And the awesome products I used throughout my pregnancy (with links!).
My main goals for this pregnancy were to get in quality sleep, nutrition, movement and mindfulness every single day. I know that sounds like a lot, but because I never aimed to be "perfect," I was able to incorporate each of these points of wellness at least once each day:
- minimum 6 hours of quality sleep, meaning I had to be in bed for 7-8 hours per night
- at least one high protein, high fiber meal each day
- at least 10 minutes of intentional movement each day
- one mindfulness activity per day, whether it be meditation, breath work, or journaling
When designing your own prenatal wellness routine, first decide how you want to feel. Next, write down all the things you currently do throughout the day, and see which activities support how you want to feel, and where you could fit in additional pockets of time dedicated to yourself to boost your overall pregnancy mind-body well being even more.
Here is an example of how most of my days play out:
Morning:
- Wake up & think of 3 things I am grateful for before I roll out of bed.
- Brush teeth & use my tongue scraper
- Wash my face with the Hugh & Grace cleansing bar & hydrate with a Restoring Face Serum.
- Go outside for 2-5 minutes of natural sunlight (helps balance cortisol levels throughout the day)
- Drink at least 16oz filtered water. I love my glass Bink Mama Water Bottle.
- Breakfast time: either 2-3 eggs with sautéed spinach and an English muffin, or my WELL Smoothie made with Ritual Prenatal + Postnatal Protein Powder (get $15 off) and Apothekary Co. Wombmate blend (get $40 off your order of $60+).
Afternoon:
- Movement: a 1-2 mile walk, 20-30 minutes of prenatal-friendly strength training, prenatal yoga, or a quick ride on the Peloton.
- Lunch time between 1-2 pm, and it's usually leftover dinner from the evening before, a chicken wrap, or eggs over rice topped with dried seaweed.
- Downtime to recharge (instead of my pre-pregnancy afternoon coffee). This is when I like to read, make Instagram reels, put my feet up, or take the dog for a leisurely walk without my phone.
Evening:
- Dinner time between 5-6 pm.
- Shower & wash my face with the Hugh & Grace cleansing bar, then hydrate with a Body Oil & Renewing Face Serum. I would also use a charcoal mask 2 times per week, an overnight peel 2 times per week, and dry-brushed 3-4 times per week (less during the coldest months).
- Bedtime prep: blue light glasses on, sip chamomile or ginger tea, & do a 10-min prenatal meditation.
- Sometimes I have a pre-bedtime snack (especially in my first two trimesters), usually a coconut milk yogurt with berries or apple with almond butter.
- Bedtime around 11 pm, but closer to 10 pm towards the end of my pregnancy. I sleep with both a humidifier and fan, zero lights, and a plethora of pillows to support my hips, belly, neck and back.
Note: These are just the things I do for myself [almost] every day, so I didn't include all the many activities that involve my family and clients throughout the day, such as school carpools, packing lunches, 1:1 client sessions, and more.