Managing Mental health during pregnancy.

One thing a lot of pregnant women struggle to do is maintain good mental health especially with all those hormones flying around! So I thought I would put together a little post about how I manage my mental health and some bits of advice and tips for all mums to be

statistics show 1 in 4 people have some kind of mental illness and during pregnancy and after the birth you are more likely to develop depression and post natal deprerssion  I wasn't managing my mental health to well before getting pregnant the added pressure of not getting pregnant month on month was really putting a strain on not just me but poor Mr M having to deal with my regular breakdowns and tears month after month.

When I finally got pregnant I seemed to manage it a lot better. My stress levels reduced and my sleep problems that I've had for years seemed to disappear overnight quite literary

So currently I am okay I am managing well but just like everyone I have my bad days where I may feel low not wanting to do anything or get out of bed, tearful and anxious. Luckily I can spot the signs now that tell me I need to do something before I get to bad. Practising self care is one of the best things you can do to help beat the baby blues.

Here is a list of things I find helpful

- A bubble bath with candles

it may sound obvious but I find laying in a hot bath with some candles and relaxing music really helps take my mind off things. Its also a bonus to have bath bombs etc to make you feel extra relaxed. (pregnant women remember you shouldn't have your bath water to hot)

- Going for a drive

This is my favourite thing to do when I'm feeling low or anxious. Mr M takes me out and we just drive sometimes for well over an hour there's something really relaxing about a moving car and watching everything whizz past you.

- Exercise

Its really hard to find the motivation to exercise when you really don't feel your best but let me tell you once you get out there and do it it really boosts your energy levels and makes you feel like you've achieved something. so why not go for a quick run or swim to lift your mood?

-Reading

read a book! get lost in somebody else's life and story. Before you know it you'll be on chapter 5 and forgetting about how you feel.

-Talking

Always remember to talk... even if its to the cat. get those feelings out and shift the massive weight off those shoulders. My husband always lends an ear when I need it.

Being pregnant isn't easy us yummy mummy's need some self care relaxation time and there's always things we can do to make ourselves feel better after all we are growing another human! We deserve to feel good about ourselves.

YOU ARE STRONG AND POWERFULL.

Z

xxx