your baby’s brain cells. Pregnant women need 60–100 grams of protein a day. Fruits and vegetables high in vitamin C help ensure your baby’s bone and tooth development and help manufacture collagen, which holds tissue together and helps in an easier delivery. Carbohydrates provide necessary fuel for your body and your baby’s body, and have been known to help with morning sickness.

2. Take Folate and Prenatal Vitamins Now

Folate, or folic acid, is a B vitamin that’s necessary to help prevent neural tube defects like spina bifida during the first trimester. Women who plan to get pregnant need to start taking it immediately, because your baby needs it from day one. The US Public Health Service recommends 400–600 micrograms per day.

Take a good prenatal vitamin to ensure your baby gets all the key nutrients. 

3. Form the Water Habit

Our bodies are more than two-thirds water, and our brains are more than 80 percent water. Your unborn baby is surrounded by water, and your body needs water to produce a healthy baby. I recommend drinking at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day.

4. Exercise as You Are Able

Exercise is magnificent for building strength and flexibility, which you will need during labor and when your little one arrives. It also is helpful at relieving stress and helping cope with wild mood swings caused by pregnancy hormones. When you exercise consistently, you’ll gain a sense of empowerment and being in control of your body and your life. 

Make sure you follow your physician’s recommendation for exercise. Every woman and pregnancy is unique, so exercise only according to what is healthy and safe for you.

5. Indulge in Rest and Sleep

Don’t feel bad about craving sleep. It’s perfectly normal, because your body is going through so many changes, especially in the first trimester. Toward the end of your pregnancy, it gets harder to find a comfortable way to sleep, and I can’t help but believe that God is getting a new mother ready for the nights of interrupted sleep she’ll have after her baby arrives.

Reflection:

How are you relying on God during this time of waiting? Take some time today to pray and connect with God. Express all of your feelings to Him about your waiting—eagerness, excitement, sadness, frustration, stress.

To learn more about pregnancy, and pray through each week of baby’s development, check out Praying Through Your Pregnancy: A Week-by-Week Devotional for Expecting Moms by Jennifer Polimino and Carolyn Warren.

Jennifer Polimino is the founder of PrayForYourBaby.com. She has been featured on the 700 Club and Focus on the Family, as well as countless other radio programs and podcasts. Jennifer and her husband, Dan, have two children and live in Hawaii. 

Carolyn Warren is the author of several books on finance and has been interviewed on Money Talk and other programs. She lives in Washington state with her husband and has a son and a daughter. Learn more at AskCarolynWarren.com.