Pregnancy is an incredibly important time of a woman’s life. It’s easy to feel like you’ve got to be “perfect” and do everything “exactly right” during those nine months. As an expectant mom, you can feel significant pressure from others, from the resources you consult, and even from yourself.
How do you release that pressure and create the best experience for yourself?
This is a BIG question. The answer is simple (yet not always easy).
You release pressure and create the best possible experience for yourself by “doing” pregnancy YOUR WAY.
You want to: Look for what resonates for you. When you’re pregnant there are a myriad of resources available to you: hundreds of books, websites, TV reports, articles, entire magazines, information in your doctor’s or midwife’s office, people in your life with advice, and more. It can feel overwhelming or as if there are a lot of things to do and rules to follow.
People will share great information with you. And it’s just that: great information. It’s not a directive of what you must do. It’s only great information for you, if you decide it is. When others share their advice, when you read books, or when you see information online, check in with yourself to determine what feels aligned with your approach and perspectives. Ask yourself: What feels good to me? What am I truly interested in and committed to doing? Disregard what doesn’t feel good to you. Take on for yourself only what resonates for you.
So when your well-intentioned neighbor tells you that you must go all organic with your diet or when you read that older siblings should be told about the pregnancy right away, don’t take that information in as “truth.” Check to see if it’s your “truth.” If you feel a rush of energy and get excited about the possible benefits of doing so, sure, investigate further. If it makes you tired to even think about it, let alone do it, know that it may not be your way.
There’s value in learning about how others approached aspects of their pregnancy. In fact, much of what is shared in our Loving the Pregnant You Email Coaching service is just that – accounts of women’s real-life experiences. That’s because, whether you agree with others’ perspectives or not, when you hear or read about them, you learn more about what your perspective is. You get ideas and inspiration from what worked and didn’t work for others. Just don’t beat yourself up about not doing everything that other people tell you to do to take care of yourself and your baby. Check in with yourself: What does resonate with you? What are choices you’ve made that feel really good and aligned with who you are? Then, on the flip side, where are you letting outside influences steer you away from what you know is best for you?
If you’re in Chicago (or want an excuse to come to Chicago!)…
Learn more about how to release the pressure and do pregnancy YOUR WAY at the “Get It Together and… Love Yourself!” event at CocoonCare on Saturday, September 7. 9:30am to 11:00am. Join us for a real conversation on how to love the pregnant you and how to be totally prepared – mentally, emotionally, logistically – for your new role with your newborn. For more details, click here.
