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Though there are plenty of habits best left in the delivery room–weekly milkshakes come to mind–there are certainly more than a few worth sticking with after your baby's debut. In the wake of my first pregnancy, I've learned that sometimes it takes the knowledge of that little life to commit to a healthy lifestyle. Here are my top 5 pregnancy practices that you'll benefit from postpartum:
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- Take your vitamins. Until I started trying to conceive, I was never able to stick to any sort of vitamin regime. My excuse was that they upset my stomach. Yet, all I had to do was think of my future child to find a way to make it work. Though I'm not as diligent now, as I was while expecting, I never go more than a couple days without popping a multivitamin, especially since I'm still nursing.
- Eat small, frequent meals. Eating five or six small, nutritious meals throughout the day is a recommended method for quelling pregnancy-induced queasiness and bouts of intense hunger. There's also a common theory that it aids in weight loss and maintenance by boosting metabolism and helping digestion. Bye, bye baby weight!
- Sleep with a body pillow. Sleeping with a body pillow is said to reduce and even prevent aches and pains by keeping hips and legs in alignment with the spine. I picked up the habit early in my second trimester to help with sore hips caused by side sleeping. As my pregnancy progressed the pillow helped support the weight of my growing belly. Now that I own the pillow, I see no reason to stop using it. Plus, it's super-comfy.
- Do your kegels! Pregnant or not, Kegel exercises are recommended to help strengthen your pelvic muscles, but it's my guess that many women don't start doing them regularly until the idea of pregnancy-induced complications (incontinence, anyone?) scare them into doing so. Even if you didn't have any issues during pregnancy, urinary and anal incontinence can develop after delivery, so be sure to either continue or start these exercises after you deliver.
- Don't forget to pamper yourself. I know, I know, who has time? But even if you can't swing a trip to the salon or spa, you can probably snag 10 or 15 minutes to paint your toenails , shave your legs or do a deep conditioning treatment on your hair. Trust me, sometimes that's all it takes to make you feel a bit more human during those first few hectic months.
What other healthy pregnancy habits do you still hold on to today? Tell us in the comments below!
Image via Thinkstock
