Pregnancy: 7 Ways to Aid in Waking Up

Photo by Jason Sheveland

Stretching

While still lying in bed, I begin stretching by rotating each of my ankles 3-5 times, then I flex my toes towards my head (as my calves can get extremely tight throughout the night). I hold this stretch for approx. 15-20 seconds on each foot.  Next, I (very slowly) rotate at the waist and stretch my lower back (Lumbar & Sacral regions) both sides. Finally, I do a full body stretch and take another deep breath.

Deep Breaths

By the time you get to your Third Trimester, your lungs begin to have less room as baby continues to grow and prepare for his or her arrival.  Although I find that I can breathe fairly well when lying down, it is always nice to sit on the side of our bed, raise my arms up over my head (to create just a bit more room) and then take a couple deep, rejuvenating breaths.  Ladies, you know the kind of breathes I mean. The kind of breath where you feel it awaken your body, all the way from your fingertips down to your toes.  

Photo by Sandara Lee

Shower-But With a Twist

There is nothing like stepping into a nice hot shower in the morning. However, if you are still feeling groggy and dreary eyed by the end, try switching over to cold water and letting it run on you for your final 10-15 seconds before you end your shower.  Whoa! Now wasn't that invigorating? 

Essential Oil

***First, there are Essential Oils that should be avoided during pregnancy. Before venturing into the world of oils, I encourage you to take a look at the following link. It lays out what oils pregnant women should steer clear of. http://bubbleandbee.blogspot.com/2010/08/essential-oils-and-pregnancy.html

Second, because Essential oils are highly concentrated, they should not be used directly on the skin.  The way that I use them is 1) I take the lid off and smell the fragrance, 2) I add a few drops of the oil into a couple table spoons of oil (usually Grapeseed or Almond Oil) and then rub it onto my skin. 

My favorite "wake me up" fragrance is Peppermint. 

 Ice Water

Grab a glass ( I usually just use the same glass I had by my bedside), fill it with fresh, cool water and then add a few ice cubes (add cucumber, strawberries, lemon or lime) and drink it down.  Having a glass of water before eating breakfast has been shown to awaken your digestive track-preparing it for breakfast. After my first glass, I often refill it immediately, and then aim to drink at least 10-12 glasses of water throughout the rest of my day. 

 Breakfast-Fruit & Protein

During my first pregnancy I dealt with 14 weeks of "all day sickness".  My Midwife mentioned that although it may not sound good, eating protein for breakfast was really important and could help alleviate some of the nasty nauseousness I was feeling.  She was right!  When I started to feel nauseous this pregnancy, I remembered what she said and ate some protein.  Sometimes it's a few slices of cheddar cheese, other times it's been beans/nuts or scrambled eggs.  Most of the time (not all), eating protein has helped me not only feel better, but has increased and lengthened my energy. 

Photo by Amy Aldworth

Fruit is another great source of energy because of the natural sugars and antioxidants found within it. Many times, I've added some blueberries and banana to hot (or cold) cereal, or waffles.  Other times I enjoy eating a small bowl of mixed fruit or for a nice mid-morning snack I may cut up apple slices and dip them into plain Greek yogurt mixed with Peanut Butter, Cinnamon and Honey.   This pregnancy I have been craving watermelon, so there are moments I have sliced and diced some watermelon and enjoyed that.  Yum! Make it your own. Whatever fruit you like, have some on-hand
 for your morning meal or mid-morning snack. 

Day Light

When I get a chance to either sit inside (by a window where the sun is shining directly in), or if I get a few moments to venture outside to lounge in the sun, I find that my senses seem to awaken almost instantly.  Any areas of my mind or body that are still fighting grogginess, seem to awaken as I take a deep breath of that morning air and close my eyes.  If you are able to, another great way to enjoy the morning is by taking a stroll, which of course get's your blood pumping. 

Have a great day!!