I still haven't taken a pregnancy test, but I am certain I am pregnant. My body has given me several signals that this is the case. First, my period is nine days late, when they are usually very regular. This puts me at 5 weeks along. Although in the past I didn't wear maternity pants till the end of the first trimester, I am already having to unbutton my jeans when I sit down. I am finding it increasingly uncomfortable to sleep on my stomach. My womb is definitely growing.
Apart from that, I feel great! I'm not terribly tired or nauseous, which I experienced a lot with my other two pregnancies. The reality of what my body is going through is setting in, and I am taking steps to be as healthy as I can. Not only do healthy moms grow healthy babies, but they have an easier time with birth and recovery. So I am eating whole foods, with lots of raw fruit and veggies, and lots of lettuce. The raw fruit and veggies are good for vitamins, antioxidants and fiber, while the lettuce is for folic acid, which is present in all prenatal vitamins. I intend to start using flax seed oil in my salad dressing, which will provide the essential fatty acids that babies need for brain development. I don't believe in taking synthesized supplements. I think that if we eat mindfully, we should be able to get all of our nutritional requirements from food.
Throughout pregnancy, birth, parenting and life, a woman's mind is her most powerful tool. I find that especially in pregnancy, our minds can run away with us. We often get worried or fearful, or stuck in patterns of negative thinking. This takes it's toll on our bodies and can be a hindrance for birth. This characteristic is present in all mammals. When an animal is in labor, if she senses a dangerous situation and feels fearful, her birthing hormones stop and adrenaline is releases which stops labor and allows her to flee the dangerous situation. This is behind many instances where woman have been labeled with failure to progress. Whether the factors causing fear, worry or stress are real or perceived, their bodies are doing what they have been designed by Nature to do as a survival mechanism.
This is one of the reasons why, in my effort to be as healthy as I can be, I am paying close attention to my thoughts. If I can keep my thoughts positive during my pregnancy, it will be much easier to keep positive thoughts during labor. I also believe that, to some extent, our thoughts create our reality. Women's bodies are perfectly designed to birth their babies. Our bodies are not defective, or incapable of doing what nature intended. When I give birth, I am doing what women have been doing throughout human existence. I am strong, healthy and knowledgeable enough to listen to my body's signals and birth my child naturally and easily. Any thought that suggests otherwise is simply not welcome.
So, this is my approach to holistic health during pregnancy, and I think it works for the rest of the seasons in our lives as well. I recently read the statement that you are your own primary health care provider, meaning that we are each responsible for our own health. We can't expect someone else to do that for us. I made myself a little list of things to do while I'm pregnant:
1) eat well
2) exercise
3) rest
4) keep your thoughts positive
Doesn't sound that hard, does it?
